EMBROIDERED LEGEND OVER HISTORY

The Moghul ascendancy in India lasted, effectively, for one hundred and eighty years less the fourteen when the Suris snatched the kingdom from Humayun and then lost it to him; that is, from 1526 with Babur’s victories at Panipat and a year later at Khanwa till shortly after the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, as the kingdom went swiftly into decline thereafter: Bahadur Shah Zafar’s imprisonment and death in 1862 made up a mere postscript, the Britons had seen to that. Without question, more than any other single, uninterrupted dynasty in history, these one hundred and eighty years have had our creative juices flowing in torrents. Imagine five Arthurian legends, back to back. Babur started it all with his diaries, and passed on his love to his descendants who recorded directly, or had ghost-written, both the trivial as well as the unique in their time. Rembrandt painted Jehangir and Shah Jahan using court paintings as his source material, cash-rich museums sent their buyers all over the world searching for Moghul miniatures and artefacts; today there are all kinds of both serious and ridiculous research work, fiction, expositions and films and theatre and television programmes and government tourism initiatives on the dynasty, and publisher’s eyes light up when anything to do with the Moghuls lands on their desk. I recently met someone who has launched a series of books about a fictional detective in the Moghul court. The franchise keeps growing and everyone’s invited. It’s not difficult to understand why this is so, given not only the fecundity of those years but notably the contradictions central to the period. Working carefully within these umbrella ideas in a domain fostered as much by the strength of legends as of recorded fact, many have tailored theories to validate their favourite points of view and even the very unlikely ones have clung like lichen to the masonry of the house that Babur built. For me, the main reasons lie close to each other. First, all the five monarchs were alpha men, who transcended the push and pull of their times and all others in their enormous supporting casts, including their women who developed recognizable characters only when their monarchs willed it. Second, by some bizarre genetic coding, all the five exhibited identical personality extremes, that of a very cruel and brutal monarch who was also a vastly enlightened, indulgent ruler. They wrote great prose and poetry, were mostly brilliant in battle, laid and built splendidly, prized the good life but subjected themselves to severe hardships when circumstances required it, generally treated their women well, killed off their brothers and cousins and made their parents suffer hellishly. Great grist for the writer’s mill. Given these triggers, even a neophyte could soon find his calling here and Alex Rutherford is no such being, to begin with. The husband-and-wife writing team, using the pseudonym, have degrees in English and history from Oxford under their respective belts and aren’t new to the Moghuls, having earlier written on the period; their book on the Taj Mahal, cleverly titled A Teardrop on the Cheek of Time, sold well, although I doubt whether they were familiar with Rabindranath Tagore’s vision of an introspective, self-questioning and angst-ridden monarch. Their current book, on Jehangir and Mehrunissa, is the fourth in the line and one expects at least two more of the same genre, which for my money, is instant, lightly researched, histo-drama. Mike Brearley, arguably one of Test cricket’s cleverest captains — never mind that many didn’t think so — once said that the majority of sportspersons would maximize their success through relentless application of technique and of mindset, honed in well-run academies under superior teachers, more than through a rush of natural talent. I believe that the craft of writing is no different. Whilst talent is clearly advisable, training, nonetheless, is a distinct advantage. However, the fact is that a perceptive reader can always tell the difference; she will know where that writing is coming from, even if sometimes, when the lessons have been well learnt, the job is an awkward one. Alex Rutherford’s (sic) writing is diligently planned, every image is precisely selected, the responses serve a clear and specific need in the context of the narrative, the entire arrangement of the book is just so. Reading his story, one yearns for some measure of unpredictability, randomness even, in the narrative to lend it a texture, and in spite of a surfeit of happenings, you’re rarely likely to ask, what’s next? Rutherford, in the manner of George MacDonald Fraser, fights shy of history; he’d rather have fun with legends, which is a pity because his rich source material obviates the need for one to look beyond its verities. In dealing with Mehrunissa/Noor Jehan’s political ambitions and hunger for total control, Rutherford’s book paints her in shades of an Oriental Lucrezia Borgia, though less virulent, and in the process uses large dollops of history which I’m not sure happened, like for instance, Noor Jehan’s slow poisoning of Sir Thomas Rowe, England’s first emissary to the Moghul court. In point of fact, in an epilogue to the book, Rutherford goes to some lengths to justify the devices he has used, like the application of dramatic licence, a “little embroidering” and the creation of “composite” characters. A postscript. To the legend-loving Bengali, Mehrunissa was an admired presence in Moghul history, largely due to poets like Satyendra Nath Dutta and others who romanticized her as a deprived girl who married Sher Afghan, the governor of Bengal and later rose to great heights as a dominant queen in Jehangir’s court to quietly fade away after the emperor’s death. Unlike Rutherford’s scheming, power-mad surrogate ruler, the popular view was of a brave, beautiful, loving woman who could do little wrong. Both Noor Jehan and Mehrunissa were born of legends. All of which is of little consequence to Rutherford, as long as there’s a story in it, waiting to be told. Source http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120706/jsp/opinion/story_15639506.jsp#.UAkC72thhP4

