1871 .] 
Note on the Death of Humayun. 
135 
called to prayers. He (Humayun), in order to show respect to the 
azdn , desired to sit down on the second step. The steps of the stair¬ 
case, by reason of their cleanliness, were very slippery. The ferrula 
of his staff slipped, and Humayun falling headlong, rolled down¬ 
stairs on to the ground. His limbs and joints were much hurt, 
and the right side of his head had received a great blow. He 
became altogether insensible. Although physicians and doctors 
attended him, no good came of it.” 
The library alluded to in these passages is, as is well known, 
the Sher Mandal in the Purana Qil’ah at Dihlf. This building 
is octagonal, of two stories in height, with lower story solid. It is 
ascended by two flights of stairs. These two staircases are in the 
inside of the walls of the upper story. The steps are of granite 
roughly hewn, very narrow and very high. Wherever an angle 
occurs the steps are shaped thus, making the 
staircase still more dangerous. Use has po¬ 
lished them somewhat. But in Humiyun’s 
time, the building was nearly new, as it was built by Sher Shah. 
The roof of the second story is surrounded by a thick parapet of 
red stone. On the roof is an octagonal cupola with a base 
much smaller than the roof. The stairs come up on both 
sides of the cupola in the space intervening between it and the 
parapet. Both Firishtah and the Siyar ul Mutaakhkharin agree 
that Humayun was on the second step when he fell. Hence to fall 
over the parapet would be impossible. But it would not be impos¬ 
sible for him to fall down the first flight of stairs, and then, at the 
bottom of them, fall from the first story down to the ground. Both 
these authorities say that he did get to the ground. There is no 
defence whatever round the first story ; so it would be almost impos¬ 
sible to stop himself. Had he fallen from the roof at once on to 
the ground, he would have been killed instantaneously. The spot 
is shown where he did fall over the parapet. But a survey of 
that spot makes Humayun a suicide. Elphinstone’s account is al¬ 
together wrong. There is no marble in the building. It is built 
of granite and red sandstone and is mortered after the fashion of 
buildings of that time. 
18 
