Editing Humayun (section)

==Refuge in Persia==
[[File:Shah Tahmasp and Humayun.jpeg|thumb|[[Shah Tahmasp]] provided Humayun with 12,000 cavalry and 300 veterans of his personal guard along with provisions, so that his guests may recover their lost domains.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Eraly |first1=Abraham |author-link=Abraham Eraly |year=2000 |title=Emperors of the Peacock Throne: The Saga of the Great Mughals |publisher=Penguin Books India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=04ellRQx4nMC&q=Shah+Tahmasp+Humayun+12,000+cavalry&pg=PA108 |isbn=978-0-14-100143-2}}</ref>]]
[[File:Tahmasp, Humayun Meeting.jpg|thumb|Shah [[Tahmasp I]] and the Mughal Emperor Humayun in [[Isfahan]].]]

Humayun fled to the refuge of the [[Safavid Empire]] in Persia, marching with 40 men, his wife [[Bega Begum]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rapson |first1=Edward James |last2=Haig |first2=Sir Wolseley |last3=Burn |first3=Sir Richard |date=1968 |title=The Cambridge History of India |volume=5 |publisher=Cambridge University Press Archive |quote=The tomb was built by Humayun's widow, Haji Begum, who shared his long exile at the court of the Safavids.}}</ref> and her companion through mountains and valleys. Among other trials, the imperial party were forced to live on horse meat boiled in the soldiers' helmets. These indignities continued during the month it took them to reach [[Herat]].  However, after their arrival they were reintroduced to the finer things in life. Upon entering the city his army was greeted with an armed escort, and they were treated to lavish food and clothing. They were given fine accommodation and the roads were cleared and cleaned before them. The Shah, [[Tahmasp I]], unlike Humayun's own family, welcomed the Mughal, and treated him as a royal visitor. After hiss  arrival in Herat, Humayun went sightseeing and was amazed at the Persian artwork and architecture he saw: much of this was the work sponsored by the Timurid Sultan [[Husayn Bayqarah]] and his ancestor, princess [[Gauhar Shad]].  Thus Humayun was able to admire the work of his relatives and ancestors at first hand.{{citation needed|date=May 2017}}

The Mughal monarch was introduced to the work of the Persian miniaturists, and [[Kamaleddin Behzad]] sent two of his pupils to join Humayun's court. Humayun was amazed by their work and asked if they would serve him if he regained the sovereignty of Hindustan; they agreed. With so much happening, Humayun did not meet Tahmasp until July, six months after his arrival in Persia. After a lengthy journey from Herat the two met in [[Qazvin (city)|Qazvin]] where a large feast and parties were held for the event. The meeting of the two emperors is depicted in a famous wall-painting in the [[Chehel Sotoun]] (Forty Columns) palace in [[Isfahan (city)|Esfahan]].

Tahmasp urged that Humayun convert from [[Sunni]] to [[Shia Islam]] in order to keep himself and several hundred followers alive. Although the Mughals initially disagreed to their conversion they knew that with this outward acceptance of Shi'ism, Tahmasp was eventually prepared to offer Humayun more substantial support.<ref>{{harvnb|Richards|1993|p=11|ps=: "At the Safavid court, Humayun, under extreme duress, accepted the Shia faith in order to keep himself and several hundred followers alive. After this initial test, Tahmasp grew more friendly and eventually agreed to underwrite Humayun's attempt to regain power."}}</ref> When Humayun's brother, Kamran Mirza, offered to cede Kandahar to the Persians in exchange for Humayun, dead or alive, Tahmasp refused. Instead he staged a celebration, with 300 tents, an imperial Persian carpet, 12 musical bands and "meat of all kinds". Here the Shah announced that 12,000 elite cavalry{{citation needed|date=July 2015}} and 300 veterans of Shah's personal guard along with provisions were Humayun's so that he could lead an attack on Kamran and recover his lost domains. All that Tahmasp asked was for Kandahar would be his if Humayun's forces were victorious.