Ahluwalia, wife visit Khuda Bakhsh Library

Source: TNN 19 November 2009, 04:17am IST

PATNA: Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and his wife, I J Ahluwalia, visited the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library

Library director Intiaz Ahmad apprised them of the history and activities of the Library. Ahluwalia paid rich tributes to institution founder Khan Bahadur Khuda Bakhsh for his vision in collecting and preserving the rare cultural heritage of the country.

The visiting dignatories were shown rare Persian manuscripts preserved at the library, including Timur Namah, Shah Namah, Badshah Namah, Diwan-e Hafiz and Safinatul Auliya, carrying the autograph of Moghul Emperors and princes. They were also shown specimens of Mughal paintings, calligraphy and book decoration and Arabic and Urdu manuscripts. They were also shown the book of Military Accounts of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, besides a page of holy Quran written on deer skin. The visiting guests were presented a memento and recent publications of the library.

Mughals on the big stage

Amir Raza Hussain’s Shahenshah Nama is a theatrical extravaganza..

 

Source: The Hindu Business Line 

Ronita Torcato

On the sprawling ground adjoining the Grand Hyatt at Kalina, Mumbai, one could spot the Qutub Minar, the red sandstone Agra Fort, and pristine-white marble corridors culminating in splendid, arched palaces. Delhi-based theatre artiste Amir Raza Hussain had brought over his latest production — Shahenshah Nama — portraying the history of the Mughals in India. The sets consisted of these elaborate edifices crafted from wood, metal and plaster of Paris.

The last time Hussain was in the city, he had got a 100-member crew to build 19 sets on a three-acre plot to stage The Legend of Ram with 35 characters. He’d called it “the greatest story in the world”.

Besides acting in numerous productions, Hussain has directed 73 plays including The Fifty Day War, One flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, comedies such as No Sex please, We Are British, and a film — Kim — for BBC starring Peter O’Toole.

His choice of the son et lumière (sound and light) medium is apt for period pieces such as The Legend of Ram and Shahenshah Nama. This night-time theatrical device lends itself to the grand spectacle demanded of such productions, including opulent wardrobes and magnificent sets.

Shahenshah Nama premiered some months ago at Hyderabad’s Chowmahallah Palace, which was beautifully lit up to exude royal splendour.

Theatre lovers in that city were delighted with the novel experience of watching the open-air production by moving from set to set (seven in all).

At the Mumbai show, the lights (handled by Hussain’s wife Virat) dimmed and a rich baritone boomed over the music, which swelled to a crescendo. For about an hour, the senior citizens in the audience chose to sit around tables some distance away, while the rest walked slowly from set to set, as the tumultuous history of the Mughals unfolded.

Revisiting the Mughals

The reference material for Babar, who invaded India in 1526 A.D., was his own meticulously recorded diaries in which he talks of hunting rhinoceros in the Punjab and complains about things Indian, comparing them to his native Samarkhand. The Babarnama also records natural history — the plants that he saw and even the fruits he ate. On the ‘King of the Fruits’, he says, rather prosaically, “The mango is one of the fruits peculiar to Hindustan. It is eaten in two ways: one is to squeeze it to a pulp, make a hole in it and suck the juice; the other is to peel and eat it like a peach.”

