Aurangazeb

by Indira Parthasarathy

This ebook is a product of Kizhakku pathippagam, which is a imprint of New Horizon Media Private Limited (NHM).

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Indira Parthasarathy (commonly known as Ee. Paa.) is the pen name of R. Parthasarathy. Born on July 10, 1930 in Chennai in a traditional Iyengar family. He has received Indian government's Padma Shri award for the year 2010. He has written several short stories, plays and novels in Tamil that have been translated in several Indian and world languages.

He has carved a special niche for himself in Tamil literature - his characters, mostly urban intellectuals, speak very openly and analyze deeply what others say. Most of his novels are set in Delhi, where he lived during his working years, or in the Srirangam area of Tamil Nadu, where he spent his childhood. Some of his novels, such as "Kuruthi Punal" intermingle these two milieus.
He has won several awards including the Sangeeth Natak Academy, Sahitya Academy and Saraswathi Samman Award. He is the only Tamil writer to have won both the Sangeeth Natak and Sahitya Academy Award.

Reviews

[Santhosh Guru · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got into the rabbit hole of Aurangzeb and the Mughal Empire after reading the excellent historical fiction of Charu Nivedita - Naan Thaan Aurangzeb. (I wanted to share my thoughts on that book on Goodreads but couldn't. I don't know how to add a new Tamil book to Goodreads, I tried my best, but I couldn't)

This short book by Ee.Paa is a play about the rise of Aurangzeb, and his fight against Dara Shikoh, his last days fighting his demons. This play gives a glimpse into the life of Aurangzeb. In one way, it confirms all our biases against Aurangzeb and Dara, and there is significantly less space for a nuanced understanding of them. It paints Dara Shikoh as a liberal-minded person who understands the spirit of Hindustan better. It paints Aurangzeb as a zealot who wants to establish the Islamic Empire in India.

I gave five stars to this book because it was written at a time when there was not much public debate or research about Aurangzeb. This play provides an excellent intro to the conflict and sets the context for interested folks to delve further. It fails in the nuances because you cannot overwhelm the audience with multiple story plots in a stage play.

Ee.Paa might not have formed the same opinion on Dara or Aurangzeb had he referenced the works of Niccolo Manucci or Bhimsen Saxena or Audrey Truschke. Aurangzeb is a fantastic, complex figure worth delving deep into in a detailed manner, as Charu has done with Naan Thaan Aurangzeb.

If you are interested in Alamgir Aurangzeb, start with this play but don't stop here. Jump into the works of Charu Nivedita and Audrey Truschke for a more profound and exciting portrait of a king who ruled this land for many decades.

[PS Anand · Rating 4 out of 5]

நூல் முழுவதிலும் முகலாயர் காலத்தின் வரலாற்றை படிக்கின்றோம் என்ற எண்ணம் எழா வண்ணம் இன்றைய மக்களாட்சியின் பிம்பங்களை ஒப்பீடு செய்துள்ளார். வரலாற்றை அறிந்து கொள்வதோடு இல்லாமல் எத்தகைய சூழலிலும் தேவையுள்ள பொதுநலக் கோட்பாடுகளையும் ஆசிரியர் விவாதத்திற்கு கொண்டு வந்துள்ளார்.

"ஆள்கின்றவர்கள் தாங்கள் காணும் கனவுகளையெல்லாம் எப்படியாவது செயல்படுத்த வேண்டுமென்று முயலும்போது தான் ஆளப்படுகின்றவர்களின் அன்றாடத் தேவைகளும் கனவுகளாகின்றன!" இந்நூலின் பொதுநல முக்கியத்துவத்திற்கு இந்த வரிகளே போதுமானவை ஆகும்.

[Aaranya Swaminathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite surprised that there are no reviews for this one. An excellent play and a wonderful translation. Beautifully brings out the intricate nuances of the Mughal Empire, not just of Aurangzeb as 'Monarch and Man' as the title suggests. The politics of the era is very well brought out in the backdrop of religion, family, love, and betrayal.
Throughly enjoyed reading it and would love to see it performed some day.

[Nallasivan V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic left wing-right wing struggle told through the struggle for the throne between Aurangazeb and Dara. Dara is the educated, suave, liberal pantheist (a la Shashi Tharoor). And much like Tharoor, he is all talk - an entitled guy who thinks the justification of his dream for a pantheist hindusthan is enough to get him the throne. Aurangazeb is the hardliner with 'one-country, one-religion, one-language' ideology (a la Advani) and as a corporate strategist would say, 'action biased'.

More than a historical drama, the left-right divide mirrors the contemporary political struggle that is all too common - regardless of country, religion or race

[Vasanth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Way of narration is good