The establishment of the Mughal empire was by no means inevitable. In the 1530s and 40s, Farid, the grandson of a horse trader and daughter of an Afghan father and Rajput mother, would drive out Babur's heir, Humayun, and establish one of the most remarkable Indian polities: the Sur Empire. Join us as we explore his brilliant, ruthless career, witnessing how he innovated his way from humble beginnings to become the most powerful man in Hindustan: remembered today as Sher Shah.

YUDDHA is made possible thanks to the support of the Takshashila Institution and the Independent and Public Spirited Media Foundation.

Notes and sources will be available at https://www.anirudhkanisetti.com - sign up for updates!

You can follow Anirudh on Twitter @AKanisetti and Instagram @aniryuddha, @connectedhistories, or @cholabhaturaempire.

You can follow Aditya on Twitter @adityascripts or Instagram @adityaramanathan.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.