Tughlaq by Girish Karnad detailed summary, Tughlaq Characters list, Indian Literatures in English, 3rd Year 6th Semester, B.A English Literature, Syllabus, University of Madras

B.A English Literature

3^rd Year 6^th Semester

Indian Literatures in English

Unit - 3 

3.1 "Tughlaq" by Girish Karnad

About Author:

Girish Raghunath Karnad (Born on May 19, 1938, in Mathern, Maharastra) is a contemporary writer, playwright, screenwriter, actor and movie director in Kannada language. His rise as a playwright in 1960s, marked the coming of age of Modern Indian playwriting in Kannada. He is a recipient of the 1998 Jnanpith Award, the highest literary honour conferred in India. For four decades Karnad has been composing plays, often using history and mythology to tackle contemporary issues. He has translated his plays into English and has received acclaim.

His first play, Yahati (1961), was written neither in English nor in his mother tongue Konkani. Centred on the story of a mythological king, the play established Karnad‘s use of the themes of history and mythology. Most of his characters are locked in psychological and philosophical conflicts.

His next play, Tughlaq (1964), tells the story of the 14th-century sultan Muḥammad bin Tughluq and remains among the best known of his works. Samskara (1970) marked Karnad‘s entry into filmmaking. He wrote the screenplay and played the lead role in the film, an adaptation of an anticaste novel of the same name by U.R. Ananthamurthy. Karnad followed with Vamsha Vriksha (1971), codirected by B.V. Karanth. During this period Karnad continued to produce work as a playwright, including Hayavadana (1971), widely recognized as among the most important plays of post-independence India. For his contributions to theatre, he was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India‘s top civilian honours, in 1974.

He is active in the world of Indian cinema working as an actor, director, and screenwriter, in Hindi and Kannada flicks, earning awards along the way. He was conferred Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by the Government of India and won four Filmfare Awards where three are Filmfare Award for Best Director - Kannada and one Filmfare Best Screenplay Award.

As a great playwright he has written many plays like Yayati, Tughlaq, Hayavadana, Bali, the Sacrifice, Naga-Mandala, The Fire and the Rain and The Dreams of Tipu Sultan.  His two short monologues are Broken Images and Flowers. The plots of all these plays are based on legend, history, myth and folklore. Yayati and The Fire and the Rain are based on the Mahabharata. Tughlaqe and The Dreams of Tipu Sultan are based on Indian history. The plot of Hayavadana is based on Kathasaritsagar. Bali, the Sacrifice is based on the Yashodhara Charite. Naga-Mandala is a folk play. It is based on the oral tales from Karnataka.

About Story:

Tughlaq deals with the last five years of the reign of Muhammad –Bin-Tughlaq. The action of the play takes place first of all in Delhi in the year 1327, then on the road from Delhi to Daulatabad and lastly in and around the fort at Daulatabad five years later.

Characters:

Muhammad Bin Tughlaq :

In the play, Tughlaq emerges as a headstrong and idealistic ruler. He is vulnerable, and constantly admits his mistakes and allows himself to be punished publicly. He moves his capital to Daulatabad because it is a city dominated by the Hindus. This move will further the cause of togetherness and communal unity. Through this character, the idealism of the Nehruvian era is commented upon. Guilty of parricide, Tughlaq is often on the defensive when he is questioned of his crime. His uncompromising generosity and sense of social justice embraces all religions and treats them in an impartial fashion. This character is a device that represents a scathing critique of the nationalist notion of communal harmony and religious co-existence, the very ideals that were valorized before independence but later turned in to an anti-climax with the partition of India.

