Babur was succeeded by his son Humayun(1530-1556). He did`nt inherit the wisdom of his father. His ascension to the throne turned his life into a hell. He gained a strong foothold in Kabul. But handed over to his brother Kamran the responsibility of Kabul. Kamran with the passage of time, availed of the careless, lenient attitude of Humayun and asserted greater self-independence, than what he initially got.

Humayun was threatened from all sides by the imminent danger posed by the Afghan claimants to the throne and dispute over his succession. He was absolutely puzzled, handling Sher Shah Suri and the Ahmad Shah of Gujrat. Nevertheless, he overpowered Gujarat and Malwa, Champaner and the great fort at Mandu. But did the blunder of appointing his brother Asksari in Ahmedabad to look after the new acquisitions. Askari was no different from Kamran about protecting self-interest.

Humayun suffered from habitual lethargy. Heedless of Sher Shah`s or Sher Khan`s scheme for his dethronement ,Humayan smelt risk only in the eleventh hour. He suffered a depressing defeat in the hands of the extraordinary commander ,Sher Shah Suri in the Battle of Chausa ,1539. He escaped to Persia in 1540, to fly away from the clutches of this powerful enemy . Sher Shah proved to be a much better ruler with astonishing administrative capabilities. Akbar , later followed the model of Sher Shah`s administrative structure.

Humayun spent many years meaninglessly, being housed as a refugee in the Safavid court of Shah Tahmasp, the Shah of Iran. Ultimately his chance of retrieving the lost glory came in 1544. Humayun was diplomatic enough to win Shah Tahmasp`s patronage with a gift of a precious diamond.The support of the huge Iranian army recollected for Humayun the land of Afghanistan. Sher Khan`s untimely demise cleared all obstructions for Humayun. Even Sher Shah Suri`s son, Islam Shah died. The dispersed Suri states fighting among themselves was no big trouble for Humayun. In 1554 he attacked them. Finally in 1555 the dream- hold of Delhi became the reality .In 1556, Humayun died a sad death falling off the stairs. He was engrossed in the stars of the sky, while climbing down. This speculative, imaginative aspect would have made him a good poet ,or an appreciator of arts and literature than a conqueror or power-seeker.