136 
Note on the Death of LTumdyun. 
[No. 2, 
The mosque is a stone’s throw from the library. One flight of 
stairs is in the same direction as the mosque. Firishtah says, he 
fell as he was wishing to stand up, and the Siyar has it that he fell 
as he was wishing to sit down. Neither mentions the marble of Mur¬ 
ray and Elpliinstone, or the parapet in Marshman and Elpliinstone. 
I have not c Humayun's Memoirs' to refer to. But a study of 
the building shows, how impossible it would be for the accounts in 
Elphinstone, Marshman, and Murray to be correct. The stairs are 
so far from the parapet, that were a person to fall, his head would 
barely reach the parapet inside. But when he was sitting on the 
second step and desiring to rise, if he slipped, he undoubtedly went 
down stairs. 
Note by the Editor. 
I annex a translation of the passages regarding Humayun’s 
death, as given in the Akbarnamah, Badaoni, the Tabaqat i Ak- 
bari, the Mir-at ul ’Alain, and Khafi Khan. 
From the Akbarnamah (Lucknow edition, I., 436.) 
After stating that Humayun for several days previous to his fall 
had a presentiment of his death, and that in consequence, he had 
decreased the daily quantity of opium, to which he was much 
addicted, Abulfazl says— 
“ In the beginning of the evening he wished to go down. When 
he was on the second staircase ( zinah ), a Muazzin of the name of 
Miskin called the azdn, though properly speaking it was not the 
time for it. From motives of reverence his Majesty wished to sit 
down. The steps (darajat i zinah) are sharp (tez), and the stones 
were shaky; and in the act of sitting down the foot got entangled 
in the hem of the posting the staff slipped, and his Majesty fell 
forward. He was severely injured on his right temple, and several 
drops of blood oozed from his right ear, &c.” 
Daddoni s Account (Edition, Bibl. Indica, I., 465.) 
“ On the 7th Babl’ I, 963, the king was on the roof of the library 
which he had made in Fort Din Panah. At the time of descend¬ 
ing, a Muazzin called to prayer, and from reverence the king sat 
down. When he rose, his stick slipped, he fell, and he rolled down 
several steps to the ground. He died on the 15th.” 
