A Rare Gem! - Page 6

Originally posted by: elasingh

Sandhya first of all Akbar was not the emperor of whole of Hindustan and secondly He accepted all the religions as equal in his quest for truth and sprituality but I am sorry Sandhya I wont call him hundreds of times more remarkable then Jo...I respect him and admire him but unlike others I do so inspite of his faults...He was a shrewd leader and consolidated the thrown for his children...I am sorry but I am just not as crazy a fan of his ...

Originally posted by: adiana12

Shyamala, I dont think there was any intent of comparing - in fact these two emperors cannot be compared - their circumstances and environments were different - and if they were in each other's situation, how they would respond is anybody's guess - as for the use of the Sarnath Pillar for the emblem - as I said the makers of the Indian constitution were wise enuff to choose that which signifies inclusivity as well as peace - ours being a pluralist country - and as for India - she is more than just a country - she is an idea, a concept - that celebrates difference by including all into her folds and both Akbar and Ashoka embodied this spirit of hers - and as long as India is Akbar will be and so will Ashoka and every such person who enbodies this spirit - India does not need time and space to exist just for this reason - all this said, yes there is a certain wave of intolerance and exclusion that is currently at play but then as they say 'the darkest hour of the night is before dawn' - perhaps this is that darkest hour !

Originally posted by: Sandhya.A

I am not a crazy fan either. I very well know and accept that he had a whole bunch of shortcomings too. I cannot put him in the same league as the near perfect, extremely capable and handsome and intelligent and kind Raja Raja Chola who ruled over a greater part of South India and across seas 500 years before Akbar in whom there was hardly a grey shade. But he had everything almost perfect in life - very good parents, a very doting and very intelligent sister who with her husband spent her life for the welfare of his empire, a pleasant and respecting family and more importantly his loyal, obedient and very capable son.

But Akbar had none of these. A shattered childhood, selfish scheming family and a nafarmaan son. His mother and wives, his select courtiers and his awaam was all that he had. Yet he rose above petty differences.

Yes, he was a shrewd politician. His alliances with the Hindu Kings was as much for political benefit as much as it was for his acceptance of all religions. He could be ruthless if alliances and friendships didn't work out. Chittore is proof enough. But that too could be taken as for the greater good. Unless the whole country came under one leader, one flag, one nation, improvements in Arts, Literature. trade and commerce is impossible. The people cannot live in peace and prosper. All our Hindu Kings who ruled at that time placed their egos above the nation and its people. All resources were drained in wars among themselves. Akbar didn't. He didn't mind frienships with his enemies for peace. Here I can even cheer Bharmal. He placed his country above his ego and even his daughter. Bharmal may be a bad father but certainly a good king of Amer.

Ela, if Jo adjusted, she had to. Else she would have perished. I certainly respect and admire her a lot for being a support and inspiration for Akbar, but Akbar was good and accommodating inspite of being at the helm. After having taken over Hindustan (okay, okay...most of it...may be not the South, but he had Afghanistan and Kabul and other northern provinces under him) he could have turned ruthless again. He could have become a Hitler. But he didn't. Nor did he loot India like Ghori or later the British. He made India his home and worked for its welfare with a rare far-sightedness and brotherhood. It was a choice that he made and that made him Great.

Originally posted by: elasingh

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Sandhya frankly I respect Raja Raja chola...but now you are doing injustice to Akbar...For me Akbar is much greater...and Sandhya I agree that Jo had no other options but to adjust and Jalal had options...but that does not make Jo's adjustments any less...and one more thing Jallu inspite of taking part in hawans and burning fire in his home , still remained in his Islamic surroundings but Jo did not...Try to put urself in Jo's place...and you will find how hard it would have been for her to suddenly realise that she was going to marry into different religion and not just that inspite of having freedom to practice her religion she was out of hindu fold...Any way never have I said that Jo was greater then Jallu or Jallu was Jallu becoz of Jo...but where adjustments are concerned I feel that it was harder for Jo...

"He sees the whole of the Hindustan that he wishes to unite under his rule, not by brute force,but thru willing acceptance. Na ki shamsheer ki dhar se, par rishton ke reshmi dhagon me piroke.To win the heart of this Hindustan, he knows now what he has to do. For them to accept him, he has first to accept them.

