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CHAPTER THIRD
THE MONARCH
In the first chapter we talked of Babar and Humayun. Humayun was highly addicted to wine and opium. He was therefore unable to govern; and taking advantage of this weakness of his, Shershah was able to defeat him in 1539 near Kanauj. Humayun thus lost his throne.
He then went to his brother Kamran for shelter; but Kamran turned him out. Humayun then passed his days wandering in the desert of Sind. There he fell in love with one Hamida Begam or Mariam Makani, the daughter of Shaikh Ali Akbar Jani, a teacher of Humayun's brother Hindal. Hamida was then of 13 or 14 years. They were married in 1542. This marriage estranged him from his brother Hindal also. Humayun had nothing left; and he wandered in this penniless state from one place to another. While thus wandering, he once reached Amarkot. The king of Amarkot, with great magnanimity of mind, gave him shelter and a help of 2000 cavalry and 5000 infantry. Humayun, with this help, went to invade Tatha and Bakhar.
His Hamida, in his absence, was living at Amarkot; and there she gave birth to a son on Thursday, the 23rd of November, 1542. Hamida was then only 15 years old. The son was named Badaruddin Muhammad Akbar. Scholars say that he was so named because his mother's father's name was Ali Akbar.
When Akbar was born, Humayun was camping about 20 miles away from Amarkot. A man named Taradibegamkhan gave him the news. He was extremely pleased by the son's birth. But he had nothing to give as gifts to his men. At that time one of his servants, Jauhar by name, went to him and offered a lump of musk which he had with him. Humayun distributed the powder
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
