IIUMAYUN, emperor of India, twice reigned in that country, viz. from the death of his father Baber, 2fith December 1530, till he abdicated on the 9th July 1543, and again from re-accession, A.D. 1555, till his death. Humayun was the eldest of four sons of Baber. Of these, Kamran was governor of Kabul and Kandahar at the time of their father's death, but Ilindal and Mirza Akbari were unemployed in India. I[umayun on accession ceded the Panjab and the country on the Indus to Kamm, in addition to his former territories; gave the government of Sambal to Bimini, and that of Mewat to Mina Askari. Hurnaytm's first opera tions were against Bahadur Shah, king of Gujerat, and he was one of three hundred chosen men who, at night, in August 1535, scaled the almost perpendicular rock on which the hill fort of Champaner is built. Sher Shah's revolt, how ever, recalled him to Hindustan and the banks of the Ganges ; but, after gaining temporary advan tages, in a general action in April 1840, near Canouj, Humayun's forces were defeated and driven into the Ganges, Humayun himself escaping to the other side with great difficulty. lie sought protection from Kamran at Lahore, then, failing in an invasion of Sind, he sought and found an asylum with Maldeo, raja of 3Iarwar, but finding Maldeo likely to deliver him up to his enemies, he moved to Amerkot, a fort in the desert not far from the Indus. The journey through the desert was calamitous ; many of his companions died miserably from thirst ; Humayun, with only seven mounted attendants, entered Amerkot, and was received kindly by the chief, Rana Parshad, Here, on the 14th October 1542, was born his son Akbar. His fortunes still varied, and he sought protection with Shah Thamasp, king of Persia. lie sent his confidential officer, Bahrain Khan, to meet the king, and followed afterwards on a visit, but found himself a prisoner, was compelled to accept the Shiah doctrines and forms, and pro mised to introduce it into India, to wear the Kazzil bash cap, and to cede the kingdom of Kandahar. At length ho was allowed to depart, and, arriving at Seistan, he found 14,000 horse awaiting his arrival, under the command of Morad Mirza, king Thamasp's son.
Ile took Bast on the Helmand, besieged and took Kandanar, March 1545. Mirza Askari took Kabul, and recovered Akbar, hut only again to sustain reverses in Balkh, during which he fled with only eleven attendants to Badalchshan. Recovering somewhat, he overthrew Kamrau (1547), and all the brothers (1548) were recon ciled, and took food together ; only again for. Ifinnayun to meet with further reverses, for Hum:Lynn marched against the Khalil, but in a night attack he was defeated by these moun taineers, and his brother II indal killed. Humayun again took the field, defeated the Afghans, and compelled Kamm' to fly to India, where he took refuge with Sultan Selini, and afterward* with the Sultan of the Gbakkar, who in September 1553 betrayed him to Humaymi. lie was blinded, and allowed to proceed to Mecca, where he soon after died. lIutnayun passed a year at Kabul and Kandahar ; and on the death of Selint Shah he set out from Kabul with 15,000 horse: in January 1555, to Lahore, overthrew Sikander Shah at Sirliind, and took possession of Dehli and Agra. In less than six months after his return to the capital, when descending the stairs from his library, hearing the nutazzan's call to prayers, he repeated the creed, and sat down on the steps till the azan was finished. As he rose with the help of his staff, it slipped on the polished marble step, and he fell over the parapet, and was stunned. On the fourth day of the accident ho expired, A.D. 1556, A.11. 963, in the 49th year of his age and 26th of his reign, including the 16 years of his banishment from his capital.. He was succeeded by his son Akbar, then thirteen years and four months old ; and in Akbar's reign India was formed into one empire. Ilumayun in all his military operations had shown no want of personal courage, but great deficiency in enter prise, and he had gone through his subsequent calamities with cheerfulness that approached to magnaminity.—Elphilt. pp. 384-413.