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The most poignant scene of yesterday was the mourning by two people of a great loss
One young youth of 20 lost the last fatherly figure in his life
A 50 year old mother lost her only son(though in history Maham had more sons)
Though both Akbar and Maham were mourning their most loved ones there was a stark difference.
Akbar was mourning the person who was his last father. Even after Humayun's death he had fathers in form of khan baba and Atagah to protect him from enemies. And in 16th male dominated patriarchal society having even a foster father made such a huge difference. Just the presence of Khan baba and Atagah later created fear psychosis in Akbar's enemies mind so much so that they all thought they can easily kill Akbar if his khan baba and Atagah are dead. So all his enemies first targeted his two foster father's who were his dhal in this patriarchal society so that Akbar becomes an easy target to them.
When adham khan sets out to kill atagah he saysc "Till atagah is there I can never reach Akbar and kill him". That one sentence showed the world what was atagah's place in Akbar's life. He was his father his protector his wall that enemies had to breach to reach Akbar. Its a different matter that the enemies felt here was a 20 year old young man who would become easy target once the two walls crumpled that stood in front of him his two foster father's. But Akbar was made of stronger stuff and learned to take care of himself without a father in a patriarchal society at a very young age.
But currently while planning Atagah's downfall none of his enemies understood Akbar's inner strength and character. When Adham Khan sees Akbar first he says "I have destroyed all the walls, all your protections and now is your turn. Your last wall Atagah was praying for your safety and now I promised to send you to him in a few minutes". That means Adham assumed that he could easily kill Akbar without Atagah. But Akbar had a inner strength left inside him to face this challenge mostly from the strength he had developed as an hostage to his uncle Kamran, the strength he derived being tied to a stake and raised on Kabul fort in front of his father's blazing guns for days.
When a human faces death at a very young age, a fight for survival at a young age he fears nothing or no one. Death becomes a friend, danger becomes the companion and bravery becomes the dhal or zeera bhaktar of such an human being like Akbar. For Akbar he played with death in battle fields, he played with death at his home surrounded by dreaded relatives and friends, he played with death when he went into ranathambore fort to rescue a friend captured, he played with death fighting a tiger in jungle etc. So Akbar was truly mourning the one person who he loved very much a father he would miss a dhal or wall that no longer protected him. From that day he was an easily available prey to the world and his enemies. From that day he had no one who would come and take bullets on their chest to save him.
Akbar's coming of age was the day Atagah died. He was on his own from that day. That was potrayed very well with the blood filled hamam and Akbar's screams inside the hamam. From that day Akbar was alone and that hamam represented the world, the blood water represented the world which would try to break him again and again and he a lone figure wading alone through the world. Yes Akbar had his mother, Jodha, Ruqaiah, his other wives, sisters, ministers butt there is only so much they can do. From today Akbar would go out and face the world alone. Its like till we are in college we are protected by teachers, friends, family and then after completing education we go out into the complex work field where you never really know who is friend, who is enemy, who likes you etc you are on your own.
Compare this with a Maham's mourning.
Maham's mourning was more about the death of her ambitions. Adham was not a son for her he was a vehicle for her ambitions. As a lady she could never be accepted as Shahenshah. If you remember when Akbar confronts her in DEK she says "What is it that I lack? You are born in a royal family so you become an emperor. Your mother married in royal family so she became a mallika e Aliya while I remain a slave a wazir e Aliya who has to just follow orders." There she reveals her most inner desire of becoming a emperor or empress.
But like I said those were male dominated times and as such she could never may be fulfil her ambitions like a nur jahan. Hence she first started off with controlling the mind of the person who sat on that throne she coveted(Akbar). But her real ambitions were to ensure she becomes so powerful using Akbar's name that one day she will ensure Akbar and his kids are removed from that throne and her son adham and his kids adorn that throne. To fulfil her ambitions she used Akbar as a remote, emotionally blackmailed him, kept him far off from his moms and sisters, keep him away from his other foster parents like jiji anga, atagah etc.
She tried killing him in a assassination attempt at age 17 and then later on when he was 22 another assassination attempt by her body gaurds. She killed his unborn children in womb or just after they were born. She ensured that Akbar who desired his kid has timurid blood was not fulfilled by ensuring Ruqaiah never became a mother. Who know what other things she did that are were never mentioned openly in history. She is like those serial killers in history the psychopaths you never know how many she really killed, when and how?
The reason she tried these assaination attempts on Akbar and killed his babies was so that her son Adham becomes an emperor.
Just look at her mourning contrast to Akbar's, she is first disillusioned cannot believe her son is dead. Because all her plans, her desires, her ambitions were directed to make her son adham an emperor. She may say that I love jalal more and never want him dead. But that is not what is in her inner most soul her inner most thoughts. That is only her outside posturing.
Here is where Akbar's immaturity as a small boy comes to the fore. If he was a bit bigger and mature he would have realized that not all who talk sweetly about you want your happiness and are not your friends and not all who speak ill and rudely to you want your destruction and are your enemies. Alas Akbar was nave he took atleast his relatives and specially milk mothers and fathers at face value. This nave nature led to many close people death like khan baba, atagah, peer Muhammad, his babies etc which could have been easily avoided.
Then maham says "My son is a lion, no one can kill him. He is the most dreaded soldier and all fear him". That is true that Adham was physically more powerful and stronger than an Akbar. That is why that day as he went about killing many soldiers none dared to stop him as they knew he was Akbar's dhood Bhai, maham's son and a dreaded soldier. But in reality no matter how physically strong you are its how strong your inner mind is that matters. Adham had thought he had nothing much to lose that day, if he killed Akbar he would be shahenshah if not Akbar would forgive him as always. In Akbarnama it says Adham tried to explain his actions to Akbar for killing Atagah. But here Akbar had a edge in mental strength. He wanted to avenge his foster father's death and save his family his moms, sisters, wives and son Rahim that day. That thought gave him strength to fight off a physically stronger Adham and defeat him. Its like a chitti killing an elephant if challenged and angry.
Maham went on ranting at adham's body that he was a great warrior, he should not lie down like this, he should have worn zeera bhaktar on field, everone is jealous of his abilities, he must be hence limited in his ambitions not want everything that Akbar his childhood friend had. If he had satisfied with being subedhar being a dhoodh Bhai of Akbar all would have respected him. He would have lived happily, comfortably all life. This is a guilty mother consoling her self that she is not responsible for his death for his ambitions while in reality she is actually the only responsible for this wreckless and wayword life of her son.
She fuelled her ambitions into him from birth and this led to him assuming he can equal a emperor a royal. There are some posts that are got by birth and some by your ability. An emperor, king post usually comes with birth, its more of a birth right exceptions are there. Even today royals around the world are appointed as king based on the family they are born into not based on character and ability. Its not an elected post or a post got by working hard. Its a birth right that goes from parent to child. In 21st century majority shall feel resentment towards that right yet we cannot wish it away. Some are born in privilege.
But a mature person will understand the sacrifices the royal family has down across generations to get that birth right. In defeat a kings head is on roll first in victory his name comes first. Soldiers, ministers, layman even queens etc can change their loyalties but not an king/emperor. His life is always on line of fire and he gets privileges for doing that. So why the anger, resentment and jealousy?
If only Maham had thought of all this, adham would not have died, atagha and khan baba would not have been killed and she would not have died mourning her son. Her ambitions and her grave crimes overflowed so much it consumed her son and her in their fire. That was God's justice, Akbar did not kill adham, God ensured that his orders were carried out by Akbar. So why blame and curse Akbar?
Tum Se Tum Tak
