While on a long travel, I decided to pick up a book which had been long sitting on my shelf (the digital one, thanks to numerous options on the iPad which has become my constant companion, so much that sometimes my wife laments “try something else rather than the iPad today”!), Empire of the Moghuls, written by Alex Rutherford.

As I lost myself into the plot detailing the life and times of Babur, the ruler who established the dynasty, I understood how they became one of the most successful rulers of India. From my childhood, I had viewed the Moghuls as the most successful empire in India and perhaps more so because of the history books than my own research. But never really went to the extent of understanding the reason, until the book revealed the answer to me…

The book is a brilliant account of how Babur built the empire right from his early childhood when he was declared the king owing to his father’s untimely death when he was 13! The story runs through his struggle of capturing and losing Samarkand, the famed city, multiple times; being without the throne for years together, hiding and running from his enemies; constantly suffering from a fear of will he be able to do enough; and finally fulfilling his desire to capture Hindustan.

But most importantly, the one thing which runs through the entire account is his urge and incessant desire to leave a legacy. In his own words “What will I be recalled as, and what will I leave my generations to come, and how I am remembered tomorrow”! In short, about “LEAVING A LEGACY”.

This particular thought is what drives great men, I believe – What is it that they are going to do that is going to leave their mark on humanity and for generations to come together they are remembered for what they did. And I could feel it in my stomach as I read Babur’s life account of how it must have been for him to go through the trials and tribulations of building his empire. This is what I believe drives a lot of us, members of the entrepreneurial clan…

To be an entrepreneur is not easy, it’s bloody difficult. One has to go through the most trying times of their life, lead themselves and those who believe in them through some of the most darkest paths they have ever encountered, face every adversity and still maintain their wits and guts, and most importantly never lose sight of what they want to achieve. And as anybody’s guess, most give up on this treacherous path before it winds down!

But what lies ahead of this so-called path? An absolutely stunning life, which only some are able to conquer, more in their minds than in the physical way. And all that one ever wants in his life, all the satisfaction, all the glory, all the dreams become possible…

As with what Babur did, and what most people who today are successful businessmen have done, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you to do something great and create a compelling story out of your life. So go for the glory, just don’t sit back and keep thinking, the path is anyways going to throw surprises galore along the way!

Is it worth it? Absolutely…