It is the unlikeliest of stories. In 1540, Humayun was out of luck and on the run, while Sher Shah was victorious. Barely fifteen years later, Sher Shah was dead in a freak accident and his empire was in chaos. The Mughals returned to the plains of Hindustan with a renewed fury. But it was Humayun’s brilliant young son, Akbar, that would bring fire and death to his enemies and create a world-changing empire.

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