The Reign of Humayun, 1530-1556.

Humayun, the Mughal emperor came came to the throne at the young age of 22, on the death of his father Babur. During his rule the Mughal influence in north India declined and Humayun spent the next 15 years in exile in Sind and then Afghanistan. Humayun and the Mughals returned to power in 1555 but his rule was short lived as he died a year later at the age of 48 when he fell down the steps of his library.Humayun was passionate about painting and the Persian artists he recruited laid the foundation for the Mughal style of painting.

Humayun’s tomb is located in Nizamuddin in central Delhi and now a U.N. Hertitage site. The tomb was built at a cost of Rs 1.5 million by his widow Hamida Begum who supervised its construction during the reign of her son Akbar. The tomb is said to have been designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyath, an architect of Iranian descent. The interior of the tomb contains Humayun’s cenotaph as well as those of various family members. The garden is divided by causeways and water channels with pathways similar to gardens of the Mughal era.

The design and architecture inspired Shahjehan to construct the Taj Mahal in Agra.