The production included tales of Babar’s son Humayun, who was addicted to opium; the best and wisest of them all, Emperor Akbar; Jahangir and his ambitious chief queen Noorjahan; Shah Jahan, a lover of beauty who immortalised his beloved Mumtaz in a breathtaking white tomb; and the controversial Aurangzeb. In Hussain’s production the monarchs were fleshed out by a cast attired in lush costumes, and the miming and dancing brought alive the medieval period. The Mughal women, especially Noorjahan, were depicted as steel magnolias.

Hussain has clarified that his Shahenshah Nama is “not a textbook lesson in history”. Which is probably why it glosses over Aurangzeb’s excesses, while amplifying slivers of legend. One of the more riveting sequences shows how the powerful singing (Raga Deepak) of Tansen, one of the nine jewels or Navaratnas at the court of Akbar, sets the trees on fire and how this, in turn, is doused by the rains resulting from the mellifluous singing (Raga Megh Malhar) by his daughter. Abul Fazal writes in Ain-e-Akbari (which Hussain sources for his script) that Akbar, a great lover of music, had personally chosen each of the gems in his court.

Despite the grey skies and predictions of rain, the crowd thronged the dusty maidan for the weekend show. We enjoyed the royal spectacle as a balmy breeze blew around us, and just as the show ended the skies opened up.

Chequered past : HISTORY

Source: The Hindu

C.N.ANAND

History throws open unanswered questions on Rajmata Gayatri Devi’s vast property and treasure.

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Apart from the wealth she brought as a princess from Cooch Bihar, the wealth bequeathed to Gayatri DEvi by Maharaja Man Singh was considerable

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Photo: S. Subrahmanium

Jaigarh fort: Witness to lives and legends

News about the claimants to the 1000-acre estate of late Rajmata Gayatri Devi has been making headlines. Apart from the wealth she brought as a princess from Cooch Bihar, the wealth bequeathed to her by Maharaja Man Singh was considerable and has a rich history with a Mughal connection.

Travelling by road from Delhi to Jaipur, the gradual transformation of the land from a fertile one to a rocky and sandy terrain with little tree cover is noticeable. There are many hillocks en-route, almost all crowned with a fort. One wonders how such a sparse land could throw up surplus labour to afford these forts. Surely, the land must have been more fertile in earlier centuries, before the desert encroached.

Original capital

As one approaches Jaipur, a hill range looms offering an obstacle to an invading force. The road runs through a pass in the hill range. At the end of the pass is Amber, the original capital of the Jaipur family. Overlooking Amber to the West is a hill on which Jaigarh fort was constructed. If Amber was threatened, the inhabitants could retreat into the fort to withstand a siege. While on a visit to Amber Emperor Akbar saw Jodha Bai, sister of Maharajah Man Singh. The marriage of Akbar to Jodha Bai cemented the ties between the Mughals and the Jaipur family and Man Singh was trusted with the office of Commander-in-Chief of the Mughal army. History tells us that Akbar ordered Man Singh to subjugate the Afghans. Jaipur folklore has it that Man Singh plundered Afghanistan and returned with a lot of treasure. It also alleges that he did not share the treasure with Akbar but hoarded it in Jaigarh fort.

Fast-forward to Aurangzeb’s era. History tells us that Man Singh’s counterpart in Jaipur was Jai Singh. During one of Aurangzeb’s campaigns, Jai Singh was summoned. But he arrived late as he had a love affair on the way. Jai Singh saved the day by conjuring up a smart excuse that led Aurangzeb to remark, “You are more than one; you are one plus a quarter.” Since then the title Sawai stuck and to this day the Jaipur royal family flies two flags: a full-sized one and a quarter flag below it. It was Sawai Jai Singh who planned and constructed Jaipur city with broad and straight roads to form a grid across the town.

Furore

Fast-forward to pre- and post-Independence days. Just before Independence, the Maharaja of Jaipur was another Man Singh who married Gayatri Devi. In 1955, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip stayed in Jaipur as Sawai Man Singh’s guests during their tour of India. A tiger hunt was arranged and Prince Philip bagged a tiger causing a furore among conservationists. After Maharajah Man Singh passed away, relations between Indira Gandhi and Rajmata Gayatri Devi soured.

During the Emergency, the Rajmata was imprisoned and an income tax raid conducted. Rumour has it that four quintals of gold and many priceless gems were seized. An old document from Sawai Jai Singh’s time, which mentioned the existence of treasure in the Jaigarh fort, was discovered. Curiously, all forts in Jaipur were under the care of the Archaeological Survey of India, except Jaigarh fort, which was in the custody of the Jaipur Royal family. The fort was not open for tourists.

