The two Jalals - Page 3

Of course, my dear, it was not only over dramatic and uncalled for, but plain stupid. She just presumes that everyone will ostracise her because a Mughal soldier has touched her (there was no more), and sets fire to herself! I am sorry that I did not grasp the context of your statement properly.

Besides, the person who wails to Jodha that Motibai has committed jauhar obviously does not know the difference between the highly ritualistic jauhar pratha, and suicide by setting fire to oneself.

Shyamala B.Cowsik

Originally posted by: BreezeStar

I was pointing out to moti bai committing jauhar in the middle of nowhere, her reasoning uncalled for and over-dramatic. Not the Jauhar tradition in general. There was no war going on at that time and there were soldiers to protect her. She almost got captured trying to commit Jauhar. They only showed all that to dramatize the whole situation and make it look worse than it should have been.

Originally posted by: sashashyam

When I was explaining the jauhar pratha to Westerners on my diplomatic assignments abroad, I always had to set it out in the context of what their fate in enemy control would have been. Continuous, acute humiliation for life and constant physical defilement; like being sold into the flesh trade. It would have been far worse than an instant death in a blazing inferno. So, when you see the jauhar as over dramatic and uncalled for, you have to keep in mind the sure fate that awaited them in slavery. I would personally have chosen the jauhar any day.

]