Posted:
Hey folks!
Sharing with you all this article from history_geek aka Abhay since he couldn't. Do read and drop in your views! 😊
***
I may forget this. So posting now. This interesting event is from the reign of Akbar. Late 1580s or early 1590s. First I'll introduce the characters.
Mirza Anvar was the 3rd son of Mirza Aziz Koka. Aziz Koka was the son of Shamshuddin Atga Khan. Atga Khan had saved life of Humayun around 1540, while he was fleeing after defeat at the hands of Sher Shah Suri. In gratitude, Humayun kept Atga Khan with him. Akbar was born in 1542. Humayun assigned Atga Khan as foster father of Akbar. His wife Jiji Anga was assigned the foster mother. Actually, Atga means foster father & Anga means foster mother. Atga Khan was murdered by a jealous Adham Khan, son of another reputed figure - Maham Anga in 1564 & in anger Akbar ordered execution of Adham Khan.
Atga Khan had a son named Aziz as we saw. Aziz was almost the same age as that of Akbar and had grown up with him, and came to be known as Aziz Koka. Koka means foster brother.
Akbar used to say that between Aziz & myself, there flows a river of milk which I can never cross. Implying that he can never punish or go against Aziz Koka for any reason because Aziz's mother Jiji Anga held the place equivalent to his own mother. Aziz Koka was close to Akbar & Raja Man Singh of Amer because Man Singh was also young when he came to Agra after marriage of his aunt Harka Bai with Akbar in 1562 & hence they all grew up together. It is also worth mentioning that after death of Akbar, Raja Man Singh & Mirza Aziz Koka had teamed up against the orthodox elements of Akbar's court & tried to place Akbar's grandson Khusrau on the throne, as Akbar had dreamed of.
{
For details of this teaming up. See my 3 part detailed blog.
Part 1
http://mariam-uz-zamani.blogspot.com/2016/09/akbar-last-portrait-persian-inscriptions-english-translation-akbar-death-part1.html
Part 2
(link: mariam-uz-zamani.blogspot.in/2016/10/salim-becomes-king-khusrau-man-singh-aziz-koka-defeated-death-of-akbar-pt2.html)
Part 3
(link: mariam-uz-zamani.blogspot.in/2016/10/contemporary-account-of-people-reaction-on-akbar-death-rise-of-islamic-orthodoxy-obituary-of-jesuits-with-mughal-miniatures-death-of-akbar-pt3.html) mariam-uz-zamani.blogspot.in/2016/10/contem...
}
Now. Let's come to the main point. Now you know the background of Mirza Anwar clearly. The point was to make you aware of the fact that all these people were very close & had grown up together.
This Aziz Koka ( foster brother of Akbar ) had 4/5 sons. The 3rd son was Mirza Anwar. He was posted as the governor in the province of Bhakkar, which is now a city in the Western part of Pakistani Punjab.
During his governorship, there was serious drought, water became scarce, rains failed, crops failed & people began to suffer. He tried all measures but couldn't control the ill effects. Thereafter he performed special prayers but nothing happened.
After this, a local Hindu chief of the region came to him and asked him to do perform the ancient Hindu practice / ritual with honest devotion of pleasing the rain God by performing special prayers in Hindu fashion.
Mirza Anwar was brought up in the court of Akbar, where all sort of " innovations " were in vogue & liberalism was the hallmark of that place.
Anwar agreed to this suggestion. He put on a dress of a poor peasant, with a pair of bullock & plough on his shoulders. And started ploughing the field.
He also brought his wife who also dressed up as a peasant and accompanied him in this ploughing, in the fashion of "sehdharmini" according to Hindu beliefs. She was carrying chapatis / rotis made of jowar grain along with yoghurt, with her husband as an offering to the rain God.
Its mentioned that - it started raining that moment and it rained so much that the river Indus was flooded that year.
{
The Persian text used as reference is Zakhirratu'l-Khuanin, and was written by Sheikh Bhhukari who lived in reign of Akbar, Jahangir & Shah Jahan. For those who have read the 3 part blog series on death of Akbar, whose link is shared above in this post, must be knowing this man. All is explained about him in that 3 part series.
}
From a condition of no rain no crop no water to a situation of the Indus getting flooded. Imagine !