The Government of India dispatched an Army unit to Jaigarh fort to investigate if the treasure existed. After a three-month search, nothing was found. Could Sawai Jai Singh have used the treasure to construct the city of Jaipur?

C.N. Anand is the author of Tarbela Damned – Pakistan Tamed.

Aurangzeb records lie unread here

This report from the Times of India shows how poorly our researchers and GOI are equipped and fall short of protecting something so important.

Ch Sushil Rao, TNN 15 July 2009, 03:59am IST

HYDERABAD: Nearly a century after they were chanced upon in Aurangabad and brought to Hyderabad, mystery surrounds the contents of more than 1.2 lakh handwritten documents dating back to the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

Researchers from across the world, including the US, the UK, Japan and other parts of India are curious to know what the handmade fabric paper documents in Persian contain, but they are meeting a roadblock. There are not enough experts available to read the documents that are written in ‘Shikasta’ or cursive style of writing. The documents if read, would provide a significant insight into the reign and administration of Aurangzeb.

In all, there are more than 1.55 lakh documents pertaining to the administration of Mughal emperors Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb at the AP State Archives and Research Institute at Tarnaka. In addition, there are 15,000 documents in the National Archives of India in New Delhi and 1,700 documents in the Rajasthan State Archives in Bikaner. Director of AP State Archives and Research Institute, Zareena Parveen, says that catalogues on just 32,000 documents at the centre have been prepared so far. Of these, 5,000 documents date back to the rule of Shah Jahan (1628-1658 AD) and nearly 27,000 go back to the reign of Aurangzeb (1658-1707 AD).

Before she was appointed director of the museum, Zareena Parveen herself had been involved in preparing the catalogues of the rare and authentic documents, including identifying the document by its time, and its contents. “One gets an insight into the administration of the Mughal emperors through the documents,†Zareena Parveen told TOI. For instance, one document reveals that since Aurangzeb was always waging wars and was moving with his troops, his soldiers never got their salaries in time. “This was one of the reasons for the downfall of Aurangzeb,†she said.

However, for the past several years, no catalogues have been prepared for the rest of the documents, largely due to a lack of staff and funds for the archives. Zareena Parveen said this has already been brought to the notice of the state government and soon some staff would be appointed specifically to work on the Mughal documents. Once this is done, and it might take several years to complete the work.

The documents pertaining to Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb landed in Hyderabad is in itself an interesting story. It was in 1916 that the accountant general of the erstwhile Hyderabad state, Md Sayeebuddin, went to Aurangabad for an inspection. In a hall at the Qala-i-Arak, he happened to notice some old documents dumped casually. Back in Hyderabad when he expressed interest in acquiring them with then Daftar-i-Diwani (archives) superintendent Syed Khursheed Ali, the records were brought to Hyderabad. 

Temple Destruction by Arangzeb (Proof Documents)

Exhibit No. 6: Keshava Rai Temple. "Even to look at a temple is a sin for a Musalman", Aurangzeb. Umurat-i-Hazur Kishwar-Kashai Julus (R.Yr.) 9, Rabi II 24 / 13 October 1666.

‘It was reported to the Emperor (Aurangzeb) that in the temple of Keshava Rai at Mathura, there is a stone railing presented by Bishukoh (one without dignity i.e. Prince Dara, Aurangzeb's elder brother). On hearing of it, the Emperor observed, "In the religion of the Musalmans it is improper even to look at a temple and this Bishukoh has installed this kathra (barrier railing). Such an act is totally unbecoming of a Musalman. This railing should be removed (forthwith)”. His Majesty ordered Abdun Nabi Khan to go and remove the kathra, which is in the middle of the temple. The Khan went and removed it. After doing it he had audience. He informed that the idol of Keshava Rai is in the inner chamber. The railing presented by Dara was in front of the chamber and that, formerly, it was of wood. Inside the kathra used to stand the sevakas of the shrine (pujaris etc.) and outside it stood the people (khalq)’.

