Fatehpur Sikri - A Search For The Truth Part 4

Continued From: http://theforgottenempiresofindia.blogspot.ca/2015/11/fatehpur-sikri-search-for-truth-part-3.html

We once again return to the fort city to continue with our examination of the ancient buildings. As we wander around Sikri, we come across the majestic palace which is referred to as the palace of Queen Jodha. Legend has romanticized the relationship between Akbar and his wife Jodha. The emperor is said to have built this palace for his beloved wife Jodha. This fact seems to contradict with the nature of Akbar. All the chronicles written about Akbar, always mention about his immense harem where he is said to have collected thousands of women.  He was a heavy opium user and his lust for women knew no limits. Fazl notes in his chronicles that the women selected to accompany Akbar on his journey were always transported in gilded cages as if they were exotic creatures on display.

We examined the buildings part of the harem. The largest of these is popularly called as the palace of Jodha Bai the Hindu wife of Akbar. The sunlight danced across the red sandstone walls. The light reflected by the few turquoise bricks on the roof, transported the palace to a set from a fairytale. The emperor is said to have built this palace for his Rajput queen. The walls are bedecked with many Hindu motif characteristic of Rajput palaces. The relationship between Akbar and his Hindu queen is legendary and akin to the story of Romeo and Juliet in India. As we walk through the corridors and courtyards which interconnect the huge harem complex that housed thousands of the emperor's wives and concubines, we wonder if a man who collected a large number of women could have loved any one of them exclusively. 

 
The personal chroniclers of Akbar speak freely about the emperor's lust for women. His biography is full of scandalous incidents with the fair sex. We are told by Abu Fazl that, the emperor spent his early years "behind the veil". The period when he ruled from within the harem and allowed his wet nurse Maham Anaga to make important decisions on his behalf was termed by historians as the time of the "petticoat government". Then we are told about the period when Akbar persuaded the wealthy sheiks living in Delhi to divorce their wives so that Akbar could take these women into his harem. This scheme resulted in an assassination attempt on Akbar's life in January of 1564 after which, the emperor was more cautious with such schemes though it didn't stop him from murdering his mentor Bairam Khan in order to make his wife, Salima Sultan Begam as his queen. She turned out to be the most favoured queen on Akbar's harem and bore him prince Murad in June of 1570. It is therefore incredulous that, the largest of the buildings should have been given to Jodha Bai who receives very few mention in Akbar’s biography and not to Salima Sultan Begum. 

Fazl narrates another incident bringing out the emperor's lust for women. The attack on Malwa in the year 1560 was carried out under the supreme command of Adam Khan the son of Maham Anaga. Khan after a successful war against the Rajput kingdom of Malwa returned with hordes of treasure and captured women. He sent the treasures to the emperor but, retained the women for himself. When news of this treachery reached Akbar's ears, he rushed forth on April 27, 1561 from Agra to intercede the caravan of Khan. The surprised khan managed to make the emperor accept his apology and returned all the women except two exceptional beauties. Khan's mother came to know that, her son had secreted two women for himself. She was afraid for her son's life and had the women beheaded and their bodies scattered in the wilderness. The fear of Maham Anaga was not without cause for, one year Akbar killed Khan by repeatedly throwing him down from a tall rampart till his skull was crushed.

Continued On:http://theforgottenempiresofindia.blogspot.ca/2015/11/fatehpur-sikri-search-for-truth-part-5.html