Humayun

Introduction 

Babur was the founder of the Mughal sultanate and he had many children among them Humayun and Kamran Mirza were very much famous. Humayun was the second emperor of the Mughal sultanate after his father and he came to power at the age of twenty two. Kamran Mirza was the half brother of Humayun and traditionally portrayed as a traitorous prince. Humayun Tomb is the first golden tomb within the Indian subcontinent. It signifies the architectural innovation in the Mughal phase. 

Discussion 

A critical analysis on Humayun, the second Mughal emperor

Humayun was known as Nasir Ud Din Muhammad Humayun who was the second ruler of Mughal kingdom. Humayun was more of an adventurer than as the ruling king of India. He was the son of Babur who was the founder of the Mughal Dynasty. The ruling period of Humayun was 1530 to 1554 and again he got the emperor position in the year 1555 to 1556. The Afghan soldier Sher Shah Suri defeated him at the war in Chausa 1539 and Kannauj in 1540. “An emperor in exile” was the most tragic condition of the king. However, his contribution in mughal architecture is unforgettable. He was the first person who introduced double domes and high arch concepts in Indian architecture. 

Historical significance of Humayun’s tomb

The tomb was formed between 1562 to 1571. The main attraction of the tomb is the tall gateway popularly known as “pishtaq’ and central towering. Later on it became a significant aspect of Mughal architecture. The palace is located just at the center of “Chahar Bagh”. Traditionally it is known as “hasht bihisht” or eight paradise where a big center hall is surrounded by a big eight room. The use of red sandstone makes the architecture more historically significant and the edges are furnished with white marble. It is said that the Shah Jahan was inspired by this tomb and determined to use white marble while constructing the Taj Mahal for Mumtaz. 

The relation between Kamran Mirza and Humayun 

The rivalry between Kamran Mirza and Humayun is considered as a turning point in Indian history. The story depicts that Kamran Mirza used to back stabbed his brother and every time he used to forgive him. Rather, without any war, Humayun gave the entire province of punjab. However, after becoming the king of the Punjab province, Kamran misused the military power and occupied the road between punjab and Delhi. Many historians mentioned this incident as the sucidal attempt by Humayun and cursed the decision of giving Punjab to Kamran Mirza. 

Achievements of Humayun

The achievements of Humayun were revolutionary in the sphere of painting and architecture. He was the first person who developed a citadel in Delhi, named as “Din Panah”. However, the structure was slashed at the time of Shir Shah Suri. It is said that the foundation of Mugal art was laid by Humayun and integration of Persian art as well as culture was initiated by the king himself. Despite having attention on the expansion of the kingdom, he focused on the development of literature and architecture. Henceforth, his time is considered as the golden era of art and architecture in the entire Mughal period. 

 Rules and structure imposed by Humayun

Humayun was considered as the most ethical ruler and he made a policy “not to attack any muslime”. His religious policy depicts that he was ‘Sunni Muslim” but his inclination towards sufism was much appreciated. The “Shias’ ‘ had great respect towards the king.However, during his period many hindu temples were destroyed and despite that he did not take any effective measures. It reflects the biases towards muslim religion only.

Conclusion 

This history of Humayun and the ruling period of Humayun have been described elaborately. His half brother Kamran Mirza was very cruel and always tried to harm him by hook or crook. His half brother was planning to kill his family members just because he did not get the Mughal throne. Humayun was not very experienced in the ruling process but the inhabitants of Delhi were very happy. Humayun fought with Sher Shah Suri but unfortunately he lost the war. The burial ground of Humayun is known as Humayun Tomb which is situated in Delhi. It is considered as the representative of architectural innovation that took place during the period of Humayun.