Note:

Aurangzeb's solemn observation recorded in his own Court's bulletin that "In the religion of the Musalmans it is improper even to look at a temple" and therefore, presentation of a stone railing to Keshava Rai temple by Dara was "totally unbecoming of a Musalman" casts serious doubts about a few instances of religious toleration and temple grants attributed to him. Only two years before his long awaited death, he had ordered (1st January 1705) to “demolish the temple of Pandharpur and to take the butchers of the camp there and slaughter cows in the temple … It was done”. Akhbarat, 49-7, cited in J.N. Sarkar, Aurangzeb, Vol.III, 189).

Exhibit No. 7: Demolition of Kalka's Temple - I. Siyah Waqa'i- Darbar Regnal Year 10, Rabi I, 23 / 3 September 1667.

"The asylum of Shariat (Shariat Panah) Qazi Abdul Muqaram has sent this arzi to the sublime Court: a man known to him told him that the Hindus gather in large numbers at Kalka's temple near Barahapule (near Delhi); a large crowd of the Hindus is seen here. Likewise, large crowds are seen at (the mazars) of Khwaja Muinuddin, Shah Madar and Salar Masud Ghazi. This amounts to bid‘at (heresy) and deserves consideration. Whatever orders are required should be issued.

Saiyid Faulad Khan was thereupon ordered (by the Emperor) to send one hundred beldars to demolish the Kalka temple and other temples in its neighbourhood which were in the Faujdari of the Khan himself; these men were to reach there post haste, and finish the work without a halt".

Note:

Kalkaji's temple which stands today was rebuilt soon after Aurangzeb's death (1707 A.D.) on the remains of the old temple dedicated to Goddess Kali. The two Akhbarat dated R.Yr. 10, Rabi I, 23 and Rabi II, 3 (Sept.3 and Sept. 12, 1667) provide details regarding the demolition of the temple on Aurangzeb's orders. Since 1764, the temple has been renovated and altered several times but the main 18th century structure more or less remains the same. The site is very old dating back to Emperor Asoka's time (3rd century B.C.). There is mention of Kalkaji in the Maratha records of 1738. People flock to the temple in large numbers especially during Navratras.

Exhibit No. 8: Demolition of Kalka Temple II. Siyah Akhbarat-i-Darbar-i-Mu‘alla Julus 10, Rabi II 3 / 12 September 1667.

"Saiyad Faulad Khan reported that in compliance with the orders, beldars were sent to demolish the Kalka temple which task they have done. During the course of the demolition, a Brahmin drew out a sword, killed a bystander and then turned back and attacked the Saiyad also. The Brahmin was arrested”.

Note:

There are only a few recorded instances of armed opposition by outraged Hindus, such as at Goner (near Jaipur), Ujjain, Udaipur and Khandela, but there must have been many more such instances of angry outbursts and resistance against Muslim vandalism which do not find mention in the official papers of Emperor Aurangzeb.

Most of the Hindus took the destruction of these temples philosophically considering these as acts of ignorance and folly for a vain purpose. They regarded that it was beyond the understanding or intelligence of the Musalmans to comprehend the principle behind the idol worship or the fundamental oneness of saguna and nirguna worship. The Hindus believed that the Gods and Goddesses leave for their abode before the hatchet or the hammer of the vile “mlecchas” or “asuras” so much as even touched the idols. The idea has been well described in Kanhadade Prabandha (wr. 1456 A.D.) when giving an account of the destruction of the Somnath temple by Sultan Alauddin's troops in 1299.

Exhibit No. 9: General Order for the Destruction of Temples. (9th April 1669)

“The Lord Cherisher of the Faith learnt that in the provinces of Thatta, Multan and especially at Benaras, the Brahmin misbelievers used to teach their false books in their established schools, and their admirers and students, both Hindu and Muslim, used to come from great distances to these misguided men in order to acquire their vile learning. His Majesty, eager to establish Islam, issued orders to the governors of all the provinces to demolish the schools and temples of the infidels, and, with the utmost urgency, put down the teaching and the public practice of the religion of these unbelievers”.

Note:

This is not the only instance when Aurangzeb prevented the Muslims from acquiring knowledge and wisdom of the Hindu philosophical works and other Sanskrit and Bhasha classics, or sharing spiritual and intellectual experience, and thus stifled the process of fusion, or at least bridging of the gulf between the two creeds with very different approaches, principles, values, levels of intellectual attainments and period of evolution of ideas. A general order of this type to put down the teaching and public practice of religion by the Hindus was used as a ground to demolish some of the most venerable shrines of India during the next few years, but despite the severe and comprehensive nature of the order, it failed to wrest from Banaras its unique prestige and position as the chief centre of learning of the Vedas, Dharmashastras, the Six Systems of Philosophy, Sanksrit language and literature, and Astronomy.

