Foreword
This is a very detailed and scholarly study of a minute but not uninteresting corner of mediaeval Indian history, namely Humayun's doings in Persia and Afghanistan as a discrowned fugitive from India. After the throne of Delhi had been recovered and the Indian empire had attained to undreamt of splendour under his son Akbar, the Mughal Court historians deemed it politic to slur over this temporary eclipse of their royal house, because Humayun in exile had not been treated as a full equal by his royal host in Persia. To this was added the eternal antagonism between the Shi'as and the Sunnis. Did Humayun in Persia find it expedient to make a confession of the Shi'a faith, and if so did he go to the full length of it? That is a question which the Delhi Court historians naturally try to ignore or leave clouded in vague rhetoric-while the Iranian writers on the other hand, very politely remain silent on the subject.
This question has been critically investigated in Professor Sukumar Ray's book. He has taken infinite pains in settling the dates and place-names of the Mughal Emperor's movements outside India, and he has for the first time brought all the known Persian and Indian writers on the subject together in one comprehensive review and judgment.
It is a sound and painstaking production, though the nature of the subject has denied to our author any brilliant episode or splendid personality, such as abound in the history of the reign of Akbar. A piece of honest scholarly work like this deserves to be printed and thus make available to students as a standard authority on one particular bit of Indian history.
Professor S. Ray has undertaken a full study of Bairam Khan, young Akbar's Lord Protector and of his son Abdu'r-Rahim Khan-i-Khanan, the brightest star of Hindustani poetry and Sufi philosophy at the Mughal Court. The present book is the necessary first step to the accomplishment of that most interesting work. I have gone through the book with the young author and heartily recommend it to those who love to read our country's past history.
Jadunath Sarkar
| Prefatory Note | v | |
| Foreword | vii | |
| Preface | ix | |
| List of Illustration | xv | |
| Abbreviations | xv | |
| CHAPTER 1 | Humayun Leaves for Persia | |
| 1. Humayun abandons all his hopes in India and leaves for Qandahar | 1 | |
| 2. Humayun journey from Mashtang to Sistan | 3 | |
| CHAPTER 2 | Humayun at Sistan and Heart | |
| 1. Humayun at Sistan | 7 | |
| 2. The Shah receives the report of Humayun's arrival and issues instructions for his proper reception | 8 | |
| 3. Humayun proceeds to Herat and receives the reply of the Shah on the way | 9 | |
| 4. Humayun is given a grand reception at Herat | 10 | |
| 5. The grand banquet arranged by Muhammad Khan in Honour of Humayun | 11 | |
| 6. Humayun stays at Herat and witnesses the New Year festival | 12 | |
| Appendix to Chapter 2 | 13 | |
| CHAPTER 3 | From Herat to the Safavid Court: | |
| 1. Humayun's letter to shah Tahmasp asking permission to visit Mashhad | 15 | |
| 2. Reply of the Shah of Iran to the above letter of Humayun | 16 | |
| 3. Humayun at Jam | 18 | |
| 4. Humayun at Mashhad | 19 | |
| 5. From Mashhad to Qi'la Dars | 19 | |
| 6. Bairam Beg at the court of shah Tahmasp | 21 | |
| 7. From the fort of Dars tot he Shah's court | 22 | |
| CHAPTER 4 | At the Safavid Court | |
| 1. The meeting of the two monarchs | 25 | |
| 2. Jauhar our main guide: three periods of Humayun's stay with the Shah | 27 | |
| 3. Causes of dissension between Humayun and Shah Tahmasp | 27 | |
| 4. The first period: attempts of the Shah to convert Humayun | 28 | |
| 5. No intercourse for two months: the second period | 32 | |
| 6. The Shah changes his attitude: did Humayun accept the Shi'ah creed? 35 | ||
| 7. Farewell parties: last days with the Shah: the third period | 38 | |
| 8. Parting of the two monarchs | 39 | |
| 9. Bairam beg in Iran | 40 | |
| CHAPTER 5 | Homeward Bound | |
| 1. Humayun leaves the Safavid court and visits Ardabil and the Caspian Sea | 41 | |
