CHAPTER XII. BÁBAR AND HUMÁYÚN, THE FIRST MUGHUL § 1. Bábar. § 2. Humáyún. § 3. Sher Shah and the Súr Dynasty. § 1. Bábar.-It has already been noticed that Bábar, as a descendant of the great Tímúr, belonged to the Chaghtái tribe, a tribe nearly akin to the Mughals. Like his ancestor he wrote an account of his own life, and these Memoirs are remarkable for their simplicity and absence of affectation. His early life in Central Asia was one of remarkably diversified fortune. He was sometimes a captive, sometimes a victorious monarch; and his undaunted bravery, patience in adversity, perseverance, and elasticity of mind are truly admirable. The remarks that he used to make in his Memoirs, whenever he was successful, show that he deserved success: 'Not to me, O God! but to thee be the glory of the victory,' said the pious and chivalrous Bábar, when he won the battle of Pánipat as narrated in Chapter X. This great victory, indeed, only gave him possession of Delhi and Agra, the dominions of Ibráhím Lodí. Prince Humáyún immediately marched eastward, and conquered the whole country as far as Jaunpur. In the following year, 1527, the Rájputs, as described in the last chapter, made their great effort, under the renowned Sangá, to follow up the successes which they had already gained against the Musalmáns of Málwa and Gujarát, and against Bábar's own predecessors in Delhi. But Sangá had now a more formidable foe to meet. He was joined by the faithful Medini Rao, by the Rájás of Marwár and Jaipur, and by the bulk of the Rájput chivalry; but he was totally routed by Bábar (1527), in the decisive battle of FATHPUR SIKRI, and the storming of Chanderi early in 1528 firmly established the Mughul superiority. The brave Rájputs of Chanderi perished to a man in the desperate struggle; and GENEALOGICAL TABLE OF THE HOUSE OF TÍMÚR. 203 Genealogical Table of the House of Tímúr. . The numbers in brackets show the succession of the Mughul Emperors. in the course of the same year Bihár and Bengal also submitted to Bábar's arms. Bábar's death is remarkable. Humáyún, his eldest son, was dangerously ill, when Bábar conceived the idea of offering his own life for his son's, according to a well-known Eastern custom. In the accomplishment of this loving resolve, he walked round the bed of the sick youth three times, praying solemnly to God that the disease might be transferred to himself. After this act, he exclaimed, in the full belief that his prayer was heard, 'I have borne it away.' And, strange to say, Humáyún recovered from that hour; while the father, whose health was already decaying, began rapidly to decline. With exhortations on his lips to his children and courtiers that they should live in concord, he died December 26, 1530. Bábar's character was disfigured by cruelty to enemies; but he was marvellously brave, patient, and generous. His military skill was very great. Many stories are told to show his keen sense of justice and honour. On one occasion, when a rich caravan from China was lost in the snows on the mountains within his dominions, he ordered all the goods to be collected, and sent messengers to China to proclaim the accident and bring the owners to his Court to receive back their goods. They were at length found, and presented themselves before Bábar after a lapse of two years, when he entertained them sumptuously, and scrupulously gave them all the goods they had lost. § 2. Humáyún.-Humáyún succeeded, and reigned nominally for twenty-six years, from 1530 to 1556 A.D.; but during nearly sixteen years of this period he was an exile in the Court of Sháh Tahmásp of Persia, and the Afghán Sher Súr and his successors were Emperors of Hindustan. A war against Bahádúr Sháh, King of Gujarát [see Chap. XI., § 4] is remarkable on account of a daring exploit performed by Humáyún; with only 300 followers he scaled the walls of Champánír, the strong fortress in which were deposited the treasures of Babádúr. This war was followed by a fatal attempt to drive Sher Sûr [see next section] from the throne of Bengal, which he had lately seized. The emperor took Gaur, the capital of Bengal; but was subsequently treacherously surprised by Sher in the midst of some negotiations at Chausa, and only escaped capture (1539) by leaping on his horse and plunging in the river Ganges. He was nearly drowned, when a water-carrier rescued him, and brought him safely to the other bank, whence he escaped to Agra. By the aid of his brothers (who had formerly plotted against him, but now united to oppose Sher), he was able to raise another army; but he was again totally defeated in a battle near KANAUJ (1540), and was now compelled to fly to Persia, enduring many hardships in his flight. The Persian king Sháh Tahmásp at first treated him ungenerously, trying to force him to become a Shiah, as the Persians were, though Humáyún, like most Hindustani Muhammadans, was a Súnní. NOTE.-The Shiah and Súnní are the two great sects into which the Muhammadans are divided. At length, however, he gave him some troops to aid him in regaining his dominions, and in 1556 Humáyún again obtained possession of Delhi and Agra. We must now revert to the history of the dynasty that had been ruling in Hindustan during Humáyún's long Persian exile. + § 3. Sher Shah and the Súr Dynasty.-Sher Súr was a brave Afghán soldier, who had gradually by his skill and valour unhappily often disgraced by treachery-acquired the sovereignty of Bengal [see Chap. XI. § 3]. After the defeat of Humáyún at the battle of Kanauj in 1540, Sher became Emperor of Hindustan, and for five years ruled wisely and benevolently. He is said to have made a road from Bengal to the banks of the Indus with a caravanserai at every stage, and wells at intervals of a mile and a half. If his successors of the Súr dynasty had been as wise and brave as Sher, it is probable that Humáyún and his Mughals would never have been able to return to India. But the third monarch of the line; Muhammad Adil Sháh, was a despicable tyrant; and his successors, Ibráhím and Sikandar, were merely rebels against his authority, who were temporarily successful in establishing themselves at Agra and Delhi. So Humáyún, on his return to India in 1556 with some Persian troops, was soon able, by the aid of his faithful general Bairám Khán (see Chap. XIII. § 2), to drive Sikandar Súr away to the Himálaya Mountains, and to take possession of the two capitals. He died six months after re-entering Delhi, 1556; but the empire was still in a very unsettled state, for Sikandar was hovering about the slopes of the mountains with an army, whilst the brave and skilful vazír of Adil Sháh, named Hemú, was on the borders of Bengal. CHAPTER XIII. AKBAR, THE GREATEST OF THE MUGHUL EMPERORS. A.D. 1556-1605. § 1. The early life of Akbar. § 2. Bairám Khán. § 3. Hemú and the second battle of Pánipat. § 4. The fall of Bairám. § 5. Akbar's Conquests. § 6. Akbar's dealings with the Rájputs. § 7. The Conquest of Bengal. § 8. Chánd Bibi of Ahmadnagar. 9. General remarks on Akbar's character and administration. § 1. Early life of Akbar.-Akbar was the third Mughul Emperor, and under him the Mughuls overran and conquered all Northern India, and a considerable portion of the Deccan. Akbar was born at Amarkot in Sind, whilst his father Humáyún was flying from Sher Sháh, in 1542; and when still an infant (in 1543) he fell into the hands of his uncle Kámrán (who had obtained the government of Kandahár), and remained in his custody until 1555. Akbar's wetnurse, who had the title of Jí Jí Anagah, with her husband Atgah Khán, had charge of the young child during these years; and the affection which Akbar afterwards displayed, |