Exhibit No. 10: General Order for the demolition of Hindu Temples.

On the 9th April 1669, Aurangzeb “eager to establish Islam, issued orders to the governors of all the provinces to demolish the schools and temples of the infidels, and, with the utmost urgency, put down the teaching and the public practice of the religion of these unbelievers (Hindus)” Maasir-i-‘Alamgiri, p.81).

In the sketch, the artist has shown the destruction of the temples of Somanath, Jagannath (Puri), Kashi Vishwanath (Banaras)and Keshava Rai (Mathura), which were all highly venerated shrines, as symbolic of Aurangzeb’s ideal of thorough destruction of Hindu temples. In the centre is a portion of the infamous order of the 9th April issued by him.

Exhibit No. 11: Demolition of the temple of Viswanath (Banaras). August 1669 A.D.

It was reported that, “according to the Emperor’s command, his officers had demolished the temple of Viswanath at Kashi”. (Maasiri-‘ Alamgiri, 88)

Note:

Kashi is one of the mort sacred towns in India and reference to the worship of Shiva as Vishveshvara goes back to very early times. Kashi itself enjoys highest sanctity since times immemorial. According to the Puranas, every foot-step taken in Kashi Kshetra has the sanctity of making a pilgrimage to a tirtha. Lord Vishvanatha is regarded as the protector of Kashi and the belief is that one earns great religious merit by having darshana (view) of the deity after having bathed in the Ganges. After destruction of the temple on Aurangzeb’s orders, a mosque was built which still stands there as a testimony of the great tolerance and spirit of forgiveness of the Hindus even towards those who had for centuries desecrated and destroyed their temples and other places of worship and learning, and also as a lesson that “mutually uncongenial cultures”, when forced by circumstances to intermingle in the same Geographical area, result in such calamities. A portion of the sculpture of the demolished temple, probably built in the late 16th century, still survives to tell the fate of Aurangzeb’s vandalism and barbarity. The present temple of Vishveshvara was built by Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore.

Exhibit No. 12 i

Exhibit No. 12 ii

Exhibit No. 12 iii

Exhibit No. 12 i - ii - iii : “During this month of Ramzan (1080 A.H./January-February 1670) ….. the Emperor ….. The reviver of the Faith of the Prophet issued orders for the demolition of the Dehra of Keshava Rai in Mathura. In a short time the destruction of this strong foundation of infidelity was accomplished and on its site a lofty mosque was built. ….. the idols large and small of the temple were brought to Agra and buried under the steps of the mosque of Begum Sahib” (Maasir-i- ‘Alamgiri, 95-96).

Exhibit No. 13: Demolition of Keshava Rai temple at Mathura. (13th January – 11th February 1670)

The great temple of Keshava Rai at Mathura was built by Bir Singh Deo Bundela during Jahangir’s time at a cost of thirty-three lakhs of rupees. The Dehra of Keshava Rai was one of the most magnificent temples ever built in India and enjoyed veneration of the Hindus throughout the land. Prince Dara Shukoh, who was looked upon by the masses as the future Emperor, had presented a carved stone railing to the temple which was installed in front of the deity at some distance; the devotees stood outside this railing to have ‘darshan’ of Keshava Rai. The railing was removed on Auranzeb’s orders in October 1666.

The Dehra of Keshava Rai was demolished in the month of Ramzan, 1080 A.H. (13th January – 11th February 1670) by Aurangzeb’s order. “In a short time, by the great exertion of the officers, the destruction of this strong foundation of infidelity was accomplished and on its site a lofty mosque was built at the expenditure of a large sum”. To the author of Maasir-i-‘Alamigiri, the accomplishment of this “seemingly impossible work was an “instance of the strength of the Emperor’s faith”. Even more disgraceful was transporting the idols to Agra and burying them under the steps of the mosque of the Begum Sahib “in order to be continually trodden upon”.

The painting shows the demolition of the great temple, on Aurngzeb’s orders in progress and subsequent uncivilized conduct towards the idols.

