Source: Pexels_Free Stock Photo- The Famous Humayun’s Tomb in India_Picryl_emperor-humayun
History is witness to some of the goofiest incidents happening all across the world. Read about one such incident which was just as astonishing then as it is now.
When someone studies history, they come across several figures from the past who seem like characters from a story. This effect is more amplified if the only anecdotes you read about are related to serious topics like war. It all makes it sound like something out of a fictional world and no real connection is established with these people from the past.
How does one resonate with the historical figure then? One way of doing so is by reading stories which make these characters seem human and not some otherworldly hero/heroine. Biographies and stories that pay heed to including even the goofiest of anecdotes in them are far more interesting and realistic as compared to simple war journals and boring history textbooks. After all, these people are just as real and (quite possibly) just as human as we are.
Humayun
From one of the wealthiest and largest empires in history, Humayun is well-known for being just as enigmatic as his ancestors and his descendants. Born to the founder and first Mughal ruler of India, Babur, Humayun was the second Mughal ruler after his father passed away. Babur was an expert adventurer who had settled in India in the search for the perfect place to rule and cultivate. His journey, from the time his father had died till the time he took his last breath, was quite tumultuous. Babur had to wander around for years before finally settling in India. And he hadn’t his empire in the best shape for Humayun either.
Young Humayun became the second ruler of India at the age of 22 and had to protect his throne from scheming brothers, warring chieftains from other parts of India, and an unstable administrative system. Unfortunately, he lost the crown to Afghan chieftain, Sher Shah of Suri, ten years after his coronation and was only able to get it back once Sher Shah died. The latter had taken the crown in 1540 and died in 1545. Humayun had to gather his forces and got his throne back in 1555. This meant fifteen years of exile for the young king, who traveled with his whole haram.
Despite living in the face of such dangers, his sister and biographer, Gulbadan Begum, remembers him as someone gentle, kind, and unwilling to punish his treacherous brothers. His superstitious, impulsive, and erudite personality is also mentioned- Humayun seems like a good person but maybe not the fiercest ruler. Indeed, his kindness is what attracted one of the most surprising stories in military history his way.
King for a day
On June 26, 1539, a 30-year-old Humayun and his forces fought against 53-year-old Sher Shah of Suri near the Karmanasa river in Chausar, Bihar. Unfortunately, for the young emperor, this is going to be a futile attempt for him- his army is going to face nature’s wrath and get vanquished.
It was raining heavily when both armies decide to face off each other. Humayun’s army is camping on the lower grounds which immediately get flooded because of the heavy downpour and flooding of the rivers Ganga and Karmanasa. Bridges collapse, the ground shifts, and chaos ensues. Amidst this, Sher Shah attacks the Mughal forces and it’s super effective.
Humayun had taken 8000 of his best troops for this battle- only 300 responded to his calls after this incident. He had also brought his wife and daughter along and they were stuck in the chaos too. His daughter, six-year-old Aqiqa begum, presumably drowned while her mother, Bega Begum, was taken hostage by the enemy. Humayun himself escapes narrowly and is saved from drowning by a water carrier. This water carrier was Shams-ud-Din Atga who was taken by Humayun under his wing and had a very important position in Akbar’s court.
But Shams-ud-Din Atga isn’t the star of the story. A story goes that there was another water carrier by the Nizam Sikka who spotted someone drowning in the river Jamuna. He jumped to save the man and was successful in doing so- only to find out that he had rescued the Emperor of India, Humayun!
When asked what he wanted as a reward, Sikka replied that he wanted to be king for a day. Humayun, being Humayun, agreed and Nizam Sikka became Emperor of India for a whole day! Today, a tomb stands in the Ajmer Sharif Dargah in Rajasthan for the water carrier who saved the emperor.
The onlookers at that time were just as flabbergasted as we are now. The emperor was supposed to be preparing for another war but here he was, entertaining a water carrier! But, guess Humayun was just so generous and thankful that he couldn’t ignore this one request from his benefactor.
Resources
- Mukhoty, I. (2018). Daughters of the Sun: Empresses, Queens and Begums of the Mughal Empire.
- Gupta, S. S. (2019). MAHAL: Power and Pageantry in the Mughal Harem. Hachette UK.
- Humayun | Biography & Facts | Britannica. (2024). In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Humayun-Mughal-emperor
- Akhilesh Pillalamarri. (2016, April 8). An Emperor in Exile: Chronicling Humayun’s Days and Conquests. Thediplomat.com; The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2016/04/an-emperor-in-exile-chronicling-humayuns-days-and-conquests/
- Bharat, E. (2021, February 18). The story behind the “King of the day.” ETV Bharat News; ETV Bharat National. https://www.etvbharat.com/english/state/rajasthan/king-of-the-day-who-issued-leather-coins/na20210218182316745
- OurTeam. (2015, July 9). Quick Guide Ajmer, Rajasthan. Outlook Traveller; Outlook Traveller. https://www.outlooktraveller.com/explore/weekend-breaks/quick-guide-ajmer-rajasthan
- Shēr Shah of Sūr | Mughal Empire, Afghan Dynasty, Military Reforms | Britannica. (2024). In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sher-Shah-of-Sur#ref54413
- Rajshree Lahoty. (2024, March 8). How Did Babur Die? – Leverage Edu. Leverage Edu; Leverage Edu. https://leverageedu.com/discover/general-knowledge/indian-history-howdid-babur-died/
