Posted on: 15 December 2011

Digital Rare Book :
Life and Letters under the Mughals
By Dr.P.N. Chopra
Published by Ashajanak Publications, New Delhi - 1975

Introduction :
"India inherits an ancient civilization which is the result of diverse forces operating for many millenniums. Many races Greeks, Sakas, Pallavas, Kushanas, Huns and others that from time to time found their way to this country contributed consciously or unconsciously to its evolution. It is, therefore, endowed with that dynamic character which explains its exceptional vitality. We possess the will to assimilate whatever appears to us good in the life and thought of the peoples with whom we happen to come into contact. The advent of Islam, however, presented a challenge at the outset to the process of synthesis and fusion that had been going on for centuries in the past. Unlike the earlier invaders, Muslims came to India with a well-defined faith. Simple and clear-cut, Islam had nothing in common with the elaborate, ritualistic and absorptive Hinduism. Its well-defined social system, philosophy, laws and a strong monotheistic outlook made its absorption in Hinduism impossible. Throughout the medieval ages, the problem, as Jawaharlal Nehru put it, was how these "two closed systems, each with its own strong roots, could develop a healthy relationship."

For seven centuries the struggle for supremacy went on. On the one hand, there was the "influence of Islam and the philosophy of life represented by it. On the other hand, there has been the pervasive influence of Indian culture and civilisation." The initial clash was inevitably followed by rapprochement, fusion and mutual adjustment. "

Image :
Royal musicians perform at the marriage of the son of Akbar's foster mother, Maham Anaga
Source : V&A, London


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Read Book Online : http://www.archive.org/stream/lifeandlettersun003983mbp#page/n1/mode/2up

Download pdf Book : http://ia700302.us.archive.org/11/items/lifeandlettersun003983mbp/lifeandlettersun003983mbp.pdf

Image details : Royal musicians perform at the marriage of the son of Akbar's foster mother, Maham Anaga - 1590 Artists: La'l (artist) / Banwali Khord (artist) In this illustration to the Akbarnama by La'l and Banwali Khord, musicians and dancers perform for the celebration of the marriage of Maham Anaga's son. Maham Anaga was the foster-mother of the emperor Akbar and was a powerful figure in the court. The painting is half of a double page composition, the related page (IS.2:9-1896) showing Maham Anaga sitting next to Akbar in the royal pavilion. The Akbarnama (Book of Akbar) was commissioned by the emperor Akbar as the official chronicle of his reign. It was written by his court historian and biographer Abu'l Fazl between 1590 and 1596 and is thought to have been illustrated between c. 1592 and 1594 by at least forty-nine different artists from Akbar's studio. After Akbar's death in 1605, the manuscript remained in the library of his son, Jahangir (r. 1605-1627) and later Shah Jahan (r. 1628-1658). The Victoria and Albert Museum purchased it in 1896 from the widow of Major General Clarke, an official who had been the Commissioner in Oudh province between 1858 and 1862. Depicts festivities at the marriage of Baqi Muhammad Khan, the eldest son of Maham Anaga, at the court of Akbar in 1561. The picture is a continuation from IS.2:9-1896 and focuses on the dancers and the musicians, who perform on drums and trumpets. The image is overlaid by a caption of Persian text (three lines) in the top left-hand corner. The Akbarnama was commissioned by the emperor Akbar as the official chronicle of his reign. This was written by Abu'l Fazl between 1590 and 1596 and is thought to have been illustrated between ca.1592 and 1594 by at least forty-nine different artists from Akbar's studio. After Akbar's death in 1605, the manuscript remained in the library of his son, Jahangir (r. 1605-1627) and later Shah Jahan (r. 1628-1658). The Victoria and Albert Museum purchased it in 1896 from Frances Clarke, the widow of Major General John Clarke, an official who had been the Commissioner in Oudh province between 1858 and 1862. Historical significance: It is thought to be the first illustrated copy of the Akbarnama. It drew upon the expertise of some of the best royal painters of the time, many of whom receive special mention by Abu'l Fazl in the A'in-i-Akbari. The inscriptions in red ink on the bottom of the paintings name the artists. Source : British Library

Brilliant!just the book I was waiting for.

Book extract : ..."Many a sect arose which tried to harmonize Islam and Hinduism and to find a common meeting ground for the devout of both the creeds in which their differences of ritual, dogma, and external marks of faith were ignored. Ramananda, Kabir, Nanak, Dadu, and Chaitanya were some of the leaders of the Bhakti movement, which practically covered the whole of India. Muslim Sufis and mystics were close to Bhakts. Mainly an off-shoot of Vedaata of the Hindus, Stifism rapidly spread in India from the time of Akbar and produced a large mass of literature. It tended to bring Hindus and Muslims closer. "...

..."Many a sect arose which tried to harmonize Islam and Hinduism and to find a common meeting ground for the devout of both the creeds in which their differences of ritual, dogma, and external marks of faith were ignored. Ramananda, Kabir, Nanak, Dadu, and Chaitanya were some of the leaders of the Bhakti movement, which practically covered the whole of India. Muslim Sufis and mystics were close to Bhakts. Mainly an off-shoot of Vedaata of the Hindus, Stifism rapidly spread in India from the time of Akbar and produced a large mass of literature. It tended to bring Hindus and Muslims closer. "...

Book Extract : ..."The impact of Islam also led to the development of regional languages. Sanskrit ceased to be a living language even on a limited scale by the end of the 13th century when a major part of this country passed under Muslim rule. For over three centuries (1200-1550) the Hindu intellect in north India was almost barren and no work of merit was produced. The peace and prosperity of Akbar's reign, however, gave a literary stimulus and there was a sudden growth of vernacular literature throughout the country. A number of good works were produced in Bengali, Marathi, Punjabi, Sindhi and eastern Hindi. Yidyapati's songs in Maithili, Chand i Dass' in Bengali, Mira's poems in Rajasthani, and Eknath's in Marathi were not only popular but recognised literary works. Arabised Persian mixed with Turkish being the language of the Muslim invaders, many of their words found their way into the regional languages. Marathi, for example, had 35% words of Persian origin in 1830 and the percentage in Punjabi and Sindhi was still higher. "...

I believe Guru Nanak Ji also tried to do the same - to bring unity against forces of conflict and disruption.