Tughlaq By Girish Karnad Text [work] (Recommended ⚡)
The Turmoil of Power: Unpacking Girish Karnad's "Tughlaq"
The Sultan's fascination with philosophy and his desire to create a "perfect" society led him to implement several radical reforms. He shifted his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad, forcing thousands of people to march over 700 miles, resulting in significant loss of life.
Tughlaq is one of the most complex characters in Indian drama. Karnad resists portraying him as a mere tyrant or a fool. Instead, he presents a man of immense intelligence, genuine piety, and radical vision. Tughlaq prays five times a day, engages in intellectual debates, and dreams of a secular, rational state beyond religious divisions. In one poignant scene, he offers his own body to an enemy to bite, to prove a point about forgiveness and loyalty. tughlaq by girish karnad text
Tughlaq
3. The Search for Secularism
In one of the play’s most debated scenes, Tughlaq declares a radical form of secularism—abolishing the jizya (tax on non-Muslims) and appointing Hindus like Ratan Singh to high posts. However, secularism becomes a political tool for manipulation rather than a genuine belief. When Ratan Singh is killed, the communal harmony collapses overnight, revealing the fragility of top-down secularism. The Turmoil of Power: Unpacking Girish Karnad's "Tughlaq"
Karnad masterfully blends indigenous performance traditions with Western techniques, especially those of Bertolt Brecht.
Plot
Style and Structure
- "Tughlaq" by Girish Karnad (translated by Arun Chaudhuri)
- "The History of India" by Mountstuart Elphinstone
- "The Delhi Sultanate" by M. Athar Ali