Exhibit No. 14: Demolition of Somnath temple.

About the time the general order for destruction of Hindu temples was issued (9th April 1669), the highly venerated temple of Somanath built on the sea-shore in Kathaiwad was also destroyed. The famous temple was dedicated to Lord Shiva. In the 11th century, the temple was looted and destroyed by Mahmud Ghaznavi. It was rebuilt by King Bhim Deva Solanki of Gujarat and again renovated by Kumarapal in 1143-44 A.D. The temple was again destroyed by Alauddin Khalji’s troops in 1299. In a rare description of the scene of a temple destruction, like of which continued to occur time and again during the long and disastrous rule of the Musalman rulers in India, we have the following account. “The Mlechchha (asura) stone breakers”, writes Padmanabha in his classic work “climbed up the shikhar of the temple and began to rain blows on the stone idols on all three sides by their hammers, the stone pieces falling all around. They loosened every joint of the temple building, and then began to break the different layers (thara) and the sculptured elephants and horses carved on them by incessant blows of their hammers. Then, amidst loud and vulgar clamour, they began to apply force from both the sides to uproot the massive idol by means of wooden beams and iron crowbars” (Kaanhadade Prabandha, Canto I, vss. 94-96).

After the destruction of Somnath temple during Alauddin’s time, it was rebuilt again. When Aurangzeb gave orders for its destruction, the scene must have been little different from the one described by Padmanabha. The artist in his painting has tried to recreate the scene.

Guru Tegh bahadur brutally martyred

Souce: Aurangzeb Exhibition FACT INDIA

Exhibit No. 47: Martyrdom of the 9th Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur & his three followers at Chandni Chowk, Delhi. (11th November, 1675)

The martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru, in 1675 is a major event in the Sikh history. It led to the creation of Khalsa in 1699 by his son Guru Gobind Singh; the creation of Khalsa is considered as a watershed in the history of the Sikhs.

Guru Tegh Bahadur was born in 1621 to the sixth Guru Hargovind (1605-45), who was the first to arm the Panth to defend it from the oppressive Mughal rule and to help the weak and the needy. He was followed by Guru Har Rai (1645-61) who incurred displeasure of Aurangzeb for having blessed Dara Shukoh, then passing through Punjab after losing the War of Succession.

Guru Tegh Bahadur accepted the mantle of Guruship in 1664 after the death of the eighth Guru Har Kishan at Delhi. Sooner or later he was bound to invite hostility of Aurangzeb who had summoned the two previous Gurus as if he had the right to arbitrate in the succession for the Guruship. He travelled extensively, spreading his message of hope and courage to the Scattered sangats and encouraging all to bear their tribulations. The surviving hukam-namas show the high regard in which he was held by his followers. In 1669 or so, he accompanied Maharaja Ram Singh of Amber (Mirza Raja Jai Singh’s son) to Assam where he participated in the Mughal campaign. After returning from there he took his residence at Makhowal where in about 1675, he received a deputation of the Brahmins of Kashmir who narrated to him harrowing tales of their oppression and forcible conversion in Kashmir. Gradually Guru Tegh Bahadur was drawn into the whirlwind which Aurangzeb had raised by his policy of temple destruction, conversion and discrimination against the non-Muslims. Along with the temples, Gurudwaras were also razed. Guru Tegh Bahadur, who had all along called upon others to fight against oppression and injustice, and for freedom of conscience, now came out openly against Aurangzeb’s policies and encouraged the resistance of the Hindus of Kashmir against forcible conversion to Islam there by carrying out Guru Nanak’s injunction that “righteous people must defy and resist tyranny”.

Guru Tegh Bahadur was taken to Delhi and cast into prison. After he and his three companions refused to embrace Islam, they were brought to the Chandni Chowk near the Red Fort where his companions were tortured to death in his presence to intimidate him, but on his firm refusal to abjure his faith at any cost, he was beheaded “in a large public spectacle” on 11 November 1675. Guru Tegh Bahadur preferred to give his head but not his honour. The Guru’s martyrdom deeply influenced his son Gobind Singh’s mind and it is believed to be one of the main reasons for his founding the Khalsa in 1699 which made every Sikh a potential warrior against oppression and religious persecution and led to a most dramatic change in the Sikh Panth.