logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2024
54m 12s

208. Humayun Reconquers India

Goalhanger
About this episode

Kicked out of India, Humayun roams the desert as a nomad, accompanied by his young pregnant wife, his court poets, and his library camels. Sher Shah has taken his throne and the Mughal Empire seems as though it will end soon after it had begun. But Humayun does not give up, he seeks refuge in Iran and seeks the support of a Persian cavalry to overthrow Sher Shah in India, and Humayun’s own treacherous brothers in Afghanistan. All the while, the openminded leader continues to explore his curiosities in astrology, inventions, and design.


Listen as William and Anita discuss how the emperor Humayun reconquered India.



Twitter: @Empirepoduk



Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com



Goalhangerpodcasts.com



Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis + Becki Hills



Producer: Callum Hill



Exec Producer: Neil Fearn

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Jul 7
270. The Day The Brits Burned The White House (Ep 4)
Why did Washington invade Quebec? How did the US fail to take the Canadian territories during the Revolutionary Wars? And why did the British burn the White House? Anita and William are once again joined by Maya Jasanoff to discuss how the American Revolution birthed Canada. ---- ... Show More
53m 15s
Jul 2
269. Colonising Canada: The Truth Behind ‘The Last of The Mohicans’ (Ep 3)
Is there any truth in the film 'The Last of The Mohicans' and how did the French and Indian War that it's based on change the make-up of Canada? Why was the Seven Years War the first truly global war? What is the connection between the forced removal of the Acadians in Canada and ... Show More
59m 58s
Jun 30
268. Colonising Canada: Why Does Quebec Speak French? (Ep 2)
How did beaver fur and codfish turn a failed French attempt at colonisation into a success? What is the historical context behind Quebec as a French-speaking region of Canada? Did Indigenous leaders cleverly manipulate French settlers into fighting their tribal wars? William and ... Show More
53m 18s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
The Battle of Karnal
February 24, 1739. The Persian leader Nader Shah wins a decisive victory in India at the Battle of Karnal. The fallout from the battle shatters the Mughal Empire, leaving the sub-continent vulnerable to later domination by colonial powers. Support the show! Join Into History for ... Show More
14m 16s
Jun 12
The Kushan Empire
Embark on an epic journey with Tristan Hughes and acclaimed author William Dalrymple as they unravel the enigma of the Kushan Empire, the ancient superpower of Central Asia. Together they tell the riveting stories behind the Empire's rise in Bactria (modern-day Afghanistan), thei ... Show More
59m 20s
Apr 2023
Alexander Jabbari, "The Making of Persianate Modernity: Language and Literary History between Iran and India" (Cambridge UP, 2023)
Alexander Jabbari’s The Making of Persianate Modernity: Language and Literary History between Iran and India (Cambridge University Press, 2023) narrates the cultural and literary history of one of the world's most significant yet understudied lingua francas. From the ninth to the ... Show More
1h 16m
Jun 26
Akbar, the Great Mughal
Professor Suzannah Lipscomb discusses the remarkable life of Akbar the Great, one of history's most impressive emperors. Together with historian Ira Mukhoty, Suzannah explores Akbar's journey from royal hostage to a ruler known for his vast, multi-ethnic empire.From how Akbar use ... Show More
56m 52s
Sep 2024
Mansa Musa: History's Wealthiest Man?
Mansa Musa's wealth is a thing of legend. It's impossible to know exactly how much he was worth, but he himself spread rumours that gold grew like a plant within the Mali Empire. When he embarked on a storied pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324, he gave away so much gold in Egypt that th ... Show More
27m 28s
May 2023
Rani of Jhansi, part 2
And we're back to finish up the story of the nearly legendary Rani of Jhansi, aka Rani Lakshmibai. (You can listen to part 1 here) When we last left her, she was a new widow in an uncertain time while the rebellion was spreading through India as the 1857 Indian rebellion grew mor ... Show More
58m 32s
Apr 18
The Egyptian Revolution & Nasser's Era w/ Ahmad Shokr (AR&D Ep. 7)
With this episode of Guerrilla History, we roll into our next case study in our series African Revolutions and Decolonization. Here, we turn our focus to Egypt, and particularly the 23 July Revolution in 1952 and the rise of Nasser. However, to tell this story, we turn back to th ... Show More
1h 42m
May 15
The First Persian Empire
For a little over 200 years, the First Persian Empire ruled over a vast expanse across three continents, making it arguably the world’s first great superpower. At its peak, it stretched from its base in Persia - roughly analogous to modern-day Iran, all the way to India in the Ea ... Show More
56m 4s
Sep 2024
The Romans and India with William Dalrymple
Ancient India was the single greatest trading partner of the Roman Empire. For centuries, Indian sailors navigated the Indian Ocean and Red Sea to bring goods, ideas and religious beliefs to the Greco-Roman ports based on the Egyptian coast. But how did this lucrative trade begin ... Show More
48 m
Aug 2024
Gulbadan Begum: princess, explorer, author
Gulbadan Begum was meant to live a quiet life in a Mughal harem. Instead she set off on a daring pilgrimage to Islam's holy cities and, on her return, wrote an extraordinary account of her dynasty. In conversation with Spencer Mizen, Ruby Lal explores the life of a princess who t ... Show More
29m 41s