Sher Shah Sur, the Afghan ruler who founded the Sur Empire, defeated which Mughal emperor and temporarily drove the Mughals out of North India?

Introduction / Context:
This question again looks at the rivalry between the early Mughals and Afghan forces in North India. Sher Shah Sur is remembered not only for defeating the Mughals but also for important administrative reforms, road building and coinage. To understand the ebb and flow of Mughal power, it is essential to know which Mughal emperor he defeated to establish his own Sur Empire and how that shaped the political map of sixteenth century India.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The ruler in question is Sher Shah Sur, originally Sher Khan.
• He defeated a Mughal emperor and temporarily drove the Mughals out of North India.
• Options list Humayun, Timur Lang, Nadir Shah, Ahmed Shah Abdali and Akbar.
• We assume familiarity with which of these were Mughals and which were foreign invaders of a different era.

Concept / Approach:
Timur Lang, Nadir Shah and Ahmed Shah Abdali were foreign invaders who attacked India at different times but were not Mughal emperors. Akbar was a powerful Mughal emperor who came later and actually restored and expanded Mughal power after the Sur interlude. The only option that refers to the early, relatively weak Mughal emperor deposed by Sher Shah Sur is Humayun, Babur's son. Therefore, the conceptual approach is to rule out non Mughals and later Mughals and identify Humayun as the ruler defeated by Sher Shah Sur.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognise that Sher Shah Sur ruled in the mid sixteenth century, shortly after Babur's death. Step 2: Recall that Babur's successor was Humayun, who faced Afghan opposition in eastern India. Step 3: Note that Sher Shah Sur defeated Humayun in key battles such as Chausa and Kanauj. Step 4: Understand that as a result, Humayun lost his territories and fled to Iran, and Sher Shah established the Sur dynasty. Step 5: Eliminate Timur Lang, Nadir Shah and Ahmed Shah Abdali as they were external raiders, and Akbar as a later emperor, and select Humayun as the correct option.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by remembering that Sher Shah's reign falls between Babur and Akbar in the broader Mughal timeline. The Mughal sequence is Babur, Humayun, then an interruption by Sher Shah and his successors, and finally the return of Humayun followed by Akbar. None of the other names in the options fit into that sequence as ruling Mughals who were defeated by Sher Shah. Instead, Timur, Nadir Shah and Ahmed Shah Abdali are better known for catastrophic raids on later Mughal India. This confirms that Humayun is the only answer consistent with both chronology and political roles.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Timur Lang: A Central Asian conqueror who invaded India in the fourteenth century, long before the Mughals, and was never a Mughal emperor.

Nadir Shah: An eighteenth century Iranian ruler who looted Delhi, famous for taking the Peacock Throne, not associated with Sher Shah Sur's mid sixteenth century struggles.
Ahmed Shah Abdali: An Afghan ruler of the eighteenth century known for the Third Battle of Panipat, not for defeating early Mughal rulers like Humayun.
Akbar: A later Mughal emperor who restored and extended the empire after the Sur period, not the emperor defeated by Sher Shah Sur.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes see several famous invaders in the options and get distracted, forgetting that the question specifically asks about a Mughal emperor. Another common error is to assume that anyone who fought Afghans must have been involved with Sher Shah Sur, without checking the century. To avoid these mistakes, always anchor your answer in the basic Mughal timeline and distinguish early sixteenth century events from eighteenth century invasions.

Final Answer:
Sher Shah Sur defeated the Mughal emperor Humayun.