The opening scenes reflect the idiosyncrasies and eccentricities of this character. He contemplates to equate the value of copper coins with silver dinars. In order to establish himself as a worthy ruler, he exposes himself to public scorn and invites public condemnation. He hastens the process of his own nemesis through a series of badly contrived measures at projecting himself as a tolerant and efficient ruler. His irrational and erratic methods are severely criticized by his courtiers and citizens. He emerges as a shrewd contriver and a mercilessly ambitious ruler. He is responsible for the assassination of Sheikh Muhammad, his severest critic, who accuses him of parricide and of being un-Islamic. He stabs Shihab-ud-din when he tries to conspire against him. He is doomed because of his own follies and failures, and becomes an insensitive murderer. The height of his insanity is reflected in the later episodes of the play. He later becomes a divided self, and suffers from inner turmoil and contradictions. His ultimate isolation in a world turned alien gives a tragic dimension to the play. Tughlaq might be perceived as an over-ambitious alien emperor, who aims to rebuild new cities and empires, subjecting the culture of a people to colonial strain. Each scene represents the progressive degradation and dehumanization of Tughlaq, leading to his tragic downfall.

He implemented the following rules in his Country:

Hindus were exempted from paying tax of Jizia.

Hindus were given the right to complain against the King’s Civil Servants for any impunity they suffer.

The capital of India was shifted to Delhi from Daulatabad.

Introduction of Token Currency.

Tughlaq also played a great part in many tragic events in the play. He has murdered several characters in the play. They are:

Tughlaq’s Father (to get the throne)

Tughlaq’s Brother (The throne would be for the eldest son, so for the throne, he was killed)

Sheikh Imam-Udin

His Step Mother (Punishment for killing Najib, who she thought was a bad influence for her Tughlaq)

Shihab-Ud-Din

Sadar Ratan-Singh’s father (by Tughlaq’s father)

The Stepmother :

The stepmother is not given a name. She is a good mother and cares for her son even though he is widely criticized for his rational behaviour. She wishes to forget that Tughlaq murdered her husband and son. The stepmother has a varied opinion about Tughlaq’s Friends – Najib and Barani. She finds Barani is a good companion for Tughlaq but realizes that Najib is a bad influence for him. She poisons him, which leads to his death. However, she does not lie about it to Tughlaq. When Tughlaq comes to know the truth, he orders that she should be stoned to death. The stepmother tries to control Tughlaq but becomes the victim to his cruelty.

Aziz & Aazam :

Aziz is a character who is present throughout the play. He is a Muslim dhobi. He is a shrewd man who deceives Tughlaq. After the announcement of the law where any citizen may file a complaint against the King for any suffering caused by the Civil Servants; he disguises himself as a Brahmin (Vishnu Prasad). He goes to court saying that he has lost his land. He gets a piece of land, some compensation and a job in Civil Service. He cheats Tughlaq using his law. He appears in the play alongside his friend Aazam.

Aazam is Aziz’s friend. He picks pockets and is shocked by what Aziz has done. He along with Aziz manage the crowds of people moving to Daulatabad. They take bribe from the people to end their suffering. If they did not bribe them, then they were left there to suffer. A woman asked for leave to see her sick daughter but she was denied leave as she had no money to bribe them. Both of them threaten Ghiyas-Ud-Din and Aziz ends up killing him. He goes before Tughlaq as Ghiyas-Ud-Din in disguise. The character of Aziz resonates with Tughlaq. However, Aazam is not so much like Aziz though he has a part in the cruelty they have committed. As the riots break out, Aazam is scared and flees the place. Though Aziz believes that they can be with Sultan and loot money. Aazam is murdered. Aziz is questioned by Tughlaq, where he confesses about all his lies.

Aziz’s life is spared by Tughlaq. There we can see kindness in Tughlaq, though he has cheated and fooled him. Aziz is a liar and a thief. He takes several disguises (Brahmin, Tughlaq’s Officer, Holy man) and tries to rob money from others. However, in the last scene of the play, he confesses but has lost his companion Aazam.

Najib :

Najib is a politician and an advisor to Tughlaq. He is loyal to Tughlaq and is trusted by him. Though Najib is seen as an evil Influence to Tughlaq by his stepmother and Barani(Tughlaq’s friend) Najib has a network of spies to keep him informed of all the movements against Tughlaq. He does not trust anybody. Najib is the planner of many murders that Tughlaq commits.

