Humayun in Iran: Travel Route and Duration of Stay (A Study and Analysis of Written Sources)

Najafi Barzegar, Karim

doi:10.22034/nf.2025.541597.1452

Humayun in Iran: Travel Route and Duration of Stay (A Study and Analysis of Written Sources)

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Karim Najafi Barzegar

Associate Professor, Department of History, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/nf.2025.541597.1452

Abstract

After the death of Babur in 937 AH / 1530 CE, his eldest son, Nasir al-Din Muhammad Humayun, ascended the throne. Following his establishment in Delhi, he faced severe conflicts with contemporary rulers, including Sher Shah Suri (also known as Bahadur Shah), while also contending with the jealousy of his brothers, Kamran Mirza and Askari Mirza, who plotted to kill him. In 951 AH, upon the advice of Biram Khan, Humayun left India for Iran.
The period from Humayun’s departure to Iran to his return to India—when he regained the throne with the support of Shah Tahmasp Safavi—spanned fifteen years, fourteen of which were spent in the Safavid court. Humayun traveled via Herat, Mashhad, and Sabzevar to Qazvin, where he met Shah Tahmasp. After a one-year and two-month stay in Iran, he, with Shah Tahmasp’s assistance, proceeded through Sabzevar, Damghan, Bastam, and Torbat-e Jam to recapture Kandahar and Kabul, and ultimately returned to Delhi after suppressing Kamran Mirza. Humayun passed away on 11 Rabiʿ al-Awwal 963 AH at the age of 49.

Keywords

Humayun

Iran

Shah Tahmasp

Kamran Mirza

Biram Khan

Subjects

Subcontinent

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Volume 24, Issue 3 - Serial Number 97
Nameh Farhangestan (Subcontinent)
July and August 2025
Pages 135-151

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Namaeh Farhangistan

Humayun in Iran: Travel Route and Duration of Stay (A Study and Analysis of Written Sources)

Volume 24, Issue 3 - Serial Number 97Nameh Farhangestan (Subcontinent)July and August 2025Pages 135-151

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Volume 24, Issue 3 - Serial Number 97
Nameh Farhangestan (Subcontinent)
July and August 2025
Pages 135-151