Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Indian Literature



Mariam-uz-Zamani


 
Rajkumari Heer Kunwari / Harka Bai or also known as Jodha Bai in television program is a Rajput Princess from Amer Kingdom and she is one of the wives from Akbar (King of Mughal). Heer Kunwari and Akbar marriage is a political marriage, where the King Bharmal (Heer Kunwari’s father) made a political agreement that requires her eldest daughter married with Mughal nation. As we know that, Mughal nation and Rajput nation are very different and arguably both of them mutually hostile. Mughal nation embraced Islam and Rajput nation embraced to Hindu religion. Initially, Heer Kunwari hated Mughal nation, especially with the king, and she had opposed her marriage with the king of Mughal. Therefore, after they were marriage on February 6, 1562, Heer Kunwari didn’t want him to touch her without getting permission first. The longer their togetherness, love began to grow between them. Heer Kunwari became the third wife of Akbar after Ruqaiya Sultan Begum (who was Akbar’s first wife) and Salima Sultan Begum. After Heer Kunwari has the heir to the Mughal empire, named Nurrudin Salim Jahangir, Heer Kunwari was given the title as Mariam-uz-Zamani and her son (Salim) is going to continue Mughal imperial throne as king to replace Akbar.





My interest in the history of India started from a translation novel entitled “Mehrunnisa the Twentieth Wife” by Indu Sundaresan, and continued with the second and the third novels are “Nur Jahan the Queen of Mughal” and “Taj Mahal”. The point of it is the third novels tells the story of the son of Mariam-uz-Zamani, he is Nurrudin Salim Jahangir who at that time was ruled Mughal empire. Mehrunnisa was the twentieth wife of King Salim, and became the only beloved wife. Before Mehrunnisa and Salim marriage, she was married with a man that her father choose. But her husband treated her very badly and therefore their relationship didn’t long last. Mehrunnisa was a girl of the king’s servants faithful. The first meeting Mehrunnisa and Salim occurred in the palace gardens when they were little. She grew into a beautiful girl and finally they met again outside the palace, love begins to blossom between them like a flower in bloom. Mehrunnisa was given the title as Nur Jahan because she was Salim beloved queen. One day, she feel ill and the disease cannot be cured, it makes his own suffering in his hearts. Salim loves Mehrunnisa so much, therefore he built a special palace for his beloved wife and at the same final resting place for Mehrunnisa, that is Taj Mahal. And then, after King Salim died, he was buried next to the grave of his wife (Mehrunnisa) in the Taj Mahal palace. This is an eternal love story of all the time.