Barani :

Barani is a historian and an advisor to Tughlaq. He is loyal to Tughlaq and tries not to indulge in the evil influence of Najib. He tells Tuglaw to neglect any information that may turn him aggressive. Barani is one of the noble characters who have a true sense of truth and morality. He is trusted by the stepmother to help Tughlaq deliver justice to the citizens. His life is spared by the stepmother for his noble behaviour and Najib is killed by her. After the mad actions of Tughlaq, Barani leaves him and provides no reason.

Sheikh Imam-Uddin :

Sheikh Imam Uddin is the biggest opponent of Tughlaq. He criticizes Tughlaq’s foolish acts. He argues that Tughlaq has murdered his father and brother. The citizens trust Imam and he has a big audience. Sheikh is also a noble character, who tries to put forward the truth to the citizens. Later Tughlaq invites him for a meeting to humiliate him though that plan fails. He, later on, plots his death and send him to Ain-ul-Mulk to stop the war. Tughlaq had persuaded him by saying that many Muslims would die in the war and for them to be saved the war had to be stopped. Ain-ul-Mulk’s men think Imam is Tughlaq and is killed.

Shihab-Ud-Din :

Shihab-Ud-Din is an administrator and a dependable man. His father is an enemy of Tughlaq. He is misguided by Sheikh Shams-ud-in and Sadar Ratan Singh that Tughlaq has to be killed. Sadar Ratan Singh gains Shihab’s sympathy by saying he is his adopted brother and that his father was killed by Tughlaq. Tughlaq finds this conspiracy, Shihab is killed. Shihab’s honest words are that Tughlaq will be killed one day.

Sardar Ratan Singh :

Sadar Ratan Singh is also an opponent to Tughlaq. He is from a royal descend. His father was killed by Tughlaq’s father hence he wants to take vengeance. He is cunning and pretends to be friends with Tughlaq while hating him in secret. He was sent with Sheikh Imam ud-in to meet Ain-ul-Mulk but he escapes. He was killed secretly by Tughlaq’s men.

Ain-ul-Mulk :

Ain-ul-Mulk is a trusted friend and companion of Tughlaq. He is a great champion in chess. He does not appear in the play but has a relevant character in the plot of the play. He is the first person who raises an army against him. He is made the Governor of Deccan by Tughlaq. Nobody suspects him though he is a strong opponent to Tughlaq.

 

Summary:

Scene-I : AD 1321- The Yard in front of the chief court of Delhi. A crowd of citizens-mostly Muslims, with a few Hindus here and there.

This scene opens in front of the Chief Court of Justice in Delhi, where a group of predominantly Muslim citizens share their views on the political climate of the region. The few Hindu citizens are also involved in this casual exchange of dialogues. They discuss in detail the policies of the Sultan and their several implications. Tughlaq‘s benevolence to Hindus is critiqued from various perspectives. Tughlaq announces the proposed shift of capital from Delhi to Daulatabad, since Daulatabad had a majority of Hindu population. He projects his magnanimity towards Hindus and appropriates this quality as a political strategy. This decision of his is constantly viewed with disfavour by many of his Muslim subjects. His whimsicality and idealism are openly condemned. Aziz, the foil to the character of Tughlaq, is also introduced in this scene. He appears in the guise of a Brahmin and he wins a case against the Sultan himself. This is a parody of the Sultan‘s declaration that he can also be acquitted in the court of justice. Aziz traps Sultan in his own noose. He wins the game that the Sultan had started in a fit of ambitiousness. Aziz and his close associate Aazam are then seen shifting their attention towards making money by deceiving people on their way to Daulatabad, the new capital.

Scene-II : A room in the Palace.

