NASIR-ud-din Muhammad Humayun was the eldest son of Zahir-ud-din Mohammad Babar, who founded the Mughal empire in India. Babar fondly records in his memoirs (Tuzuk) his great fascination for his eldest son. As was the established custom amongst the Timurid princess, Humayun was given rigorous physical and mental training by his father. Mirza Haidar, a cousin of Babar who accompanied Humayun on various ‘occasions’, once remarked: "Humayun was the eldest, greatest and most renowned of Babar’s sons. I have seen few persons possessed of so much natural talents and excellence as he, but in consequence of frequent intercourse with the sensual and profligate men who served him, such as Mulana Mohammad Parghaci in particular, he had contracted some bad habits, among those was his addiction to opium." Heavy doses of opium had seriously impaired his capacity for taking right decisions and forming correct judgement of ‘men’ and he suffered heavily on that account.

Ghiyasuddin-bin-Humamuddin-Khwandamir, in his work Humayun nama or Qanun-i-Humayuni, showers lavish praise on the innovative nature of Humayun, as he saw the emperor’s ‘experiments’ with his own eyes and has described them in full.

Khwandamir discovered the innovative nature of Humayun which seemed quite baffling in view of his indecisive, lethargic and inconsistent temperament. One of his inventions was the construction of chahar taq barges. The boat makers had constructed several large and capacious barges (boats) and on both sides of these shops had been built. In the centre of each of these boats an additional large market with an extensive central hall was arranged for shops. Royal orders were issued to people of all professions and arts that they should open their shops (on these barges) and carry on their trades and transactions. Khwandamir writes, "Consequently all the boats were like damsels and pregnant with moon-like children in their wombs, but were still barren." Abul Fazl has also recorded that a market was flourishing in the river.

Another great invention was a moveable bridge known as jasr-i-rawan. Several boats were tied together with hooks and iron chains in the river, and were covered with wooden boards, which were so firmly fixed to them by iron nails that they would not shake at all when riders or passengers crossed over them. At the time of the movement of the emperor, the bridge was divided into several parts, which were steered on the surface of water as fast as the wind. During the march of the army, the parts were joined together to extend from one bank of the river to the other. With this clever device, the army could cross the river with beasts of burden quite conveniently. Babar had made use of a similar device in the battle of Ghogra, against Nusrat Shah.

Another startling innovation was the moveable palace. The palace consisted of three storeys which were built of fine wood. The carpenters and artisans had so adroitly joined together the parts, that it looked like it was formed of one piece. It could be taken to any place and the ladder that took one to the upper storeys was cleverly designed and could be folded and extended any time. This marvellous palace was coloured by skilled painters and the goldsmiths had placed a golden dome on the top. The palace was furnished with curtains of several colours. These were imported from Turkey and Europe.

Among the other inventions was a large tent, which consisted of 12 compartments corresponding to the signs of the zodiac. These compartments were adorned with lattices through the interstices of which the ‘lights of the stars of fortune were visible’. This large tent covered the small tents from all sides. The outer and inner tents could be separated like the units of the moveable palace and transported from one place to another. This wonderful tent was of various colours.

The above mentioned experiments clearly reveal the innovative nature and intelligence of Humayun. He was a man of wide learning and literary tastes. He had varied interests and read poetry with as much pleasure as he pursued works on astronomy and mathematics. Though poetic by nature, he was forced to spend a lifetime in the saddle and had an accidental death. "As he heard the call of prayers, he hurried down the stairs. His foot slipped and the fall proved fatal."