The Arrival of the Mughal Empire (Part 5): The Rise of Sher Shah Suri and Humayun's Exile from India

The unstable foundation of the Mughal Empire established by Babur became clearly visible right after his son, Humayun, took over the throne. Although Humayun inherited the crown, he soon faced a massive crisis due to surrounding enemies and his own strategic blunders. This historical storm that left him completely ruined was named Sher Shah Suri.

A Magical Rise: From Farid to 'Sher Khan'

Sher Shah was not his birth name; he was originally named Farid Khan. Born as the son of a strict Afghan landlord (Jagirdar) in Bihar, he ran away from home to escape the mistreatment of his stepmother and pursued his education in Jaunpur. From a very young age, he possessed exceptional administrative skills.

Legend has it that he once killed a tiger with his bare hands to save the life of the Sultan of Bihar. This brave act earned him the title 'Sher Khan'. As clever and courageous as a tiger, this man secretly dreamed of driving the Mughals out of India. Humayun’s political weaknesses eventually gave him the perfect opportunity to achieve this goal.

Humayun’s Mistakes and Sher Shah's Moves

When Humayun ascended the throne of Delhi in 1530 after Babur's death, chaos surrounded him from all sides. Bahadur Shah of Gujarat and the Afghan leader Sher Khan in the Bihar-Bengal region both posed severe threats.

However, Humayun underestimated Sher Khan's capabilities. Sher Khan revealed his true strength during the Battle of Chausa in Bihar in 1539. He launched a surprise night attack on the Mughal camp during the monsoon season. This sudden raid completely shattered the Mughal army. Humayun barely managed to escape with his life by jumping into the Ganges river with his horse, saved by a humble water-carrier. Following this victory, Sher Khan declared himself an independent Sultan and renamed himself 'Sher Shah Suri'.

The Battle of Kannauj: The Ultimate Disaster for the Mughals

Even after the crushing defeat at Chausa, Humayun failed to realize the danger. He turned to his brothers for support, but instead of helping him, they betrayed him. With a broken spirit and a disorganized army, Humayun faced Sher Shah once again in 1540 at the Battle of Kannauj.

This time, Sher Shah left no room for error. The Mughal forces could not even stand their ground on the battlefield. Faced with Sher Shah’s highly disciplined Afghan army, the Mughals were swept away like dry leaves. Control of Delhi and Agra passed directly into Sher Shah's hands, bringing an end to the first chapter of Mughal rule and marking the beginning of the glorious five-year Sur Empire.

Exile and the Nomad Life of Humayun

Losing the Battle of Kannauj left Humayun with no ground to stand on. Forced to abandon his capital, he fled for his life, marking the start of a long, painful nomadic journey.

He wandered from Delhi to Sindh, and from Sindh to Marwar, without a roof over his head and accompanied by only a few loyal followers. In the middle of this extreme hardship, his son Akbar—who would later become one of India's greatest emperors—was born in a desert fort in Umarkot, Sindh. Yet at that moment, Humayun had no idea what his future held. Having failed to find a safe haven anywhere in India, he finally sought political asylum at the court of Shah Tahmasp, the ruler of the Safavid dynasty in Persia. Humayun’s departure from India in 1540 pushed Mughal history into a long 15-year exile.

Ultimately, Sher Shah Suri's rise was not a stroke of luck, but a result of his unbreakable willpower and brilliant military tactics. On the flip side, it was Humayun’s excessive leniency and lack of foresight that cost him his empire.