The scene shifts from the public space of the court to Tughlaq‘s chamber in his palace, where he is seen playing chess. The game of chess is a powerful symbol in the play, which could be perceived as symptomatic of the Sultan‘s alienation from his surroundings. In most of the important scenes, he is found isolated from the rest of his kingdom and passionately involved in the game of chess. Tughlaq‘s step-mother reprimand‘s him for his recklessness in matters of his own security. She rebukes him for not initiating action to counter Ain-ul-Mulk‘s anticipated attack on Tughlaq‘s kingdom. Muhammad Najib the politician and Zia-ud-din Barani the historian, two important acquaintances of the Sultan, are introduced in this scene. They offer different perspectives on a single issue and therefore represent conflicting points-of-view on political matters. While Najib is rational, pragmatic, and a shrewd contriver, Barani is full of human sympathy and concern for the Sultan and his kingdom. Najib is a man of action, where as Barani is a man of forethought and restraint in courtly matters. Najib is actively involved in plotting and contriving political strategies and plans for the Sultan. Tughlaq‘s crime of parricide is mentioned in this scene, and his insecurity and eccentricities are referred to. He murders his own father and brother for the cause of the realization of his political ambition. The step-mother‘s anxieties over the whimsical nature of Tughlaq are addressed to Barani, in who she confides. She advises Barani to keep Tughlaq away from some of his advisors, who might mislead him.

Scene-III : The yard in front of the Great Mosque.

Sheikh Imam-ud-din meets Tughlaq in Delhi, and this meeting turns out to be a strategic point in the play. He is the harshest critic of the Sultan and his policies. He openly accuses Tughlaq of parricide and inflames the hatred of his opponents. He is considered to be the chief agent in stirring the fires of discontent in the kingdom. Both Sheikh and Tughlaq wait in front of a mosque for an anticipated audience. Tughlaq supposedly arranged this meeting so that Sheikh, his harshest critic, could meet his subjects and address them in a gathering. The Sheikh is disappointed as not a single listener turns up at the proposed hour of the meeting. He blames Tughlaq for having craftily managed to keep away his citizens from his address. What appears to be Tughlaq‘s openness and magnanimity is in fact a cunningly contrived political move. Sheikh accuses him of being un-Islamic and of challenging the central tenets of the religion. Both of them engage in a witty repartee justifying their own positions. Towards the end of the scene Tughlaq convinces Sheikh, whose physical attributes resemble those of his, to go counter Ain-ul-Mulk‘s attack in the guise of the Sultan. He purportedly requests him to act as a messenger of peace. The rationale for his weird decision, in Tughlaq‘s opinion, was that Ain-ul-Mulk will never proceed when he sees the Sheikh, a holy man, conveying a message of political compromise.

Scene-IV : The Palace. Shihab-ud-din is reading a few letters. There is an announcement.

The Step-mother shares her anxieties about Tughlaq with Shihab-ud-din, another courtier. The sudden and unexpected death of Sheikh Imam-ud-din is announced in this scene. Imamud-din‘s death is testimony to the success of the Sulan‘s plans. The Sultan cunningly plots Sheikh‘s death in the battlefield in a bid to counter Ain-ul-Mulk, and is easily and effortlessly absolved of his guilt. This murder by Tughlaq acquaints the readers with the darker side of his character. His soaring ambition compels him to curb all dissension, and this is a step in that direction. The actual reason for Sheikh‘s death in the battlefield and the Sultan‘s hand in the murder are explained in some detail by Ratansingh, who narrates the events to Shihab-uddin and says that it was a cleverly conceived murder.

Scene-V : A house in Delhi. A collection of Amirs and Sayyids. Shihab and Ratansingh.

