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So we are in the Salim-anarkali love track and I just cannot fathom the hypocrisy of this situation
I can understand Jodha, Hamida or anyone opposing Salim love affair with Anarkali a dancer
But not Akbar doing the same. Why?
Because Akbar himself has married so many ladies whether they are commoners, lower class, widows or divorceee etc as long as liked them they were in his harem whether they came willingly or forced it never really mattered to him.
Now the same Akbar who justified getting woman right left and center whether they were willing or not to be in his harem, who forced husbands to divorce their wife(Daulat Shad) just because he wanted her etc is preaching his son lessons on royalty and love is a bit too much to digest
If someone has followed the principles he preached then atleast it can be listened to but here the issue is different. From childhood Salim must have seen his dad marrying girls half age than him, marrying into his 50s, whoever he liked she would be forced in his harem etc and hence he assumed that its Ok to love any class woman.
Now that he loves a rakasha a dancer and wants to marry her and make her his wife suddenly Akbar has caught the high standard of probity in public life saying he is Hindustan's son not Akbar's son. Does that same logic never apply to him ever? Akbar was also not Humayun's son but Hindustan's son by same logic. So why he never maintained high standard of probity in his personal life and expect same from his kids.
This is called hypocrisy practiced by elders, parents and society as large even today when they can do anything but their kids or grand kids(younger generation) dare not dream of doing even much lesser and immediately a probity in public life rule book shall be thrown at the face.
Akbar married Tejwant and Shivani off just to show what a great believer in equal society he was. But when it comes to Salim or Murad or daniyal rule books get thrown at them stating Ok you are royals and you need our permission and approval of girl to get married to.
Ok we can assume elders parents especially fathers are custodian of rules and probity but if only they have followed it in their life they can preach. Some how Akbar preaching Salim to not love anarkali or dream of making her his wife etc reeks of dualism and hypocrisy as Akbar himself never followed all this principles in his life.
Another thing I found that is dual in nature is that royal family men can watch rakasha dance, use them for pleasure even fall in love but not dare marry them as its a prestige issue. When you love someone the ultimate respect you give that lady is by marrying her, giving her your name so she is protected and no society dare abuse her right? Otherwise its not true love you are just using her playing with her and her emotions.
I find many people saying Salim can love her but not dare marry her as she is rakasha. But then if he does not marry her its not really love its lust. In Mughal-e-azam Dilip Kumar's Salim says "If you fear to show your love in public its ayashi not love" and that statement is so true.
What is love that is hidden from world and family? It means its wrong you are doing something illegal so you hide. If its true love you express it in front of world and give honour to that lady whom you love irrespective if she is rakasha, commoner, maid or Queen. In eyes of God all humans are created equal- all are children of God, when God never made any difference its we humans who have made caste, class etc for God all are his kids and he does not treat any human differently. So why not Salim cannot treat Anarkali with respect the same respect his father gives his mom?
For Shah I Iran Jodha was a second hand wife because she was a hindu and Akbar was so angry he went to war to save her honour. For Salim, anarkali is his lover in his soul he consider her his wife after all what is marriage but considering an human as your own with all soul and heart. So why not he fight to save her life and give her honour? even if its against his father. Actually this fight is not really between Salim and Akbar its between society thinking and new thoughts, its between hypocrisy of society and elders and the new generation rather than a father and son.
Next we come to concept of Malika - e - Hindustan(Empress of India) and Akbar have objection to Salim wanting to make her Malika e Hindustan. He says do not compare your mother to anarkali. But why? Like Akbar thinks jodha is great and is fit to be Malika e Hindustan so Salim loves and thinks anarkali has great qualities and is fit to be Malika e Hindustan in future. How come such a big issue on such a matter? A king has right to decide who is the next empress and Salim wants anarkali to be his next. If Humayun was alive may be he have objection to Jodha being Malika e Hindustan over his nieces Ruqaiah and Salima than will Akbar agree to his father? When he has all independence to choose his wives, MEH etc how come he can place restriction on his kids- will
There are many instances of commoner even dancers and raksha being empress or Queen take case of Bajirao marrying Mastani a half muslim Persian lady and making her his Queen or Baz Bahadur marrying a commoner Roopmati and making her his Queen etc Rao Maldoe favourite wife was a dancer(or as Mughals calls a Raksha) so many Mughals had commoner wife and even dancer and raksha as their consorts and wives.
Cricket
