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Since the last few days, we have been hearing of the declaration of jung by Jodha and the other begums against Abul Mali. There has been endless debate and much furore over this War of the Roses and the Thorn (a Mughal version of the Beauty and the Beast).
Today, the curtain was raised over this impending war and, to me, at least, the war seems a highly logical and courageous move by the begumat.
Like I mentioned in my thread yesterday, Jodha has an unshakeable belief that Jalal is fine and will return shortly. How then can a devoted wife drink poison and end her life, just as her husband is all set to return to her?
And from where does she get this faith from? Literally from the enemy himself.
Abul Mali's taunt that Jalal had begged for his life on bended knees is enough to assure Jodha that Abul Mali is blatantly lying. Jalal had himself told her before leaving for the war that he would either return victorious or become a martyr with the name of Allah on his lips, but he would never bend before the enemy. And she knew her Jalal well enough to know he would rather die with his head held high than beg for his life.
Jodha, who herself came from a royal family, knew all about the dishonour she could face if she fell into the hands of Abul Mali and his wolverine soldiers. But hadn't Jalal told her himself that she was a Mughal Begum, who could not take the easy recourse of Jauhar? She was the queen of Hindustan and she had to Live and Fight the enemy, not commit suicide like a coward.
So when Jodha knows Jalal will return anytime, the only option available to her is to fight and keep the enemy at bay so that the harem remains safe and proud, as ever.
Fighting the enemy is one thing. After all, she is a trained warrior and quite adept at warfare. But inspiring a harem full of ladies to overcome their fears, get a grip on their emotions, and believe that Jalal was alive and would return soon is a Herculean task. And what a great moment that was when she gave a hugely motivating speech to convince and co-opt her fellow begums to join her army and fight for their honour and the Mughal izzat!
So tell me folks, what does she lack to be a good soldier?
- She's astute - she doesn't fall for the trap laid so emotionally convincingly by Abul Mali.
- She's brave and unafraid of the size and capability of the enemy.
- She's a great motivator and is able to easily cull together a rag-tag band of soldiers to safeguard the harem.
Is this all purely natakiya roopantar? I don't know. May be , may be not.
But could it be possible?
Yes, most definitely. Because the MUZ was all that has been ascribed to her above and more. And the amount of belief the real Akbar had in the military capabilities of the real MUZ can be gauged by the fact that he gave her a 12000 strong cavalry. This was a great show of trust because only the emperor, his son and the commander of the army had such strong cavalries in their charge.
The trouble in accepting Jodha as a courageous warrior queen also comes from those people who believe that Jalal is a powerful emperor and had never been caught by his enemies. Many people cannot digest the fact that a woman may likely be shown rescuing her husband from a trap he walked into foolishly. Esp a great emperor-husband.
Whatever be the reality of Jalal's entrapment, if the harem ladies decide to fight the enemy in the interim waiting period, then it's a wonderful show of grace and courage under duress as well as an unwavering belief in their husband's ability to survive and emerge unscathed from any eventuality.
They are not, in fact, downgrading Jalal's greatness. By fighting for their safety and the Mughal izzat, the Mughal ladies are actually increasing Jalal's greatness. They are ready to show to the world that Akbar the Great had an equally valiant harem that could defend itself well enough, without any help from the army or the great Akbar himself.
Thanks for reading this post. Please share your views.😊
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