| 2. Humayun's second visit to Qazwin | 43 | |
| 3. From Qazwin to Mashhad | 44 | |
| 4. From Mashhad to Sistan | 45 | |
| 5. Humayun leaves the dominion of Shah Tahmasp | 48 | |
| Appendix to Chapter 5 | 49 | |
| CHAPTER 6 | Qandahar- the bone of Contention Between Persian and India: | |
| 1. The first siege of Qandahar | 51 | |
| 2. Causes of the siege of Qandahar by Humayun against the Persians | 53 | |
| 3. The second siege of Qandahar | 56 | |
| CHAPTER 7 | Conclusion: | |
| 1. The recovery of Qandahar closes the period of exile: several questions regarding Humayun's life in Iran | 58 | |
| 2. The Shah's treatment of Humayun | 58 | |
| 3. Humayun's political relationship with the Shah of Iran | 58 | |
| 4. Was Humayun guilty of treachery in the capture of Qandahar? | 60 | |
| 5. Did Humayun recover his ancestral territory with Persian help? | 61 | |
| 6. The ultimate results of Humayun's exile in Iran | 62 | |
| APPENDICES | ||
| A. Humayun's letter to Shah Tahmasp asking permission to enter Iran and see the Shah | ||
| B. The Reply of Shah Tahmasp to Humayun's letter asking permission to enter his territory and see him. | 67 | |
| C. The letter of Shah Tahmasp to Muhammad Khan, Governor of Heart, Giving instruction for the Reception of Humayun | 68 | |
| D. Humayun's letter to Shah Tahmasp of Iran asking permission to visit Mashhad | 75 | |
| E. Reply of Shah Tahmasp to the Letter of Humayun asking permission to visit Mashhad | 77 | |
| F. A letter of Shah Tahmasp of Iran to Humayun after He left the Shah's territory | 79 | |
| G. The Personal letter of Shah to Humayun in his own Handwriting | 86 | |
| Bibliography | ||
| A. Indian Chronicles | 88 | |
| B. Chronicles written from the Safavid Point of View | 96 | |
| C. Miscellaneous works bearing informations on the subject | 101 | |
| D. European Sources | 102 | |
| E. Modern Works | 102 | |
| Index | 105 |
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Foreword
This is a very detailed and scholarly study of a minute but not uninteresting corner of mediaeval Indian history, namely Humayun's doings in Persia and Afghanistan as a discrowned fugitive from India. After the throne of Delhi had been recovered and the Indian empire had attained to undreamt of splendour under his son Akbar, the Mughal Court historians deemed it politic to slur over this temporary eclipse of their royal house, because Humayun in exile had not been treated as a full equal by his royal host in Persia. To this was added the eternal antagonism between the Shi'as and the Sunnis. Did Humayun in Persia find it expedient to make a confession of the Shi'a faith, and if so did he go to the full length of it? That is a question which the Delhi Court historians naturally try to ignore or leave clouded in vague rhetoric-while the Iranian writers on the other hand, very politely remain silent on the subject.
This question has been critically investigated in Professor Sukumar Ray's book. He has taken infinite pains in settling the dates and place-names of the Mughal Emperor's movements outside India, and he has for the first time brought all the known Persian and Indian writers on the subject together in one comprehensive review and judgment.
It is a sound and painstaking production, though the nature of the subject has denied to our author any brilliant episode or splendid personality, such as abound in the history of the reign of Akbar. A piece of honest scholarly work like this deserves to be printed and thus make available to students as a standard authority on one particular bit of Indian history.
Professor S. Ray has undertaken a full study of Bairam Khan, young Akbar's Lord Protector and of his son Abdu'r-Rahim Khan-i-Khanan, the brightest star of Hindustani poetry and Sufi philosophy at the Mughal Court. The present book is the necessary first step to the accomplishment of that most interesting work. I have gone through the book with the young author and heartily recommend it to those who love to read our country's past history.
