Tughlaq

 Tughlaq - Play by Girish Karnad 

Welcome readers! As a Part of my Bachelor's studies at shamaldas Arts college, affiliated with MK Bhavnagar university. In this Particular blog, I will discuss Girish Karnad's Play - 'Tughlaq'  offering a comprehensive analysis enriched with additional insights. 

Tughlaq is a 1964 Indian kannada language play written by Girish karnad. The thirteen - scene play is set during the reign of Muhammad bin Tughlaq. It was first staged in urdu in 1966, as a student production at National school of Drama. Most famously, it was staged at purana Qila, Delhi in 1972. In 1970, it was enacted in English in Mumbai. Tughlaq , a 13 - scene play by Girish karnad, focuses on the 14th century Turko - Indian ruler. It is both a historical play as well as a commentary on the contemporary politics of the 1960s. The Times of india comments that ; 

 'In the play, the protagonist, Tughlaq, is portrayed as having great ideas and a grand vision, but his reign was an abject failure. He started his rule with great ideals of a unified india, but his degenerated into anarchy and his kingdom.' 

 Girish Karnad’s second play Tughlaq published in 1965 which reflects existentialism in the character of Muhammad Bin Tughlaq. Girish Karnad’s play Tughlaq tells the tragic story of an ideal, but overambitious king Muhammad Bin Tughlaq who is a complex character. He emphasizes his existence in magnificence and immorality but that leads him to disappointment, frustration, and alienation from society. Tughlaq is seen as alienated from his society, primarily because he is a man of head of his age not understood by the society around him the reason his ideas and his idealism above the understanding of his contemporaries. In an age of religious fanaticism and holistic between Hindus and Muslims, his broad minded religious tolerance seems foolish to the Muslims and cunning to the Hindus who suspect his motives. He takes a lot of foolish decision which makes him alienated and frustrated and force him to think about his existence. 

The overall idea of the play revolves around the complex character of Tughlaq and socio political milieu of his time. This play is a nuanced exploration of power, idealism, and the complexities of governance, set against the backdrop of medieval india. Girish karnad skillfully blends historical events with imaginative storytelling to create a thought provoking drama that resonates with audiences across time and space. 

About Girish Karnad :- 

Girish karnad was one of India's most prominent intellectuals. He is difficult to categorize because he was active in numerous cultural arenas - he was a writer and a playwright, an actor, a screenwriter and a director.  

Karnad was born on May 19, 1938 in Matheran, Bombay Presidency (now Maharashtra), India to middle-class parents. When he was fourteen, the family moved to Dharwad in Karnataka, south India. There he attended Karnataka University and began studying Yakshagana theater.

Karnad then attended Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar studying politics, economics, and philosophy. While at Oxford he wrote his first play, Yayati (1961). His second play was Tughlaq (1964), one of his best-known works. His plays were written in the south Indian language of Kannada, and translated into English and other Indian languages. Karnad often did the translations into English himself.

Having since moved back to India from England, Karnad made his foray into the film world in 1970 with Samskara, writing the screenplay and playing the lead role. That film won the Golden Lotus Award, the national prize for Kannada cinema. Even as he worked in film, he kept writing plays, such as Hayavadana (1971), Nagamandala (1988), and Agni Mattu Male (1995), and created a one-act radio drama, Ma Nisada (1964).

Karnad received numerous awards during his lifetime. In 1974, he was awarded the Padma Shri, a top civilian honor. In 1992, he won the Padma Bhushan for his contributions to the arts. And in 1998, he was awarded the Jnanpith Award, which is India’s most prestigious literary award.

In the late 1990s and 2000s, he primarily focused on film, directing movies like Kanooru Heggadithi (1999) and acting in Iqbal (2005) and Life Goes On (2009). His final literary work, Rakshasa-Tangadi, was published in 2018.