The scene shifts to a house in Delhi, where Sihab-ud-din and Ratansingh, the Amirs and the Sayyids are involved in a discussion that aims to curb the tyranny of the Sultan. The Amirs attempt to influence Shihab-ud-din by talking about the adverse effects of the Sultan‘s policies on them. They project the Sultan as blasphemous, and implore Shihab-ud-din to act on their behalf. They reveal the underbelly of the Sultan‘s seemingly tolerant nature. The Sultan had prevented the citizens from attending Sheikh‘s address even as he was waiting in front of the Great Mosque and getting disappointed as they did not turn up for the gathering. Fires of discontent about the Sultan‘s tyrannical behaviour and despotic domination are seen to soar high in this scene. The proposed shift of capital from Delhi to Daulatabad is vigorously debated. In the opinion of the Amirs, this shift is a trap to dis-empower them, since Daulatabad is a place with a majority of Hindu population. The Amirs, along with Ratansingh successfully manage to persuade Shihab-ud-din to engage in the plot of the murder of the Sultan. It is decided by common consensus that Tughlaq would be murdered on the day of his Durbar-i-khas, at the time of prayer. Although Shihad strongly opposes such a move, he eventually condescends to the plan. The plan is presented as advancing the cause of Islam, and the murder of the Sultan is presented as an act of deliverance from tyranny and insecurity. Towards the end of the scene, Shihab is still in two minds about the appropriateness of the proposed act of murder.

Scene-VI : The Palace.

The Amirs meet the Sultan for the Durbar-i-khas, and various issues are taken up for discussion and negotiation. The sultan announces that copper currency would be introduced in his kingdom and that it will have the same value as silver dinars. This move further disappoints the Amirs. Shihab-ud-din advises the Sultan not to move to Daulatabad, as it might invite the hatred of many of his citizens. The Sultan remains adamant about the proposed shift and doesn‘t listen to the suggestion made by Shihab. The Amirs, along with Shihab initiate the plan for the murder by the time of the muezzin‘s call for prayer, but are immediately held captive by Sultan‘s Hindu soldiers. Shihab-ud-din is mercilessly stabbed by the Sultan himself in a fit of rage. Tughlaq emerges as a brute and a merciless murderer in this scene. Any amount of sympathy that the readers might have had for him in the earlier scenes is lost after this episode. He announces that the corpses of all the conspirators must be hanged publicly for people to learn a lesson. He also bans all prayer in his Kingdom, but Najib advises him to suspend all prayer till the anticipated arrival of Ghiyas-ud-din Abbasid, a descendent of the Khalifa.

Scene-VII : A Camp in Delhi-Daulatabad route.

The setting for this scene is the route from Delhi to Daulatabad, where Aziz, still dressed as a Brahmin swindles innocent citizens on their way to the new capital and makes money out of it. Aziz is presented as a worldly-wise and cunning person. He lives by cheating others of their money. He manipulates the orders and decisions of the Sultan and cons people in the name of law. When Aazam questions him, he answers: ―You‘ve been in Delhi for so many years and you‘re as stupid as ever. Look at me. Only a few months in Delhi and I have discovered a whole new world—politics! 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 idea in their head.‖ He sufficiently justifies his actions and invents new methods of cheating fellow citizens with every changing circumstance.

Scene-VIII : The Fort at Daulatabad.

The scene quickly shifts to Daulatabad, the new capital. The two sentries guarding the fort comment on the progression of events on the way to Daulatabad. The family of the older official died on the way and he considers himself to be unfortunate enough to have survived this calamity. They discuss the rather unhappy and sombre state of affairs in the fort. Tughlaq suddenly arrives on the spot and opens his heart out to the young sentry: ―Nineteen. Nice age! An age when you think you can clasp the whole world in your palm like a rare diamond. I was twenty-one when I came to Daulatabad first, and built this fort. I supervised the placing of every brick in it and I said to myself, one day I shall build my own history like this, brick by brick.‖ He reminisces the moment when he had arrived with his citizens to Daulatabad. He was overflowing with hope and enthusiasm, which eventually died out. His disturbed and perplexed state of mind is exposed in this scene. He suffers from qualms of conscience and inner agony. The news of armies marching towards his kingdom unnerves him. He confides in Barani, the historian, who provides timely advice to him by suggesting that it is high time he considered giving up the ruthless bloodshed and murder. The scene ends with the shocking news of the sudden murder of Najib, the courtier and a close associate of Tughlaq.

