The Mogul Empire was established in northern India by Babar, a Muslim prince from what is now Afghanistan. Babar created the empire, and made himself emperor, after defeating the forces of the sultan of Delhi. Babar died in 1530. By about 1600, the Mogul Empire included most of what is now Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.<NP> Under Mogul rule, a culture developed that combined Middle Eastern and Indian elements. It included a new language, Urdu, which was influenced by both Hindi and Persian. It also included a new religion, Sikhism, which drew beliefs from both Hinduism and Islam.<NP> The Moguls reached their golden age under the emperor Shah Jahan, whose reign began in 1627. Shah Jahan built the perfectly proportioned Taj Mahal, an immense tomb of white marble built for his wife in Agra, India.