His other positions included: Director of the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune (1974-5), President of the Karnataka Nataka Akademi (1976-8), Visiting Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence at the University of Chicago (1987-8), Chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi in New Delhi (1988-93), Fellow of the Sangeet Natak Akademi (1994), and Director of the Nehru Centre, High Commission of India, in London. Karnad died on June 10, 2019. His Guardian obituary states, “A secularist who condemned the rise of nationalism in India, he took advantage of his position to campaign for the rights of the LGBT community, women, the Dalit caste and religious minorities. He was critical of the 2002 Gujarat riots which saw the murder of many Muslims by Hindus when the current prime minister, Narendra Modi, was chief minister of Gujarat. Karnad continued to be critical of Modi after his election and in recent years had spoken out against the house arrests of activists by the government across the country, and of the murders of prominent journalists.”

The Plot of Tughlaq :-

The play centres on the historical figure of Mohammed-bin-Tughlaq, a Muslim king of the Tughlaq dynasty who ruled from Delhi over large parts of Northern and Central India during the period 1325 to 1351. The play aptly fuses history and fiction. History, in the form of the political career of Tughlaq, forms the main plot; fiction forms the subplot of the play in the creation of the pair Aziz and Azam, a dhobi (washerman), and a pickpocket, respectively. If the main plot enacts the fall of an ambitious autocrat in Tughlaq, the subplot presents an ordinary dhobi manipulating for his own benefit the schemes introduced by the king. The play fashions the character of Tughlaq as an ambitious king who wants to build a grand empire and manoeuvre his citizens to think as he does. To that end he devises the grand schemes of transferring his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad, and introduces a new currency system. A lover of the game of chess, Tughlaq symbolically moves his political pawns without ethics or morality. Manipulation and cruelty combine together in him to serve his delusions. Tughlaq attempts to make a show of the prevalence of justice in his kingdom by restoring to Vishnu Datta, a Hindu Brahmin,  his confiscated property and by giving him an appointment in his state service. This political pretension of showing how justice prevails in Tughlaq‘s kingdom is manipulated by the dhobi Aziz, who presents himself in the guise of Vishnu Datta. 

Tughlaq is portrayed as a master of intrigue and treachery. His politics do not spare even religion; he invites Sheik Imam-ud-din, a great religious leader, who criticizes him openly, to address his people, but sees to it that no one attends his address. He later persuades Sheik, in the name of Islam, to act as envoy to his political rebel Ain-ul-Mulk, only to make Sheik the scapegoat. However, Tughlaq‘s tyranny makes the overlords of Delhi rebel against him; they hatch a plot to kill him during prayer, but he sabotages the conspiracy and murders Sihabuddin, one of the conspirators. Tughlaq gives it a political colouring by projecting that Shihab-ud-din died while saving the king. As Tughlaq‘s ambition fades, his cruelty and disillusionment dominate the state; not even his stepmother is spared from death. When Ghiyas-ud-din Abbasid, a descendant of the famous Abbasid dynasty of the Caliphs of Baghdad, is on his way to visit the new capital Daulatabad, Tughlaq revives the prayer which he had ordered to stop after the conspirators' plan to finish him off. Aziz kills Abbasid on the way and supplants him in the palace by disguising himself as a descendent of Khalif. By that time there is chaos in the kingdom as a result of famine and counterfeit currency. In the end, Tughlaq finds himself alone; even Barani, his confidant and constant companion, leaves him to his fate. 

This text is not only successful as written literature but also as a dramatic piece- its staging has established a tradition of excellent theatrical performances. As might be expected, it has invited a variety of critical readings in both Kannada and English. Among the Kannada writings on Tughlaq, G.H. Nayak (1984), in one of the best essays on Tughlaq , undertakes a thematic analysis of the play, while C.N. Ramachandran (2008) offers perceptive insights into Karnad‘s engagement with history. Ramachandran scrutinizes three of Karnads historical plays - Tughlaq , Taledanda and The Dreams of Tipu Sultan - on the premise that what is important for a work of art which is based on history is not only historical objectivity but also the rationality of defining history. In Ramachandran‘s opinion, Karnad's Tughlaq defines history as a narrative of the past which reflects the contemporaneity of the present. By contrast, The Dreams of Tipu Sultan , while questioning the very discipline of history, asserts that India should reject colonial thinking and develop its own theory of history. This analysis is a good entry point for Karnad's historical play. 