Scene-IX : A Hide-Out in the hills.

Aziz and Aazam wait for ―goods‖ which were supposed to arrive soon. They discuss various methods of making a living by cheating people and Aziz is exposed to be mischievously intelligent. Aziz orders Ghiyas-ud-din Abbasid, the person claiming to be the descendant of the Khalifa to be kidnapped. A man arrives with the ―goods‖, i.e. Abbasid, and hands him over to Aziz. Aziz then murders him and dresses himself up as Ghiyas-ud-din Abbasid. Disguise, which forms an integral part of the theatrical techniques used in the play, is once again used to magnify the theme of parallelism between Aziz and the Sultan. Aziz once again cleverly manages to manipulate the orders of the Sultan. He makes the best strategic use of the political climate of Daulatabad and steps in the disguise of a holy man who was invited by the Sultan. The observance of prayer would only be resumed after the arrival of this muchawaited guest.

Scene-X : The Palace.

The Step-mother questions Tughlaq and reprimands him for his erratic and illogical behaviour. The proposal of equating the value of copper coins and silver dinars had led to a huge problem. Around five hundred carts of counterfeit coins had to be exchanged for silver dinars, and the step-mother fears this might adversely affect the economy. Tughlaq is disturbed by the death of Najib, his adviser in political matters. He orders many of the Amirs and their families to be killed for not being able to reveal the name of the murderer. On hearing of these innumerable deaths, the step-mother reveals the fact that she had Najib poisoned to death as she apprehended further violence. Tughlaq is further agonized by this revelation. He is torn apart and becomes mentally unstable. He orders her to be stoned to death for her crime. Tughlaq is further isolated from his surroundings. He goes to the extent of even murdering his step-mother, one of the very few people close to him. He appears to be helpless: ―God, God in Heaven, please help me. Please don‘t let go of my hand. My skin drips with blood and I don‘t know how much of it is mine and how much of others. I started in Your path, Lord, why am I wandering naked in this desert now? I started in search of you. Why have I become a pig rolling in this gory mud? Raise me. Clean me. Cover me with Your Infinite Mercy. I can only clutch at the hem of Your cloak with my bloody fingers and plead. I can only beg—have pity on me. I have no one but You now. Only You. Only You…You…You…You…‖ Barani announces that the descendant of the Khalif has arrived and it is a time for resuming prayer in the kingdom.

Scene-XI : A Plain outside the fort of Daulatabad.

The citizens do not rejoice on hearing the news of the arrival of the holy man. They are further perplexed because in their opinion, prayer is not a befitting solution for death and famine. People have been mercilessly murdered, many others have starved to death in the long run. Prayer can no more save their starving frames. Tughlaq welcomes Abbasid, who is Aziz in disguise. He uses high flown words and honorary titles for him, which, seen in the context of the play, sound hilarious since the readers are aware of the fact that it is Aziz in disguise. A Hindu woman who lost her child on the way to Daulatabad recognizes Aziz, but is silenced. Riots follow this episode, since this is supposed to be yet another cleverly contrived measure at defeating the will of the citizens.

Scene-XII : The palace.

Aazam makes plans for escape from the palace with Aziz. Aziz resists these attempts because he believes he is comfortably placed in the Sultan‘s custody. Moreover, Aazam‘s sudden disappearance may give rise to questions. Aazam voices his fear of being recognized, whereas Aziz is contented with his circumstances. Aazam realizes the seriousness of the situation and pleads with Aziz to escape, but Aziz is confident enough not to even conceive of anything like this.

Scene-XIII : Another part of the Palace.

