<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Rajput sense of hurt is justified </b>(Pioneer)
The other voice: Anand Sharma | Sahitya Akademi Award winning novelist and historian
The makers of Jodhaa Akbar could have avoided injuring Rajput pride by making some minor adjustments with historical facts
About two years back, Ashutosh Gowarikar contacted me. He said that he was preparing the final script of a movie on Akbar and Jodha Bai of Jaipur, then known as Amer, and wanted my inputs on it.
We talked about the historical background to that legend and specific events from that era. Then he mentioned that his film was to focus on the "love" between Akbar and Jodha Bai. My immediate reaction was to point out to him that though there was a 'marriage' between Akbar and a princess of Amer, events show that there was hardly any love affair to precede it as the two had not even met before that 'marriage' was held.
But, Mr Gowarikar did not react and only said that he would get back to me before finalising the script, which he said would be shot in and around the city that is now called Jaipur. However, that was the last I heard from him. If he had indeed spoken to me again, I would certainly have corrected his perception with some basic facts.
In the middle of 16th century, Raja Bharmal, who ruled over Amer (Jaipur), was under tremendous pressure from all sides. On the one hand, he was facing the threat of an attack from the powerful Meena chieftains, and, on the other, the ruler of Jodhpur was making determined efforts to snatch some of his territory, including the strategically located Sambhar.
In January 1562, Akbar, then 20, was on his way to Ajmer. He had camped at Dausa, about 50 km from Amer. Raja Bharmal went to see him with the hope that Akbar could help him. Historical records confirm the meeting had taken place. Akbar reciprocated to the friendship offer because he knew the value of making peace in the neighbourhood of Delhi. The young emperor hoped to solidify alliances by marrying into the families of the rulers of Amer, Bikaner and Jodhpur.
In the meeting, it was agreed upon that Raja Bharmal would offer to get his daughter, Heera Kanwar, married to Akbar. The official records of the Jaipur royal family show that on February 6,1562, Heera Kanwar's wedding was solemnised with the Mughal ruler at Sambhar. Naturally, this caused a scandal in the Rajput society. The ruling families of Mewar and Udaipur severed ties with Amer. They also advised the other Rajput royal families to follow suit as it was against their pride to marry their daughters to non-Rajputs. A Muslim groom was out of question.
It remains a mystery how this Heer Kanwar came to be known as Jodha Bai. The origin of the legend that Jodha Bai was the mother of Prince Salim, who later became Emperor Jehangir, is equally vague. Mughal records show that the woman who Akbar married in Sambhar was renamed Mariam Jamani. It is also believed, albeit without corroborating written evidence that Raja Bharmal passed off a daughter he had sired through a concubine as the princess.
Now, coming to the aspect of 'love' between Akbar and the Rajput princess, what is certain is that the proposal of marriage was mooted at Dausa in January when Akbar was on his way to Ajmer. However, he never entered Amer. So, by no stretch of imagination could love have blossomed between the 20-year-old Emperor and the mysterious woman in such a short time because the wedding was conducted in the first week of February, a matter of weeks.
Though I cannot rule out the fact that there was indeed a union -- later, with Heera Kunwar converting to Islam and adopting a new name, it became a proper marriage under Islamic Law -- I find it difficult to accept the love affair angle which Gowarikar has built his 'magnum opus' on.
Akbar stocked his harem with at least 10 other Rajput women, all of whom were described as "princesses" by contemporary court hacks. These were from Gwalior, Dungarpur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Merta.
But the history of Jodhpur, known as Marwar Ri Khayat and written by the court historian of Maharaja Man Singh, mentions that there was indeed one Jodha Bai, an offspring of one Udai Singh, who was married to Akbar's son Salim. This took place in 1588, that is, 26 years later, and produced a son, Khurram, who later became Emperor Shah Jahan. This Jodha Bai's Islamic name was Taj Bibi.
But another historian, Shyamal Das, opines that Jodha Bai is a total concoction -- the real name was Man Bai. The name Man Mati was also in circulation. Anyway, this woman was indeed the mother of Khurram and she committed suicide in 1603.
<b>Many Rajput organisations of Rajasthan are opposing the screening of Gowarikar's film. They believe, and rightly so, that it is a distortion of history and demand that the Rajasthan Government's Department of Culture look into the matter.</b>
Such needless controversies could easily be avoided if the script had been submitted to a responsible body for whetting. Whenever a foreign producer wants to make a film on India or on the history of India, he must approach the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry for permission. Such producers have to submit the script of the proposed film for clearance.