Here are some key themes and ideas explored in "Tughlaq":

1.The complexity of power : Karnad delves into the intricate dynamics of power and governance, portraying Tughlaq's struggles and dilemmas as a ruler. Tughlaq's idealism clashes with the harsh realities of governance, leading to his controversial decisions and their consequences.

2. Idealism vs. pragmatism : The play explores the tension between Tughlaq's lofty ideals and the pragmatic demands of ruling a vast empire. His ambitious projects and reforms often backfire due to his idealistic vision, highlighting the complexities of implementing change.

3. Political manipulation and betrayal : Karnad depicts the treacherous political landscape of medieval India, where alliances shift and betrayals abound. Tughlaq's attempts at consolidating power are thwarted by the scheming of his courtiers and adversaries.

4. Religion and fanaticism : The play examines the role of religion and religious fanaticism in politics. Tughlaq's attempts to impose his vision of a unified state, where religion is subordinate to the state, are met with resistance and rebellion.

5. Historical parallels : While set in the 14th century, "Tughlaq" draws parallels with contemporary political realities, inviting reflections on power, governance, and leadership in any era.

Major Themes and Issues in the Play :- 

1. Idealistic Leadership :-   What makes the Sultan's character more fascinating is his paradoxical and complex nature. He is portrayed as a dreamer and a man of action, benevolent and cruel, devout and callous. The whole play is structured on these opposites: the ideal and the real: the divine aspiration and the deft intrigue. These opposites constitute the main charm of the structure of Tughlaq. Tughlaq promises his Subjects to maintain justice, equality, progress and peace  not just peace but a more purposeful life without any consideration of might and weakness, religion or creed. But to a great surprise he could not win the hearts of his public. 

2. Religious tolerance as a political strategy :-  The Sultan practiced the idea of brotherhood, which is an important aspect of human values in Islam, and this in turn annoyed the ecclesiastics because it undermined their political interests. The efforts of the Sultan to bridge the difference between Hindus and Muslims invited anger and displeasure of the Mullahs and Maulavis. To unite them, he abolished the tax and openly declared that both Hindus and Muslims would be treated impartially and would be equal in the eyes of the law. But this made him a suspect both in the eyes of the Hindus and the Muslims.

3. Disguise :-  Disguise is an important theatrical strategy in the play. It on the one hand undermines the seriousness with which the Sultans plans are made and on the other, mocks at his idealism. The dramatist ironically presents Aziz, the dhobi, who disguises himself as Brahmin, and later appears in the guise of the great grandson of His Imperial Holiness Abbasid, the Khalifa of Baghdad. He is invited by the Sultan to Daulatabad to bless the country and to start the banned prayer. An announcement is made so that all the citizens may welcome His Holiness for, This is a holy day for - us - a day of joy! And its glory will be crowned by the fact that the Public Prayer, which has been mute in our land these five years, will be started again from next Friday. Henceforth every Muslim will pray five times a day as enjoined by the Holy Koran and declare himself a faithful slave of the Lord.

Conclusion :- 

To Conclude,  "Tughlaq" by Girish Karnad is a compelling exploration of power, idealism, and political manipulation. Set against the backdrop of the reign of the 14th-century Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq, the play delves into the complexities of leadership and the consequences of ambitious yet flawed decision-making. Through intricate character portrayals and thought-provoking dialogues, Karnad offers a nuanced commentary on historical events while reflecting on timeless themes of human nature and governance. The play leaves the audience pondering the complexities of power dynamics and the pursuit of noble intentions in the face of harsh realities. 

Thank you for Visiting...😊