Symbols are essentially words. In addition to their dictionary meaning, they have great emotional and associative significance. Hence they enlarge the expressive range of the language, and make it more beautiful and forceful. Hence great writers always use symbols. Girish Karnad has also used a number of symbols for these reasons in Tughlaq.
A Great Political Allegory
The entire play is a symbol of the political situation of India of the sixties. U.R. Anantha Murthy says it “… reflects as no other play perhaps does the political mood of disillusionment which followed the Nehru era of idealism in the country”. Karnad has himself commented: “What struck me absolutely about Tughlaq’s history was that it was contemporary. The fact that here was the most idealistic, the mdst intelligent king ever to come on the throne of Delhi…. and one of the greatest failures also. And within a span of twenty years this tremendously capable man had gone to pieces. This, seemed to be both due to his idealism as well as the short- comings within him, such as his impatience, his cruelty, his feeling that he had the only correct answer. And I felt in the early sixties India had also come very far in the same direction-the twenty year period seemed to me very much a striking parallel.”
The mood of discontentment anti disenchantment symbolised by the play is revealed even in the opening sentence: “God what’s this country coming to.”
Also Read:
- Tughlaq by Girish Karnad Questions and Answers
- Tughlaq as a Historical Play
- Plot Construction in Tughlaq by Girish Karnad
- Tughlaq as a Political Allegory
Aziz and Aazam as Symbols
Aziz and Aazam are cheats, who symbolise Opportunistic and unprincipled people who exploit the liberal ideals and welfare schemes of the democratic government to fulfill their own pockets. They are unscrupulous and feel delighted in mis-appropriating huge public funds sanctioned by the Government to relieve people’s sufferings. They feel pleasure when people die of hunger and starvation. To them politics is a profitable profession. Aziz who symbolises the class of opportunists and exploiters says: “My dear fellow that’s where our future is-politics. It’s a beautiful world-wealth, success, position, power- and yet it’s full of brainless people, people with not an ideal in their head. When I think of all the tricks I used in our village to pinch a few clothes from the people if one uses half that intelligence here, one can get robes of power. And not have to pinch them either-get them. It’s a fantastic world.”
Chess Symbol
The chess symbol has a unique significance as it runs through the play. In scene two Muhammad is bent over a chess board, smiling with suppressed excitement. His step-mother comes in and Tughlaq happily tells her: “I have just solved the most famous problem in chess. Even Al- Adli and Sarakhi said it was insoluble. And it’s so simple.”
He is thinking about the rebellion of Ain-ul-Mulk who is marching to Delhi. He has been the Sultan’s childhood companion. Tughlaq, who has not even six thousand soldiers, has solved the serious problem of Ain-ul- Mulk’s rebellion. Tughlaq knows that Sheikh Imam-ud-din has been inciting rebellion against him in Kanpur. A subtle political strategist Tughlaq while throwing pawns on the chessboard solves this complicated problem. He invites the Sheikh to address a public meeting in Delhi to enlighten the citizens about his shortcomings. All arrangements have been made but nobody turns up to hear the Sheikh who resembles the Sultan. The Sheikh understands that it is a trap to befool him. An expert chessplayer, Tughlaq humbly requests the Sheikh to go to Ain-ul-Mulk as a royal envoy and to dissuade him from his folly. He diplomatically says to the Sheikh, “Please Sheikh Sahib, I’m not asking you only for my sake but for all the Muslims who will die at the hands of Muslims if there is war.”
The robes of honour for the royal envoy are brought. The Sheikh puts them on. They stand facing each other. The dress makes them look even more alike. He goes to negotiate with Ain-ul-Mulk. The Sheikh is treacherously killed. Ain-ul-Mulk surrenders and is pardoned.
