Tughlaq by Girish Karnad,
About the Play
- Title: Tughlaq
- Playwright: Girish Karnad
- Year of Publication: 1964
- Genre: Historical and political drama
- Setting: 14th-century India (Delhi and Daulatabad)
- Main Character: Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq,
Sultan of Delhi (1325–1351)
Summary of Tughlaq
Girish Karnad’s Tughlaq explores the rise and fall
of Sultan Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq, known for his intelligence, idealism, and
disastrous reforms.
Plot
Overview:
1.
Beginning:
- The play
opens with citizens discussing the Sultan’s new policies—abolishing jizya
tax on non-Muslims and emphasizing equality and rationalism.
- Initially,
people admire his vision, but his methods soon reveal cruelty and
contradiction.
2.
Reforms and Failures:
- Tughlaq
shifts the capital from Delhi
to Daulatabad to unite Hindus and Muslims
geographically—but it causes great suffering.
- He
introduces copper
currency equal in value to silver coins—resulting in
economic collapse when people forge coins.
3.
Political Chaos:
- Tughlaq’s
court becomes filled with conspiracies and murders.
- He kills his
own foster brother and faithful advisor Najib dies, leaving him paranoid
and lonely.
4.
End:
- The play
ends with the Sultan completely isolated, surrounded by corpses and
betrayals. His dreams of a just and rational state end in madness and
failure.
Main Characters
|
Character |
Description |
|
Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq |
The
Sultan—intelligent, idealistic, and ambitious, but his impatience and cruelty
destroy his dreams. |
|
Barani |
A
historian and friend of Tughlaq; serves as his moral conscience and witness
to his downfall. |
|
Najib |
The
Sultan’s loyal advisor; cunning politician who manipulates situations for
control. |
|
Sheikh Imam-ud-din |
A
religious leader who opposes Tughlaq’s policies; used and killed by the
Sultan. |
|
Step-Mother |
Represents
compassion but also personal guilt and conflict for the Sultan. |
|
Aziz |
A
trickster and opportunist; disguises himself and survives every
reform—symbolizes the corruption in society. |
|
Aazam |
Aziz’s
companion; provides comic relief and cynicism about politics. |
Major Themes
1.
Idealism vs. Reality:
- Tughlaq
dreams of a just and rational kingdom, but his impractical ideas lead to
chaos.
2.
Religion and Politics:
- Tughlaq
tries to separate religion from politics, but his hypocrisy and cruelty
blur the line.
3.
Madness and Power:
- The Sultan’s
decisions and paranoia reflect how absolute power corrupts the mind.
4.
Betrayal and
Corruption:
- Every
relationship in the play—personal or political—ends in betrayal.
5.
Disillusionment:
- The
citizens’ initial hope turns to despair, mirroring post-independence
India’s loss of faith in political leaders.
Symbols and Motifs
|
Symbol |
Meaning |
|
Move from Delhi to Daulatabad |
Symbolizes
forced unity and the destruction of harmony. |
|
Copper Coins |
Represents
failed idealism and economic chaos. |
|
Prayer and Silence |
Reflect
Tughlaq’s inner conflict and guilt. |
|
Aziz |
Symbol
of opportunism and moral decay in society. |
Style and Structure
- Written in modern English, with
historical references.
- 13 scenes — each highlighting a stage of Tughlaq’s decline.
- Blends history, political allegory, and tragedy.
- Combines real historical figures
with fictional elements.
Critical Analysis
- Tughlaq mirrors post-independence
India, especially Nehru’s rule — high ideals followed by
disillusionment.
- Karnad
presents Tughlaq as a Shakespearean
tragic hero, like Hamlet — brilliant, introspective, but
fatally flawed.
- The play
critiques abuse of power, religious hypocrisy, and failed leadership.
Important Quotations
- “I had
thought of making this country a paradise.”
→ Shows Tughlaq’s idealism. - “My kingdom
is full of corpses.”
→ Reveals the destruction caused by his own reforms. - “He’s mad —
absolutely mad.”
→ Reflects how people view Tughlaq’s irrationality.
Long Answer Questions
1.
Discuss the character of Tughlaq.
Answer:
Tughlaq is the main character of Girish Karnad’s play Tughlaq. He is the
Sultan of Delhi. He is intelligent, educated and ambitious. He wants to make
his kingdom modern and just.
Tughlaq has many good ideas. He
wants Hindus and Muslims to live peacefully. He also wants to improve the
administration of his kingdom. He shifts his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad
and introduces copper coins because he thinks these steps will help his
kingdom.
However, Tughlaq is not practical.
His decisions create many problems for the people. The journey from Delhi to
Daulatabad causes great suffering. His copper currency scheme also fails
because people make fake coins.
Tughlaq becomes cruel and suspicious
as his problems increase. He orders the killing of people who oppose him. Thus,
he changes from an idealistic ruler into a lonely and cruel ruler.
In conclusion, Tughlaq is a complex character. He has great dreams but
fails because he cannot turn his ideas into practical actions.
2.
Discuss Tughlaq as a political play.
Answer:
Tughlaq is mainly a political play. It shows the problems of power,
government, religion and politics.
Tughlaq wants to become a good and
fair ruler. He makes many political decisions, such as shifting the capital from
Delhi to Daulatabad and introducing copper currency. But these decisions fail
because they are not properly planned.
The play also shows how politicians
can use religion for political purposes. Tughlaq sometimes uses religion to
gain support from the people.
