A lot has been written about Mughal history. What do you think makes your book different?
Mughal stories often focus on either the Mughal kings or the more well-known Mughal women such as Nur Jahan or Mumtaz Mahal. And this is understandable because there are many references to these individuals in our history. However, there are many, many individuals who made a significant contribution to Mughal history but were forgotten because of the circumstances surrounding their lives. My protagonist Zebunissa is one such character.
Her life coincided with an era where her father, Aurangzeb, became king and began an era of intolerance. This led to massive wars with the Hindu Rajputs and the Maratha empire. In the crucible of these seismic events, Zebunissa’s story became hidden. Yet, an analysis of her life and her contributions shows that her poems, which exist till today, were an enduring legacy of that era. Thus, this story is about a character who lies ‘hidden’ in history books but deserves a prominent place in posterity.
You mention the ‘Makhfi’. Could you elaborate on their role in those times?
Here is what we know about the Makhfi: They were a secret poetic society created by Zebunissa during Aurangzeb’s reign. We also know Zebunissa was her father’s favourite child, which is interesting because she is going against her father’s edicts in forming this society. This is where the historical records end as it relates to the Makhfi. We also know that Zebunissa played an active role in supporting her brother’s rebellion against her father. Could the two be related? The historical record is silent. I, therefore, used poetic licence to link the two and in this way merge both aspects of Zebunissa’s life.
Do you think art and culture always have a way to survive tyranny?
I do. I think art and culture offer people a reprieve from the force of tyranny. We see this now in areas of Afghanistan and Syria where there are people singing and acting and creating art. It is very hard to destroy the thirst for art and culture by a tyrant or a government because these things are ingrained in our DNA and it is central to many of our lives.
There have been a lot of studies on Aurangzeb. Some claim he really was not as much of a tyrant. Your views?
I think it is hard to make the claim he wasn’t a tyrant. We know he slayed his own family, imprisoned his sons, destroyed Hindu temples, and waged war with allies. These are established facts. The question that one should ask is whether his tyranny was rooted in some childhood trauma or was it something arbitrary.
I explored the former in my earlier book, Mistress of the Throne, where I explored his imprisonment as a young child and the death of his mother, Mumtaz Mahal, on his psyche. I also explored the troubled relationship he had with his father throughout his younger years and tried to present a more balanced view of his evolution. In this book, I allude to some of these themes but for the most part the reader sees not the evolution of this man here but rather the hardened fanatic who ruled with an iron fist.
Which other historical figure intrigues you, and why?
I am also intrigued by Jahanara, sister of Aurengzeb and daughter of Shah Jahan. This individual was declared Empress of India by Shah Jahan after her mother’s death, bypassing Shah Jahan’s other wives. In her capacity as Empress she attempted to steer her family through turbulent times as her father grieved.She also oversaw building of the Taj Mahal.
Tell us your views on historical fiction.
Historical fiction is a great way to learn history in a fun and enjoyable way. We often think of history as a set of facts and dates, but we really should think of it as a story with emotions, people and conflicts. We should also think of the historical figures as not black or white, but shades of gray. To allude to your earlier question about Aurangzeb, he was neither a saint nor a sinner.
We know he was imprisoned as a child and lost his mother at a young age and was nicknamed ‘white serpent’ by his father, his only surviving parent. Could this have had an effect on his eventual evolution into a hateful man? We know he destroyed temples, but he also had a Hindu wife; he insisted women remain covered, but loved his daughter more than his sons. Thus, there are contradictions and complexities to these characters and exploring them has always been very fascinating to me.
What are you working on next?
I am currently working on a novel that follows a family in the Bengal region from the early part of the 20th century. This work is a departure from my previous work on Mughal themes but will focus more on the complexities of individual characters and it is my hope that the character development will really propel this story to a good read.