The step-mother of the Sultan doubts his intentions. He cool- headedly reminds her of the chess problem. “I’ll tell you what happened. You remember the chess problem I solved the other day. Well, when they brought Ain-ul-Mulk before me, I said ‘look, I have solved the famous problem set by Al-Adli’. He didn’t say a word. I drew a sketch on the floor a couple of minutes and said: ‘No, there’s a flaw here’. And he actually. showed me where I had gone wrong. Think of that. I had spent days on that wretched problem and he spots a flaw within half a minute. I had to forgive him.”
The chess symbol implies that Tughlaq manipulates his political rivals and opponents as pawns on the chess board of politics according to his sweet will. He has deftly got rid of Sheikh Imam-ud-din, as well as of Ain-ul-Mulk too by making him a friend.
Prayer-symbol
The prayer-symbol which is used as leitmotiv (theme associated with a person or a thought) in Tughlaq. is also very significant. The Muslim chieftains along with Sheikh Shams-ud-din, a pacifist priest, conspire to murder Tughlaq at prayer time. U.R. Anantha Murthy says: “The use of prayer for murder is reminiscent of what Tughlaq himself did to kill his father. That prayer, which is most dear to Tughlaq, is vitiated by him as well as his enemies, is symbolic of the fact that his life is corrupted at its very source.” The Sayyids and Amirs do not approve Ratan Singh’s idea to murder some one especially a Muslim at prayer time. At this Ratan Singh ironically says: “Where’s your Holy Koran? The tyrant doesn’t deserve to be considered among the faithful and then, he killed his own father at prayer time, after all…”
In spite of the Sheikh’s opposition Ratan Singh’s plan is accepted by all, even by Shihab-ud-din who says: “Does your Islam work only at prayer? You have persuaded me to do what I had sworn never to do, your Holiness I’m sure the Lord will not mind an interrupted prayer.”
Tughlaq is fanatic about prayer. The plan of murder fails due to his farsightedness and his secret knowledge of the conspiracy. He is disillusioned and he realises the futility of prayer and prohibits prayer in his kingdom: “I had wanted every act in my kingdom to become a prayer, every prayer to become a further step in knowledge, every step to lead us nearer to God. But our prayers too are ridden with disease and must be exiled. There will be no more praying in the Kingdom. Najib, anyone caught praying will be severely punished. Hence forth let the moment of prayer walk my streets in silence and leave without a trace.”
The word ‘prayer’ has been used in an ironical way in the play. Prayer is reintroduced after an interval of five years when Ghiyas-ud-din Abbasid comes to Daulatabad to bless the Sultan. He is Aziz disguised. Tughlaq who falls into sound sleep and gets up when the Muezzin’s call to prayer fades away; so he fails to offer prayer. The prayer symbol is the very basis of the play.
Python as a Symbol
The python symbol in Scene Eight is indicative of Tughlaq’s utter barbarity and inhumanity. The Young Sentry has seen a strange and frightening secret passage in the Daulatabad fort. The Old Sentry says: “Yes it’s long passage, a big passage, coiled like an enormous hollow python inside the belly of the fort. And we shall be far, far happier when that python breaks out and swallows everything in sight-every man, woman, child and beast” The python also symbolises the increased fierceness, brutality and blood-thirstiness of the Sultan. It is symbolic of the complete degeneration of his personality. From a human being, he has degenerated into a wild beast, a huge snake.
Daulatabad as a Symbol
Daulatabad is a Hindu city. It is a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity. So Muhammad transfers his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad. But the entire experiment is a failure. Instead of leading to prosperity and peace, it leads to bloodshed and utter chaos. This symbolism is the fact that even the best of plans can be frustrated if people who work it are as dishonest and vicious as Aziz.
Symbolic Use of Birds of Prey
The vulture and other birds of prey who thrust their beaks into the flesh of Muhammad so that he knows no peace either by day or night, are also symbolic. There are his noble ideals and aspirations which have been frustrated. They symbolise the frustration of an idealist and visionary, and his spiritual agony.
Conclusion
Girish Karnad has made deft use of symbols in the play and much enhanced the expressive power and beauty of its language.
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