A bold Hindi novel explores a controversial side to Emperor Akbar

Although Akbar is one of the greatest rulers of India, it is strange whatever the common people know of this page of history, for the most part, is based on neither fact nor reason.

They believed the emperor to be whatever was projected to the people through fables and stories or in the politically and socially motivated context.

To alleviate the misconceptions borne of such fabricated stories was a grave necessity, and the daunting task was accomplished after 20 years of tireless endeavour by well-known journalist Shazi Zaman.

His book Akbar is, in fact, a novel that lifts the veil of dust off the palaces of history and reveals their intricacies in a compelling and beautiful way.

Shazi relentlessly searches for Akbar, and on his pages, a real emperor begins to come alive.

In keeping with the tradition of oral storytelling, Akbar evocatively penetrates the emperor's life into the readers ears.

These pages open like the silver reams of history, and the nerves dazzle with the vapours of kinghood.

An Akbar rambling like a madman, a worried and restless Akbar, a king who hurls expletives, or a wily and wise Akbar — countless shades are registered in the book which put us face to face with the emperor.

Ideally, the whole novel is worth reading and it is a matter of great difficulty to decide which parts to leave and which to outline.

But to make you a little more curious, and to present an example of the proverbial rice-grain taken out of the bowl, here are three extracts from Akbar:

"Hindus, eat cow! Musalmans, eat pig! If they do not eat, mix the Hudiyaar (translation in footnote of the novel) in the bowl, and if the Hudiyaar becomes pig, let both Hindu-Musalman eat together; if it turns cow, let both Hindu-Musalman eat together. If the Musalman eats pig, or the Hindu cow, some divine miracle will happen."

Emperor Abul Muzaffar Jalaaluddin Mohammad Akbar was so yelling in the glow of the full moon.

A terrified Amir (amir-umra means nobles) could not surmise the meaning behind the words of the young emperor.

*****

When commotion forced open His Highness' eyes, he wore his lungi hastily and stepped out with his sword, bare-chested.

Even in such a state, there was a sarpanch (an adornment worn on the headgear) attached to his red crown, and there was a red patka (waist-chain) tied to his waist.

His bare chest adorned two necklaces, and a threadbare piece of cloth.

His Highness did not exit through the door where godbrother (women who had nursed emperor Akbar were called Anga — foster mother; their husbands called Atka — foster father and their sons called koka — foster brother) Adham Khan was standing.

Just as he exited from the other door, he found Rafiq Charmansab, who was the ancestral servant of the late King Babur's sister Khanzaada Begum.

The emperor asked, "Whose body is this?"

Rafiq Charmansab said, "My king, this is your godfather."

"Who killed him?" His Highness asked.

"Adham Khan," Rafiq Charmansab said.

At that moment, the emperor's eyes rested on Adham Khan, his godbrother, who was coming His Highness' way.

Furious, His Highness asked in Hindustani: "Gaandu, why did you kill my godfather?"

"He was a traitor," Adham Khan replied.

The emperor's hand was on his sword but Adham Khan ran, held His Highness' hands, and said: "Venerable emperor, kindly think things over. It's just a little dispute."

He looked at Adham Khan's face. He was the godbrother.

Adham Khan's mother Maaham Anga had raised His Highness. Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar could never forget the day when King Humayun's brother, mizaar (heir-apparent) Kamraan had thrown little mizaar (Akbar) before the artillery's fire, and Maaham Anga had become a shield and sat in front of him - to save his life.

In front of His Highness' eyes was the corpse of Shamshuddin Mohammad Atka Khan, whose wife had nursed him, and also the killer, whose mother Maaham Anga, had raised the emperor.

*****

The emperor, with great enthusiasm, fixed prince Saleem's betrothal with Jodhpur's mota raja (fat king) Uday Singh's daughter Maani Bai.

She came to be called Jodh Bai after they wed. When Jalaaluddin Mohammad Akbar accompanied Saleem in his baraat to Jodhpur, the splendour of the wedding was talked about far and wide, and songs were sung about its glory.

Prince Saleem's baraat was welcomed with auspicious songs. The guests were garlanded and saffron-water sprinkled on them. When the barber lowered the toran (gateway), the prince touched it with his sword whilst still sitting on the elephant to complete the ritual.

Only after this ritual was he allowed to pass under the toran and enter.

Owing to purdah, sasu-aarti (mother-in-law's aarti) was performed by a priestess instead of the prince's mother-in-law.

Standing on a plank made of silver, the prince was garlanded with turmeric four times.

Thereafter, the woman who'd garlanded the prince, placed the garland around herself to make it clear that the place of the son-in-law was in the heart.

The women folk, as per tradition, applied curd on the son-in-law's forehead and tried to pull the prince's nose.

It is said that if the mother-in-law succeeds in pulling the son-in-law's nose, then the groom cedes his loyalty to the in-laws forever.

An aarti was performed four times to guard the prince against the evil eye.

Upon the alliance, the emperor bestowed Mani Baai alias Jodh Bhai with the title of Taj Bibi.

In January 1592 AD, Taj Bibi gave birth to a son. Three days after the boy was born, when the emperor met the baby, he was beside himself with joy and named the child Khurram (meaning happiness).

Khurram came to be known as Shah Jahan.

This grandson was so dear to the emperor that he used to take the child on hunting trips; Khurram would be seated in Akbar's lap, even when they rode an elephant.

(Translated from Hindi by Binit Priyaranjan.)

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