Another point worth mentioning is about the wife of Aziz Koka's son who accompanied her husband. She was the daughter of Zain Khan Koka, who was another foster brother of Akbar. Zain Khan Koka's father was Khwaja Maqsud of the Central Asian town of Herat. He was a loyal officer of Akbar's mother Hamida Bano Begum, and served her throughout her misfortunes including the time when Humayun fled to Persia leaving her behind in care of select loyal officers. Zain Khan Koka's mother, i.e., wife of Khwaja Maqsud was Pichah Jan Anga, who was another foster mother of Akbar. Zain Khan Koka rose to high positions under Akbar and was appointed governor of Zabulistan ( present day South Afghanistan ) in 1587.
{
See this for more.. (link: http://mariam-uz-zamani.blogspot.in/2015/01/salim-got-violently-enamoured-to-marry-zain-khan-daughter-akbar-agrees.html)
}
So, now we know the ancestry of the husband - wife combo who performed this Hindu ritual to please the rain Gods. Both their grandfather had served parents of Akbar & their fathers were foster brothers of Akbar. Both these families were from Central Asia and one family had served to Humayun & another Hamida Bano Begum. They came from outside & embraced this culture without any issues.
Now. Why I mentioned this event. Because it was a reminder of the kind of pluralism which flourished & prospered that time under Akbar. I don't see any reason for those husband wife to agree to such a ritual, except the reason that they were brought up under a liberal atmosphere of Akbar's court since childhood.
Today we live in times where practicing Yoga or doing Surya Namaskar is termed saffronization. Some even say this is against the tenets of their religion. Or this is imposition of some sort. Perhaps these examples from the past would open up some eyes.
{
BTW, Mughal Emperor Akbar was a Sun Worshipper. I wrote this blog 2 years back when there was controversy over doing Surya Namaskar.
(link: mariam-uz-zamani.blogspot.in/2015/03/akbar-sun-worshipper.html
}
Ideally, this post should have been written as a separate blog to reach more people, with more details & scanned references , but since access to laptop & limited time are issues, hence its here in this form. Some points may appear repetitive as I haven't edited this draft written in instalments over a period of one week, that too on mobile
Sharing with you all this article from history_geek aka Abhay since he couldn't. Do read and drop in your views! 😊
***
I may forget this. So posting now. This interesting event is from the reign of Akbar. Late 1580s or early 1590s. First I'll introduce the characters.
Mirza Anvar was the 3rd son of Mirza Aziz Koka. Aziz Koka was the son of Shamshuddin Atga Khan. Atga Khan had saved life of Humayun around 1540, while he was fleeing after defeat at the hands of Sher Shah Suri. In gratitude, Humayun kept Atga Khan with him. Akbar was born in 1542. Humayun assigned Atga Khan as foster father of Akbar. His wife Jiji Anga was assigned the foster mother. Actually, Atga means foster father & Anga means foster mother. Atga Khan was murdered by a jealous Adham Khan, son of another reputed figure - Maham Anga in 1564 & in anger Akbar ordered execution of Adham Khan.
Atga Khan had a son named Aziz as we saw. Aziz was almost the same age as that of Akbar and had grown up with him, and came to be known as Aziz Koka. Koka means foster brother.
Akbar used to say that between Aziz & myself, there flows a river of milk which I can never cross. Implying that he can never punish or go against Aziz Koka for any reason because Aziz's mother Jiji Anga held the place equivalent to his own mother. Aziz Koka was close to Akbar & Raja Man Singh of Amer because Man Singh was also young when he came to Agra after marriage of his aunt Harka Bai with Akbar in 1562 & hence they all grew up together. It is also worth mentioning that after death of Akbar, Raja Man Singh & Mirza Aziz Koka had teamed up against the orthodox elements of Akbar's court & tried to place Akbar's grandson Khusrau on the throne, as Akbar had dreamed of.
{
For details of this teaming up. See my 3 part detailed blog.
