Humayun

He was descending the staircase from his library with his arms full of books when the muezzin announced the Azaan (the call to prayer). The emperor tried to kneel in reverence on hearing the summons, but tripped and fell down the stairs. He was seriously injured as a result and died three days later on 27 January 1556. He was succeeded by his son Akbar.

Humayun was known for his peaceful personality and patience which earned him the title ’Insān-i-Kamil (Perfect Man), among the Mughals.

Humayun was born on 17 March 1508, in Kabul, Mughal Empire (present-day Afghanistan), to Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty and his wife Maham Begum. He had several siblings; many of his brothers and half-brothers would become his bitter rivals in future.

He received an upbringing typical for princes of his stature. He learned Turki, Arabic, and Persian and was interested in mathematics, philosophy, and astrology. He also received military training and was appointed governor of Badakhashan at the age of 20.

He proved his bravery as a young governor and fought at Panipat and Khanwa, two decisive battles in Indian history. His father ensured that he was trained as an administrator and a warrior.

Babur died and Humayun ascended to the throne on 26 December 1530 as the second emperor of the Mughal dynasty. He faced bitter rivalry from his brothers, and also faced threat from other rulers such as Sultan Bahadur and Sher Shah Suri (Sher Khan). His half-brother Kamran treacherously took the Punjab and the Indus Valley.

During the initial years of his reign, both his major rivals extended their territories. Sultan Bahadur planned to attack Humayun’s territories, but Humayun acted quickly and went on to capture the forts of Mandu and Champaner, forcing Bahadur to take up refuge with the Portuguese. Bahadur eventually died in 1537.

Meanwhile Sher Shah Suri was consolidating his power in Bihar and Bengal and was emerging as a powerful ruler. He challenged the Mughal rule and even though Humayun was able to temporarily oust Sher Shah from Bengal, he could not defend his territories from Sher Shah for long.

Sher Shah successfully defeated the Mughals at Chausa in 1539 and over 8,000 Mughal troops were killed in the bloody battle. This considerably weakened Humayun’s strength, and to add to his miseries, his own brothers were also plotting against him. Sher Shah Suri continued his attacks on the Mughals and drove Humayun to the west.

The Mughals faced the growing army of Sher Shah at the Battle of Kanauj in 1540 where once again the Mughals were defeated. Further defeats followed the Mughals and the emperor Humayun was compelled to quit the battlefield. Sher Shah also captured Agra, the capital city of the Mughals, and forced Humayun to flee from India.

Humayun was not well known for being a great military leader. However, he recognized his limitations and therefore placed his army under the leadership of Bairam Khan while attempting to reclaim the throne of Delhi from the descendants of Sher Shah Suri. This proved to be a wise move as Bairam Khan was successful in recapturing the capital for Humayun.