The characters of Aziz and Aazam
also show the corruption and dishonesty present in society. Aziz uses Tughlaq's
policies for his own benefit.
Therefore, the play shows that good
intentions alone are not enough for successful government. A ruler must
also be practical and understand the needs of ordinary people.
3.
Explain the theme of idealism versus reality in Tughlaq.
Answer:
The main theme of Tughlaq is the conflict between idealism and
reality.
Tughlaq is an idealistic ruler. He
dreams of creating a peaceful and just kingdom. He wants people of different
religions to live together peacefully.
But his ideas are not practical. For
example, he shifts the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad. He believes this will
strengthen his kingdom, but ordinary people suffer greatly during the journey.
Similarly, he introduces copper
coins. He expects them to work like valuable currency, but people make fake
coins, and the plan becomes a failure.
Tughlaq slowly learns that reality is
very different from his dreams. His failure makes him angry, lonely and cruel.
Thus, Karnad shows that idealism
without practical wisdom can lead to failure.
4.
Discuss the role of Aziz and Aazam in Tughlaq.
Answer:
Aziz and Aazam are important characters in the play. They are ordinary people
who use Tughlaq's political situation for their own benefit.
Aziz is clever, dishonest and
ambitious. He changes his identity and takes advantage of the Sultan's
policies. He even disguises himself as a Brahmin to make money.
Aazam is Aziz's companion. He is
more nervous and less confident than Aziz.
Aziz can be seen as a parallel to
Tughlaq. Both are intelligent and ambitious. But Tughlaq wants to change
society through political ideas, while Aziz uses those ideas for personal
benefit.
Through Aziz and Aazam, Karnad shows
how clever and dishonest people can take advantage of weak political systems.
Medium-Length
Questions
1.
Why did Tughlaq shift his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad?
Answer:
Tughlaq shifted his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad because he believed
Daulatabad was in a better geographical position. He also wanted to bring North
and South India closer together. He thought this would make his empire
stronger.
However, the decision caused great
suffering to the people. The long journey was difficult, and many people died.
Therefore, the decision became a major failure.
2.
Why did Tughlaq introduce copper currency?
Answer:
Tughlaq introduced copper coins because he wanted to increase the amount of
money available in his kingdom. He wanted copper coins to have the same value
as silver coins.
However, people started making fake
copper coins at home. The plan failed and caused economic problems.
3.
Describe Barani's character.
Answer:
Barani is a historian and a close observer of Tughlaq's rule. He understands
Tughlaq's ideas but also sees his mistakes.
He is thoughtful and honest. He
tries to understand the Sultan's actions. Through Barani, the audience gets a
better understanding of Tughlaq's character and political situation.
4.
What is the importance of Aziz in the play?
Answer:
Aziz is important because he shows the negative side of Tughlaq's policies. He
is clever and dishonest. He takes advantage of the Sultan's mistakes for his
own benefit.
Aziz also acts like a mirror image
of Tughlaq. Both are intelligent and ambitious, but they use their intelligence
differently.
5.
What is the significance of the chess game in Tughlaq?
Answer:
Chess is an important symbol in the play. It represents politics and power.
Tughlaq treats politics like a game
of chess. He makes plans and moves people like pieces on a chessboard. But,
like a chess player who can make a wrong move, Tughlaq's political decisions
often fail.
The chess image therefore represents
Tughlaq's political struggle and his mistakes.
6.
What is the role of religion in Tughlaq?
Answer:
Religion plays an important role in the play. Tughlaq wants to present himself
as a fair ruler of both Hindus and Muslims.
However, religion is also used for
political purposes. Tughlaq sometimes uses religious ideas to gain the support
of people.
Karnad shows that religion and
politics can become connected when rulers try to control society.
7.
Why does Tughlaq become cruel?
Answer:
Tughlaq becomes cruel because his plans repeatedly fail. His political problems
increase, and he becomes suspicious of the people around him.
He begins to use violence to control
his enemies. His loneliness and disappointment also make him mentally
disturbed.
Thus, his failure changes him from
an idealistic ruler into a cruel and suspicious ruler.
Short
Answer Questions
1.
Who wrote Tughlaq?
Answer: Tughlaq was written by Girish Karnad, a
famous Indian playwright.
2.
Who is Tughlaq?
Answer: Tughlaq is the Sultan of Delhi and the central
character of the play.
3.
Who is Barani?
Answer: Barani is a historian and companion of Tughlaq.
4.
Who are Aziz and Aazam?
Answer: Aziz and Aazam are two common men who take advantage of
Tughlaq's political situation.
5.
Why was Delhi shifted to Daulatabad?
Answer: Tughlaq wanted to strengthen his kingdom and bring North
and South India closer together.
6.
Why did the copper currency fail?
Answer: It failed because people began making fake copper coins.
7.
What does Aziz represent?
Answer: Aziz represents cleverness, dishonesty and opportunism.
8.
What does Daulatabad represent?
Answer: Daulatabad represents Tughlaq's ambition and his failed
political experiment.
9.
What are the main themes of Tughlaq?
Answer: The main themes are power, politics, idealism, religion,
violence, failure and loneliness.
10.
Why is Tughlaq called an idealist?
Answer: He is called an idealist because he has big dreams of
creating a just, peaceful and united kingdom.
11.
What is the main message of the play?
Answer: The play shows that good ideas can fail if they are not
practical. It also shows the dangers of power and political ambition.
12.
What is the central conflict in Tughlaq?
Answer: The central conflict is between Tughlaq's dreams and the
harsh reality of governing a kingdom.