Part 1
http://mariam-uz-zamani.blogspot.com/2016/09/akbar-last-portrait-persian-inscriptions-english-translation-akbar-death-part1.html
Part 2
(link: mariam-uz-zamani.blogspot.in/2016/10/salim-becomes-king-khusrau-man-singh-aziz-koka-defeated-death-of-akbar-pt2.html)
Part 3
(link: mariam-uz-zamani.blogspot.in/2016/10/contemporary-account-of-people-reaction-on-akbar-death-rise-of-islamic-orthodoxy-obituary-of-jesuits-with-mughal-miniatures-death-of-akbar-pt3.html) mariam-uz-zamani.blogspot.in/2016/10/contem...
}
Now. Let's come to the main point. Now you know the background of Mirza Anwar clearly. The point was to make you aware of the fact that all these people were very close & had grown up together.
This Aziz Koka ( foster brother of Akbar ) had 4/5 sons. The 3rd son was Mirza Anwar. He was posted as the governor in the province of Bhakkar, which is now a city in the Western part of Pakistani Punjab.
During his governorship, there was serious drought, water became scarce, rains failed, crops failed & people began to suffer. He tried all measures but couldn't control the ill effects. Thereafter he performed special prayers but nothing happened.
After this, a local Hindu chief of the region came to him and asked him to do perform the ancient Hindu practice / ritual with honest devotion of pleasing the rain God by performing special prayers in Hindu fashion.
Mirza Anwar was brought up in the court of Akbar, where all sort of " innovations " were in vogue & liberalism was the hallmark of that place.
Anwar agreed to this suggestion. He put on a dress of a poor peasant, with a pair of bullock & plough on his shoulders. And started ploughing the field.
He also brought his wife who also dressed up as a peasant and accompanied him in this ploughing, in the fashion of "sehdharmini" according to Hindu beliefs. She was carrying chapatis / rotis made of jowar grain along with yoghurt, with her husband as an offering to the rain God.
Its mentioned that - it started raining that moment and it rained so much that the river Indus was flooded that year.
{
The Persian text used as reference is Zakhirratu'l-Khuanin, and was written by Sheikh Bhhukari who lived in reign of Akbar, Jahangir & Shah Jahan. For those who have read the 3 part blog series on death of Akbar, whose link is shared above in this post, must be knowing this man. All is explained about him in that 3 part series.
}
From a condition of no rain no crop no water to a situation of the Indus getting flooded. Imagine !
Another point worth mentioning is about the wife of Aziz Koka's son who accompanied her husband. She was the daughter of Zain Khan Koka, who was another foster brother of Akbar. Zain Khan Koka's father was Khwaja Maqsud of the Central Asian town of Herat. He was a loyal officer of Akbar's mother Hamida Bano Begum, and served her throughout her misfortunes including the time when Humayun fled to Persia leaving her behind in care of select loyal officers. Zain Khan Koka's mother, i.e., wife of Khwaja Maqsud was Pichah Jan Anga, who was another foster mother of Akbar. Zain Khan Koka rose to high positions under Akbar and was appointed governor of Zabulistan ( present day South Afghanistan ) in 1587.
{
See this for more.. (link: http://mariam-uz-zamani.blogspot.in/2015/01/salim-got-violently-enamoured-to-marry-zain-khan-daughter-akbar-agrees.html)
}
So, now we know the ancestry of the husband - wife combo who performed this Hindu ritual to please the rain Gods. Both their grandfather had served parents of Akbar & their fathers were foster brothers of Akbar. Both these families were from Central Asia and one family had served to Humayun & another Hamida Bano Begum. They came from outside & embraced this culture without any issues.
Now. Why I mentioned this event. Because it was a reminder of the kind of pluralism which flourished & prospered that time under Akbar. I don't see any reason for those husband wife to agree to such a ritual, except the reason that they were brought up under a liberal atmosphere of Akbar's court since childhood.
Today we live in times where practicing Yoga or doing Surya Namaskar is termed saffronization. Some even say this is against the tenets of their religion. Or this is imposition of some sort. Perhaps these examples from the past would open up some eyes.
{
BTW, Mughal Emperor Akbar was a Sun Worshipper. I wrote this blog 2 years back when there was controversy over doing Surya Namaskar.
(link: mariam-uz-zamani.blogspot.in/2015/03/akbar-sun-worshipper.html
}
Ideally, this post should have been written as a separate blog to reach more people, with more details & scanned references , but since access to laptop & limited time are issues, hence its here in this form. Some points may appear repetitive as I haven't edited this draft written in instalments over a period of one week, that too on mobile
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