The Mughals have left an undeniable imprint upon the Indian landscape; their legacy is seen in the form of culture, architecture and art. Their rule lasted for more than 300 years, from 1526 to 1857. There have been a whole brood of Mughal emperors, but none stood out as much as the first six, the creators of the Mughal legacy. Many of their descendants would take advantage of the riches and power that they had inherited. However, infighting among them paved the way for other princes and ultimately the British to take control.
In part 2, we look at the second Mughal Emperor, Humayun. He reigned from 1530-1540 and again from 1555-1556. He led a constant battle to maintain his father’s empire, in part due to a request from his father. Khadija Tauseef explains.
If you missed it you can read part one in the series on the first Mughal Emperor Babur here.
The second Mughal emperor, Humayun. This a detail of a miniature from the Baburnama, 1590s.
Humayun was the most beloved son of the Emperor Babur and his favorite wife Maham Begum, born to them on March 6, 1508. The prince was his father’s favorite. When Humayun fell gravely ill, and many believed that only God could save him, an Amir suggested offering something of value in exchange for the prince’s health. It was at this moment that Babur offered his own life in exchange for his son’s. And so, the story goes that Babur’s condition began to worsen while Humayun started to get better. Ultimately in 1530, Babur passed away and left the throne to Humayun. However, there was one piece of advice that Babur gave to Humayun before his death that would cause many problems in Humayun’s reign.
Humayun Rule
Babur wanted to conquer new territory; thus, he paved the way for the creation of the Mughal Empire. During his conquests Babur would conquer territory and, in order to sustain control, he would leave his heir in charge. From the beginning Babur had decided that Humayun would be the one who would succeed to the throne after Babur’s death. Unfortunately, Humayun did not have his father’s spirit and he failed to keep the empire intact for long. A key reason for this was that Babur had asked Humayun to do nothing that would harm his brothers.
Thus, in order to ensure that his brothers would be happy, he decided to assign territories to them as Zeenut Zaid explains:
“Under the tradition of appanage rule, Humayun conceded control of Badakhshan to Sulaiman, of Kabul to Kamran, and gave large districts in India to two of his other brothers to administer”
Shortly after Humayun had bestowed them the territories, Kamran rose and asserted full independent control over Kabul and Punjab. Humayun, bound by his father’s command, could do nothing to stop his brothers. So, weakened by sibling rivalries, the difficult task of defending and consolidating his father’s conquests in the north of India fell to him. The biggest threat came in the shape of powerful Afghan warriors.
Mughal Rule hanging by a thread
Humayun attempted to conquer the Sultanate of Gujarat in a five-year campaign, it was here that he first came up against Sher Khan Sur; an Afghan commander who had been rapidly consolidating his power and eventually became the leader of the Afghans. Humayun fought two battles against Sher Khan but lost both. Humayun fled from his adversaries to Sindh, where for seven months he laid siege to Sehwan, without success. It was at this time that Humayun’s allies began abandoning him.
It was in Sindh that he met Hamida, a fourteen-year old girl of Persian descent. It was from this union that his son Akbar was born. Unable to make progress in India, Humayun fled to Iran with his new wife by his side. It was in Iran that Humayun met Shah Tahmasp, a man who would provide the Mughal king with support to recapture his kingdom. While Humayun had been wandering he had also been reacquainted with Bayram Khan, one of his Babur soldiers. With the help of his new allies, Humayun marched on India determined to take back his father’s empire. This time his brothers would not be spared; their territories would be reclaimed for the Mughal Empire.
Kamran was the only sibling who continued to create problems for Humayun. Therefore, although he couldn’t bring himself to kill his brother, he did have him blinded. Humayun had regained the Mughal Empire that his father had conquered, but unfortunately before he could consolidate his rule, he died. A year after seizing back control, Humayun had been in his study and it was here that he slipped and fell from the stairs, resulting in his untimely death. Humayun left behind his 12 year old son, Akbar, who inherited the turbulent and uncertain empire of the Mughals.
Humayun the Astrologer
Unlike most rulers, Humayun arranged his entire life according to the astrological signs, something which was most unusual for the time. Even though many other Mughals also believed in the power of the stars, Humayun took his obsession to the next level. As Michael H. Fisher explains:
“He identified each weekday with an astral body, himself wearing self-designed robes of the conforming color while conducting the corresponding imperial functions. For instance, on Tuesday, identified with the astrological planet Mars, Humayun wore red garments, sat ‘on the throne of wrath and vengeance,’ and directed the sentencing of each criminal and war-captive to imaginative punishments, guided by Humayun’s own inspired insight into the otherwise hidden essence of the prisoner and his alleged deeds. Humayun ordered his tents to be symbolically made in twelve sections, each representing a zodiac sign.”
Humayun’s reliance upon the zodiac signs can even be seen in the way that he arranged his government. Fisher explains:
“In another scheme, he divided the branches of his administration according to the prime natural elements: fire (the military), air (his household), water (irrigation) and earth (buildings and lands). Each branch’s officials were to wear robes of the corresponding color.”
The courtiers would be sorted into these administrative divisions according to their zodiac sign and its corresponding element. However, this system may have been the reason why Humayun suffered greatly in his life. Relying upon the zodiac, many people who may not have been fit for a certain role may have been assigned tasks that didn’t suit them. Humayun’s brothers were aware of this weakness and that’s partly why they choose to take advantage of this and rebel against their brother. At the same time Humayun was faced with the Afghan threat led by Sher Khan, who would later take the title of Sher Shah Suri.
What do you think of Humayun’s life? Let us know below.
Now, you can read Khadija’s article on “The Fascinating History of Lahore Fort in Pakistan” here.
