An ode to the Daughters of the Sun

'Daughters of the Sun' - Empresses, Queens & Begums of the Mughal Empire' by Ira Mukhoty is a brilliant book that sheds the light on an unknown and unsung pillar of the Mughal Empire - the Zenana/Hammam. The book is based on painstaking research that details the lives and times of Mughal Women, right from the selfless Khanzada to the guileless Zeenat un Nissa. When I started reading this book, I did not honestly expect it to be that good, but it was extremely impressive. 

One could clearly understand how Royal Mughal women shaped destiny of the Empire in myriad ways. For example, there was the extremely talented Gulbandan, whose memoirs of Humayan were revealing and full of warmth as well as the doted Mumtaz-Mahal whose claim to glory lies solely on that tear drop of love set in the annals of time - Taj Mahal! In fact, for too long, the European version of sensationalism took precedence that we needed a fresh approach to actually appreciate the role played by these graceful Shehzadis. These were not Princesses roaming in the darkest dreams conceived by perverted travelers, but rather women who traded with Companies of Europe, undertook great architectural projects, patronized fine arts, rose and fell with male contenders to the Peacock throne. 

And that awesome Epilogue - when the Sun finally set on the Mughal Empire - what great calamity fell upon these beloved daughters of the Sun! My heart weeps for them. Wish I could unread this wonderful book and read it all over again!

 

 

'Daughters of the Sun - Empresses, Queens & Begums of the Mughal Empire' by Ira Mukhoty (English)

Maheeth Veluvali, 

Palakollu, 7th of November, 2020.

Tales of Medieval Deccan

"The Deccan, to the world, was uniquely Indian; to India, however, it was a mirror of the world."

I've always had a special pull towards the places of Deccan and their glorious medieval histories that could not fit in a narrow sectarian or religious construct. The magnets of medieval talents - Hyderabad, Bijapur and Bidar, the sublime and unparalleled Hampi-Vijayanagara - these hold a special place in my heart. I've heard great things about the book, and it's author - the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar awardee Manu S. Pillai. And the book is simply unputdownable (sic) - one that satisfies a student of history reeking with curiosity on medieval personalities of Deccan.

Divided into seven parts along with a Prologue that elevates Sri Krishna Devaraya's victory at Raichur and an epilogue dealing with the Rise of Chatrapati Shivaji, the book provides interesting insights on the Bahman Sultantae and the five successor Sultanates of Deccan, Vijayanagara Samrajya and the ever lurking danger of an impending Mughal conquest of Deccan. In essence, it is a very brief and anecdotal history of medieval Deccan highlighting the rise and fall of the so called heroes and heroines of the era - the ever loyal Bahman minister Mahmud Gawan, the adventurous Habshi king maker Malik Amber, the son of 'Sarapati', Ibrahim Adil Shah II of Bijapur, the brave Chand Bibi - to name a few.

The ever existing sectarain tensions only as a part of power sturggle - Shia/Western vs Sunni/Dakhani. Hindu vs Muslim, the rise of sub-cultures, the so called Persianisation etc are also brilliantly dealt with. Medieval and Deccan - too often ignored themes of Indian History are brought to limelight in this simple work. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the aforementioned themes.  

Book - Rebel Sultans - The Deccan from Khilji to Shivaji (2018, English)

Author - Manu S Pillai 

Maheeth Veluvali, 

Palakollu - Saturday, 24th of October, 2020.

Saluting the Spy-Master!

To me, the world of espionage always held a powerful and instinctive appeal. Although the beginning of this interest can be traced to a plethora of fictional sources, I was also, almost perpetually and curiously interested in knowing the 'boring and reality' part - for example - the tales of pioneers for whom limelight and popularity are pitfalls to be avoided. And yet, this was no boring tale, - for Count Alexandre de Marenches (Chief of French Foreign Intelligence service SDECE in the 70s) regarded Rameshwar Nath Kao, popularly known as Ramji/RN Kao/Mr.Ram as one of the five great intelligence chiefs of the 1970s.

This book, authored by Nitin A Gokhale, one of  South Asia's leading Strategic Analysts, portrays the life and legend of RN Kao. It is a silent tribute to the master of spies that doesn't degrade into an unbridled eulogy. The simple account sketches the insecurities of RN Kao as a child (he was bullied for being fat during school days, he was reticent and shy). In 1939, a 21-year old Kao qualified for the then Police Service (IP), and was deputed to the Intelligence Bureau (IB) after India attained Independence. The rest, as they say, is history. The stage was beginning to be set for and by the Gentleman Spy-master - the soft spoken and suave Kashmiri Pandit from Uttar Pradesh whose stellar 'behind the curtains work' changed the course of South Asian History, cementing beyond any doubt - India's role as a Regional Power.

His work as liaison officer in investigating 'Kashmiri Princess' Aircraft crash (1955, Indonesia), and the so called Ghana Assignment (1960s) - these early cases involved a lot of red tape, false egos and international ramifications, yet he came out on top. In 1967, India's external Intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) was established, with RN Kao as the first (founding) chief. His role in formation of Bangladesh and merger of Sikkim - those are stuffs of legend!

And yet, perhaps the greatest contribution that the spy-master gifted us is that he mentored a range of future R&AW officers (chiefs) who brought laurels to the country - like Sankaran Nair, Sukhoot, Vikram Sood, Balachandran etc. Documents belonging to some assignments taken up by RN Kao are still classified (at least till 2025) - perhaps by then, we may realize the extent of his contributions.

Till that time, to the Spy-Master RN Kao Saab - I Salute you, Sir!






Book : R.N.Kao Gentleman Spy-master by Nitin A Gokhale, foreword by Ajit Doval (2019)



Maheeth V,
Palakollu - 23rd of February , 2020.