Humayun (1508–1556)

Why in News?

Six persons died and five others were injured after a wall and roof of the Patte Shah Dargah Masjid, near Humayun’s Tomb, collapsed in Delhi. ASI clarified the damaged mosque structure was not part of the Humayun’s Tomb complex.

Description:

• Full name: Nasir-ud-din Muhammad Humayun.
• Born: 6 March 1508, Kabul.
• Son of Babur, founder of Mughal Empire.
• Reign:
  • First reign: 1530–1540
  • Second reign: 1555–1556
• Brothers: Kamran, Askari, Hindal.
• Mistake: Division of empire among brothers → weakened authority.

Challenges & Rivals:

1. Afghan Threat – Rise of Sher Khan (later Sher Shah Suri) in Bihar & Bengal.
2. Bahadur Shah of Gujarat – Expansionist, clashed with Humayun.
3. Brothers’ Rivalry – Kamran in Punjab & Kabul; Askari & Hindal’s rebellions.
4. Financial Weakness – Struggled to maintain large armies.

Major Battles of Humayun:

1. Battle of Daurah (1532)
   1. Against Afghans under Bahadur Shah of Gujarat.
   1. Humayun won → temporary assertion of Mughal power.
2. Battle of Chausa (1539)
   1. Against Sher Shah Suri (on banks of Ganga, Bihar).
   1. Humayun defeated → barely escaped.
3. Battle of Kanauj (1540)
   1. Decisive defeat by Sher Shah Suri.
   1. Humayun lost Delhi & Agra → forced into exile.
   1. Marks the beginning of the Sur Empire in India.
4. Battle of Sirhind (1555)
   1. Humayun (with Persian support) defeated Sikandar Suri.
   1. Regained Delhi & Agra → restoration of Mughal rule.

Death:

• Died: January 1556, Delhi.
• Cause: Fall from the staircase of his library at Purana Qila.
• Successor: Akbar (13 years old).

Humayun’s Tomb:

• Built by: Empress Bega Begum (Haji Begum) in 1569–70.
• Architects: Mirak Mirza Ghiyas & Sayyid Muhammad (Persians).
• Features:
  • First garden-tomb in the Indian subcontinent.
  • Built in red sandstone at large scale.
  • Octagonal plan, double dome, Charbagh layout.
• UNESCO World Heritage Site: 1993.
• Called “Dormitory of the Mughals” → 150+ royal burials inside.

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