You must have heard about Sher Shah Suri, the man who built the GT road connecting Bengal to Kabul, a staggering 2500 kms in length passing through the major cities of that time including, Agra, Delhi, Amritsar, Lahore.
He was named so because he killed a tiger when he was still a young man, the man had a tremendous military knowledge and he won every battle he fought, but during the siege of Kalinjar fort in Uttar Pradesh when all his tactics to take over the fort failed, he ordered his men to blow up the fort walls with gunpowder, but he himself was standing a little too close, or he under estimated the extent of the explosion, that he got seriously injured during the blow-up and died the same day.
He was succeeded by his son Islam Khan. He was a clever ruler, he always had Hindus in command alongside the Afghans officers just so that they can spy on each other. It was during his time that a Hindu man named Hemchandra rose to the level of chief of intelligence. It was his sheer loyalty and solidarity that made him a famous face, and hence he were given important assignments.
But Islam Shah died after ruling no more than 9 years, and was succeeded by his 12 year old son Firuz Shah only to be murdered within the days of coronation by Sher Shah Suri’s nephew Adil Shah.
Now Adil shah only knew how to take the crown, but what he didn’t knew was how to run the show. All he wanted was wine and ladies, but one good deed that he did was to keep Hemchandra by his side.
Now this man Hemchandra was a brilliant war tactician and an even brilliant leader. It was under Adil Shah, or should we say it was for Adil Shah that he fought and won 22 battles including one with Humayun.
Once he got orders to kill a rebel courtesan Taj Khan Karrani, he followed him till Bengal but every time they came face to face, he managed to gave him a slip.
So anyhow, while he was away Humayun got hold of Delhi and as soon as he came to know about this, he made a U-turn and marched towards Delhi defeating everyone who came in between him and Delhi. But by the time he could reach Delhi, Humayun died after slipping from stairs.
And so by the time he reached Delhi, the Mughals ran away from the capital fearing for their lives and without a leader.
But it was meant to be, and Hemchandra met the newly appointed 13 year old Jalal-ud-din in the battlefield of Panipat where Hemchandra dominated most of the battle and was about to make his final move when Mughals started shooting arrows aimlessly, and one such arrow hit Hemchandra in his left eye and he passed out.
Seeing him going down, his army, who was in total control of the situation suddenly lost their enthusiasm and fled.
Hemchandra, who was still unconscious, was captured and brought to Jalal-ud-din and his general asked the young Jalal to behead the unconscious Hemchandra but he refused saying that “He is the bravest man I’ve seen and I don’t want to behead an already dead man”, and he didn’t do it. Although his general later beheaded Hemchandra himself.
The man who was beheaded was also known as HEMU.
And that 13 year old man who refused to behead him, later became the noblest and the greatest of the Mughal emperors of India and was known as The Great Akbar.
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