The unexpected assassination of Aazam brings Aziz to the Sultan. His identity is questioned and Aziz seems to be caught. Aziz cleverly absolves himself of all crime by eloquently arguing that he has been the true disciple of the Sultan, since he has unflinchingly observed each and every order of his. He was a disciple who closely imitated the actions of the Sultan himself, obeyed every bid of his and stood by every law. He reveals the fact that when the Sultan declared the oneness of all religions, he, a common dhobi, was the first to file a suit against the Sultan in the garb of a Brahmin. He then produced counterfeit currency and obeyed the new law. He plundered people of their wealth and belongings on the way to Daulatabad. Exhausted with all this, he killed Abbasid and appeared in the garb of a holy man. On being asked what punishment would be the most appropriate for him, he requests the Sultan to promote him to the post of an officer. The Sultan, amazed at this genius and his deeds, appoints him the official of Deccan. Even Barani, the only surviving companion of Tughlaq, leaves him. Tughlaq‘s isolation is complete and he is a different being altogether. As Tughlaq tries to get the forbidden sleep, the call for the prayer is heard and he falls asleep. After the prayer, Tughlaq gets up confused from his deep sleep.

 

Tughlaq as a Political Allegory :

Through the technique of establishing analogy between the past and the present, Girish Karnad heightens the relevance of the play for the present time. The play does not merely present a picture of the past, but highlights its implications for the present. An analogy is developed between Tughlaq‘s reign in the play and the political situation of the Nehruvian era. This analogy and its appropriateness make the play unique in terms of contemporary relevance. Even after years of its first publication, the play continues to be perceived as being contemporary.

One of the critical issues that Karnad addresses in Tulghlaq is the striking gap between political aspirations and its reality. In one of his interviews Karnad comments: ―When I read about Mohammed bin Tughlaq, I was fascinated. How marvellous this was, I thought. Tughlaq was a brilliant individual, yet is regarded as one of the biggest failures. He tried to introduce policies that seem today to be farsighted to the point of genius, but which earned him the nick name "Mohammed the mad" then. He ended his career in bloodshed and chaos.

There is a consistent conflict between reality and what is assumed to be the ideal state of affairs. Tughlaq‘s uncompromising idealism is strongly critiqued. As the drama opens, Tughlaq implores his subjects to observe a system of imparting justice "without any consideration of might or weakness, religion or creed." Karnad's depiction of Tughlaq as one who sought to put aside religious differences in the hopes of embracing secularism is a powerful issue in the drama. Tughlaq states early on that he wishes to see unity between Hindus and Muslims as a significant part of his vision: "Daulatabad is a city of Hindus and as the capital, it will symbolize the bond between Muslims and Hindus which I wish to develop and strengthen in my kingdom." The impracticality of his aspiration collides with reality as Tughlaq fails in his vision. It is because of such a condition that Karnad exposes his propensity to failure.

This sense of analogy that attaches itself to the play is significant when set against the condition in which it was written. In 1964, India had been less than two decades removed from Partition and Independence. The result was a nation where direction and transformative vision was hard to establish. A nation born from Gandhian principles was still hopelessly locked in sectarian violence and communal hatred, the very elements that Karnad's Tughlaq desires to overcome in the drama. The theme of political aspiration being limited by temporal reality is a significant one in both the drama and the historical condition in which it is written. Tughaq's initial judgment rendered upon a Brahmin that he "should receive a grant of five hundred silver dinars from the state treasury… and in addition to that…a post in the civil service to ensure him a regular and adequate income" is a reflection of how a transformative political vision might not necessarily be received well by the public. This theme of political transformation stumped in the face of temporal reality is a significant part of the drama. It is reflective of the India that Karnad sees in front of him, a stunning realization between the gulf between what is and what can be. The chaos and fragmentation that results out of a vision steeped in genius becomes a part of both the ruler's narrative and the nation's history.

Tughlaq‘s notion of religious tolerance prompts him to emancipate Hindus from the payment of jiziya or tax. This vision of his is not properly understood and appreciated by his citizens, who strongly oppose such a move. His policies and methods of political action were well ahead of his time, and therefore received severe critique from his contemporaries. They were formulated with the far-sighted vision of establishing a secular kingdom, but were instant failures as they failed to relate to the immediate reality of the subjects.

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