Jalal already has the breadth of spiritual vision, the inner clarity, that lets him see his Allah in the Devi. Not many even today, anywhere in the world, are able to do that, for all the current politically correct patter about accepting all religions. And in the 16^th century, when Protestants and Catholics were massacring each other and burning each other at the stake all over Europe and in England, for the Emperor Jalaluddin Mohammed to demonstrate such purity of thought, such innate humanisn, was nothing short of a miracle."

But if he had not had the pragmatism to marry high principles and the right means for implementing them, like his Rajput marriages and high office for able Hindus, his grand vision would never have taken flight, and he would have spent half his time fighting off rebellions against Mughal rule.

He was truly a rara avis, a colossus among men, and though he did have faults, they at least did not include feet of clay. And we in India are blessed that we had so many of his ilk down the centuries.

Shyamala/Aunty

Originally posted by: Sandhya.A

I am not a crazy fan either. I very well know and accept that he had a whole bunch of shortcomings too. I cannot put him in the same league as the near perfect, extremely capable and handsome and intelligent and kind Raja Raja Chola who ruled over a greater part of South India and across seas 500 years before Akbar in whom there was hardly a grey shade. But he had everything almost perfect in life - very good parents, a very doting and very intelligent sister who with her husband spent her life for the welfare of his empire, a pleasant and respecting family and more importantly his loyal, obedient and very capable son.

But Akbar had none of these. A shattered childhood, selfish scheming family and a nafarmaan son. His mother and wives, his select courtiers and his awaam was all that he had. Yet he rose above petty differences.

Yes, he was a shrewd politician. His alliances with the Hindu Kings was as much for political benefit as much as it was for his acceptance of all religions. He could be ruthless if alliances and friendships didn't work out. Chittore is proof enough. But that too could be taken as for the greater good. Unless the whole country came under one leader, one flag, one nation, improvements in Arts, Literature. trade and commerce is impossible. The people cannot live in peace and prosper. All our Hindu Kings who ruled at that time placed their egos above the nation and its people. All resources were drained in wars among themselves. Akbar didn't. He didn't mind frienships with his enemies for peace. Here I can even cheer Bharmal. He placed his country above his ego and even his daughter. Bharmal may be a bad father but certainly a good king of Amer.

Ela, if Jo adjusted, she had to. Else she would have perished. There wasn't much of a choice. I certainly respect and admire her a lot for being a support and inspiration for Akbar, but Akbar was good and accommodating inspite of being at the helm. After having taken over Hindustan (okay, okay...most of it...may be not the South, but he had Afghanistan and Kabul and other northern provinces under him) he could have turned ruthless again. He could have become a Hitler. But he didn't. Nor did he loot India like Ghori or later the British. He made India his home and worked for its welfare with a rare far-sightedness and brotherhood. It was a choice that he made and that made him Great.

Originally posted by: elasingh

Sandhya first of all Akbar was not the emperor of whole of Hindustan and secondly He accepted all the religions as equal in his quest for truth and sprituality but I am sorry Sandhya I wont call him hundreds of times more remarkable then Jo...I respect him and admire him but unlike others I do so inspite of his faults...He was a shrewd leader and consolidated the thrown for his children...I am sorry but I am just not as crazy a fan of his ...

Originally posted by: sashashyam

Akbar was a pragmatic visionary, my dears, and both halves of his personality supplemented and complemented each other. Neither would have succeeded without the other in making him what he became, one of the giants of history.

Exactly..a right combination of the brain and the heart is needed to achieve and Akbar had both. He could be extremely kind and extremely ruthless...depending on the side you rub him. So well put aunty...both his halves complemented each other so well.

He was truly a rara avis, a colossus among men, and though he did have faults, they at least did not include feet of clay. And we in India are blessed that we had so many of his ilk down the centuries.

And this is what irks so much about the show...showing him spineless and brainless and crediting his begum and now the so irritating Mahesh Das. 😡 I wouldn't mind so much even if he was shown ruthless or cunning.

Shyamala/Aunty

Originally posted by: ---Khushi---

Haila...how did I miss this. ...what an intellectual discussion going on amidst intelligent people...😃

Toh what am I doing here???😆

Originally posted by: Sandhya.A

Welcome...😊...just discussing the fascinating glow of a rare gem.😊

When I could be here, everyone else too can for sure.🤓