Test: Struggle For Empire in North India (1525 - 1555) - 2 - UPSC

Humayun succeeded Babur in 1530 at the age of 23. He was the second Mughal emperor and ruled the empire until his death in 1556.

Humayun divided the empire among his three brothers, Kamran, Askari, and Hindal, which proved to be a great blunder on his part as it led to internal conflicts and weakened the empire.

In the Battle of Chausa, held in 1539, Sher Khan destroyed the Mughal army, and Humayun escaped from there. He later lost the Battle of Bilgram or Ganges (also known as Battle of Kanauj) in 1540 and became an exile for the next fifteen years.

Sher Shah was the founder of the Sur Dynasty. He ascended the throne at the age of 54 and ruled for a brief period of 5 years.

Sher Shah's empire was divided into forty-seven Sarkars. Each Sarkars was further divided into various Parganas and in charge of various officers.

Sher Shah Sur's conquests include Bundelkhand, Malwa, Multan, Punjab, and Sind. His empire occupied the whole of North India except Assam, Gujarat, Kashmir, and Nepal.

Sher Shah introduced new silver coins called "Dam" and they were in circulation till 1835. The currency reforms led to improving trade and commerce.

The old fort called Purana Qila and its mosque was built during Sher Shah's reign. It is an important historical site in Delhi.

The famous Hindi work Padmavat by Malik Muhammad Jayasi was written during Sher Shah's reign. It is a fictionalized account of the life of the legendary queen, Rani Padmini of Chittor.

In 1555, Humayun defeated the Afghans and recovered the Mughal throne. However, he died only six months later due to a fall from the staircase of his library.