The Mughals were descendants of two great lineages of rulers. From their mother's side, they were descendants of Genghis Khan, ruler of the Mongol tribes. From their father's side, they were the successors of Timur, the ruler of Iran, Iraq and modern-day Turkey.
However, the Mughals did not like to be called Mongol because Mongol's especially Genghis Khan's memory was associated with the massacre of innumerable people. It was also linked with the Uzbeks, their Mongol competitors. On the other hand, the Mughals were proud of their Timurid ancestry, because it had achieved a good name in history.