Babur was from today's Uzbekistan, why he called himself Mughal?

 Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire in India, was indeed born in Andijan, present-day Uzbekistan, in 1483. The term "Mughal" refers to a specific ethnic and cultural group, and its usage by Babur and his descendants is tied to the Turkic-Mongol heritage of the ruling dynasty.

Here are a few points to consider:

1. **Mughals and Their Heritage:**

   - The Mughals were descendants of both Timur (Tamerlane) on the paternal side and Genghis Khan on the maternal side. Timur was a Central Asian conqueror and founder of the Timurid Empire, and his descendants, including Babur, identified with the broader Turkic-Mongol cultural and ethnic heritage.

2. **Nomadic Ancestry:**

   - Babur's ancestry can be traced back to Central Asian nomadic groups. The term "Mughal" is associated with the Mongols, and it reflects the Central Asian Turkic-Mongol nomadic heritage of Babur and his forebears.

3. **Cultural Identity:**

   - When Babur descended into the Indian subcontinent and established the Mughal Empire, he and his successors retained the term "Mughal" to signify their cultural and ethnic identity. While they ruled over a predominantly Indian population, the ruling elite maintained a connection to their Central Asian roots.

4. **Dynastic Continuity:**

   - The use of the term "Mughal" persisted through successive generations of rulers in the Mughal Empire. Even though the Mughals eventually became an integral part of Indian history and culture, their self-identification as Mughals reflected a connection to their Central Asian origins.

In summary, Babur's use of the term "Mughal" was rooted in his Turkic-Mongol ancestry and cultural identity. It became a dynastic identifier for the rulers of the Mughal Empire, highlighting their Central Asian heritage even as they became significant figures in the history of the Indian subcontinent.