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.
🟨 Important Questions with Answers
Short
Questions
1.
Who wrote Tughlaq and when was it
written?
→ Girish Karnad wrote Tughlaq in 1964.
2.
What is the main theme
of the play?
→ The conflict between idealism and political reality.
3.
Why did Tughlaq shift
the capital to Daulatabad?
→ To bring Hindus and Muslims closer and create a unified empire.
4.
What was the result of
the copper currency scheme?
→ Economic collapse due to widespread forgery.
5.
Who is Aziz and what
does he symbolize?
→ A cunning trickster who represents corruption and opportunism.
Long
Questions with Answers
1.
Discuss Tughlaq as a
political allegory.
Answer:
Tughlaq is an allegory of post-independence India. Like Nehru, Tughlaq
begins as an idealist who dreams of a rational, secular state. However, his
reforms fail because they ignore human limitations and ground realities. Karnad
uses historical events to reflect modern political disillusionment and the
misuse of power.
2.
Describe the character of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq as a tragic hero.
Answer:
Tughlaq is intelligent, visionary, and ambitious but deeply flawed. His
impatience, pride, and cruelty lead to his downfall. He resembles Shakespearean
tragic figures like Macbeth and Hamlet—his virtues turn into vices. His tragedy
lies in his inability to balance idealism with practicality.
3.
What is the significance of the title Tughlaq?
Answer:
The title reflects both the historical Sultan and the symbolic figure of failed
leadership. “Tughlaq” has become synonymous with contradiction—genius and
madness, reason and chaos. The title thus captures the play’s central irony and
the complexity of human ambition.
4.
How does Girish Karnad blend history and modern politics in Tughlaq?
Answer:
Karnad uses 14th-century Delhi to mirror 20th-century India. Through historical
events, he comments on political corruption, misuse of religion, and the
downfall of idealism. The play speaks to both medieval and modern times, making
it timeless.
5.
Explain the role of Aziz in the play.
Answer:
Aziz is a common man who manipulates the chaos for personal gain. His disguises
and survival show how corruption thrives under weak leadership. He acts as
Tughlaq’s dark mirror—both are intelligent but morally opposite.
🟫 Conclusion
Tughlaq is one of the
greatest political tragedies in modern Indian drama.
It shows how noble dreams can lead to destruction when pursued without
wisdom or compassion.
Through Tughlaq’s rise and fall, Karnad warns that idealism without
humanity leads to tyranny.