Jadunath Sarkar
| Prefatory Note | v | |
| Foreword | vii | |
| Preface | ix | |
| List of Illustration | xv | |
| Abbreviations | xv | |
| CHAPTER 1 | Humayun Leaves for Persia | |
| 1. Humayun abandons all his hopes in India and leaves for Qandahar | 1 | |
| 2. Humayun journey from Mashtang to Sistan | 3 | |
| CHAPTER 2 | Humayun at Sistan and Heart | |
| 1. Humayun at Sistan | 7 | |
| 2. The Shah receives the report of Humayun's arrival and issues instructions for his proper reception | 8 | |
| 3. Humayun proceeds to Herat and receives the reply of the Shah on the way | 9 | |
| 4. Humayun is given a grand reception at Herat | 10 | |
| 5. The grand banquet arranged by Muhammad Khan in Honour of Humayun | 11 | |
| 6. Humayun stays at Herat and witnesses the New Year festival | 12 | |
| Appendix to Chapter 2 | 13 | |
| CHAPTER 3 | From Herat to the Safavid Court: | |
| 1. Humayun's letter to shah Tahmasp asking permission to visit Mashhad | 15 | |
| 2. Reply of the Shah of Iran to the above letter of Humayun | 16 | |
| 3. Humayun at Jam | 18 | |
| 4. Humayun at Mashhad | 19 | |
| 5. From Mashhad to Qi'la Dars | 19 | |
| 6. Bairam Beg at the court of shah Tahmasp | 21 | |
| 7. From the fort of Dars tot he Shah's court | 22 | |
| CHAPTER 4 | At the Safavid Court | |
| 1. The meeting of the two monarchs | 25 | |
| 2. Jauhar our main guide: three periods of Humayun's stay with the Shah | 27 | |
| 3. Causes of dissension between Humayun and Shah Tahmasp | 27 | |
| 4. The first period: attempts of the Shah to convert Humayun | 28 | |
| 5. No intercourse for two months: the second period | 32 | |
| 6. The Shah changes his attitude: did Humayun accept the Shi'ah creed? 35 | ||
| 7. Farewell parties: last days with the Shah: the third period | 38 | |
| 8. Parting of the two monarchs | 39 | |
| 9. Bairam beg in Iran | 40 | |
| CHAPTER 5 | Homeward Bound | |
| 1. Humayun leaves the Safavid court and visits Ardabil and the Caspian Sea | 41 | |
| 2. Humayun's second visit to Qazwin | 43 | |
| 3. From Qazwin to Mashhad | 44 | |
| 4. From Mashhad to Sistan | 45 | |
| 5. Humayun leaves the dominion of Shah Tahmasp | 48 | |
| Appendix to Chapter 5 | 49 | |
| CHAPTER 6 | Qandahar- the bone of Contention Between Persian and India: | |
| 1. The first siege of Qandahar | 51 | |
| 2. Causes of the siege of Qandahar by Humayun against the Persians | 53 | |
| 3. The second siege of Qandahar | 56 | |
| CHAPTER 7 | Conclusion: | |
| 1. The recovery of Qandahar closes the period of exile: several questions regarding Humayun's life in Iran | 58 | |
| 2. The Shah's treatment of Humayun | 58 | |
| 3. Humayun's political relationship with the Shah of Iran | 58 | |
| 4. Was Humayun guilty of treachery in the capture of Qandahar? | 60 | |
| 5. Did Humayun recover his ancestral territory with Persian help? | 61 | |
| 6. The ultimate results of Humayun's exile in Iran | 62 | |
| APPENDICES | ||
| A. Humayun's letter to Shah Tahmasp asking permission to enter Iran and see the Shah | ||
| B. The Reply of Shah Tahmasp to Humayun's letter asking permission to enter his territory and see him. | 67 | |
| C. The letter of Shah Tahmasp to Muhammad Khan, Governor of Heart, Giving instruction for the Reception of Humayun | 68 | |
| D. Humayun's letter to Shah Tahmasp of Iran asking permission to visit Mashhad | 75 | |
| E. Reply of Shah Tahmasp to the Letter of Humayun asking permission to visit Mashhad | 77 | |
| F. A letter of Shah Tahmasp of Iran to Humayun after He left the Shah's territory | 79 | |
| G. The Personal letter of Shah to Humayun in his own Handwriting | 86 | |
| Bibliography | ||
| A. Indian Chronicles | 88 | |
| B. Chronicles written from the Safavid Point of View | 96 | |
| C. Miscellaneous works bearing informations on the subject | 101 | |
| D. European Sources | 102 | |
| E. Modern Works | 102 | |
| Index | 105 |
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