<b>
In a similar fashion, if anybody wanted to produce a film on the history of Rajasthan, he or she should get the permission from the State Government to ensure that history is not fooled around with.</b>
<i>---- As told to Lokpal Sethi</i><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The other voice: Anand Sharma | Sahitya Akademi Award winning novelist and historian
The makers of Jodhaa Akbar could have avoided injuring Rajput pride by making some minor adjustments with historical facts
About two years back, Ashutosh Gowarikar contacted me. He said that he was preparing the final script of a movie on Akbar and Jodha Bai of Jaipur, then known as Amer, and wanted my inputs on it.
We talked about the historical background to that legend and specific events from that era. Then he mentioned that his film was to focus on the "love" between Akbar and Jodha Bai. My immediate reaction was to point out to him that though there was a 'marriage' between Akbar and a princess of Amer, events show that there was hardly any love affair to precede it as the two had not even met before that 'marriage' was held.
But, Mr Gowarikar did not react and only said that he would get back to me before finalising the script, which he said would be shot in and around the city that is now called Jaipur. However, that was the last I heard from him. If he had indeed spoken to me again, I would certainly have corrected his perception with some basic facts.
In the middle of 16th century, Raja Bharmal, who ruled over Amer (Jaipur), was under tremendous pressure from all sides. On the one hand, he was facing the threat of an attack from the powerful Meena chieftains, and, on the other, the ruler of Jodhpur was making determined efforts to snatch some of his territory, including the strategically located Sambhar.
In January 1562, Akbar, then 20, was on his way to Ajmer. He had camped at Dausa, about 50 km from Amer. Raja Bharmal went to see him with the hope that Akbar could help him. Historical records confirm the meeting had taken place. Akbar reciprocated to the friendship offer because he knew the value of making peace in the neighbourhood of Delhi. The young emperor hoped to solidify alliances by marrying into the families of the rulers of Amer, Bikaner and Jodhpur.
In the meeting, it was agreed upon that Raja Bharmal would offer to get his daughter, Heera Kanwar, married to Akbar. The official records of the Jaipur royal family show that on February 6,1562, Heera Kanwar's wedding was solemnised with the Mughal ruler at Sambhar. Naturally, this caused a scandal in the Rajput society. The ruling families of Mewar and Udaipur severed ties with Amer. They also advised the other Rajput royal families to follow suit as it was against their pride to marry their daughters to non-Rajputs. A Muslim groom was out of question.
It remains a mystery how this Heer Kanwar came to be known as Jodha Bai. The origin of the legend that Jodha Bai was the mother of Prince Salim, who later became Emperor Jehangir, is equally vague. Mughal records show that the woman who Akbar married in Sambhar was renamed Mariam Jamani. It is also believed, albeit without corroborating written evidence that Raja Bharmal passed off a daughter he had sired through a concubine as the princess.
Now, coming to the aspect of 'love' between Akbar and the Rajput princess, what is certain is that the proposal of marriage was mooted at Dausa in January when Akbar was on his way to Ajmer. However, he never entered Amer. So, by no stretch of imagination could love have blossomed between the 20-year-old Emperor and the mysterious woman in such a short time because the wedding was conducted in the first week of February, a matter of weeks.
Though I cannot rule out the fact that there was indeed a union -- later, with Heera Kunwar converting to Islam and adopting a new name, it became a proper marriage under Islamic Law -- I find it difficult to accept the love affair angle which Gowarikar has built his 'magnum opus' on.
Akbar stocked his harem with at least 10 other Rajput women, all of whom were described as "princesses" by contemporary court hacks. These were from Gwalior, Dungarpur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Merta.
But the history of Jodhpur, known as Marwar Ri Khayat and written by the court historian of Maharaja Man Singh, mentions that there was indeed one Jodha Bai, an offspring of one Udai Singh, who was married to Akbar's son Salim. This took place in 1588, that is, 26 years later, and produced a son, Khurram, who later became Emperor Shah Jahan. This Jodha Bai's Islamic name was Taj Bibi.
But another historian, Shyamal Das, opines that Jodha Bai is a total concoction -- the real name was Man Bai. The name Man Mati was also in circulation. Anyway, this woman was indeed the mother of Khurram and she committed suicide in 1603.
<b>Many Rajput organisations of Rajasthan are opposing the screening of Gowarikar's film. They believe, and rightly so, that it is a distortion of history and demand that the Rajasthan Government's Department of Culture look into the matter.</b>
Such needless controversies could easily be avoided if the script had been submitted to a responsible body for whetting. Whenever a foreign producer wants to make a film on India or on the history of India, he must approach the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry for permission. Such producers have to submit the script of the proposed film for clearance.
<b>
In a similar fashion, if anybody wanted to produce a film on the history of Rajasthan, he or she should get the permission from the State Government to ensure that history is not fooled around with.</b>
<i>---- As told to Lokpal Sethi</i><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->