Summary of Tughlaq By Girish Karnad

Tughlaq is a play written by Indian film director and writer, Girish Karnad. The play was originally published in 1964. Girish Karnad has made this play about the life of Mohammad Big Tughlaq. Muhammad Bin Tughlaq was a Sultan of Delhi from 1325 to 1351.

Tughlaq By Girish Karnad

Summary of Tughlaq By Girish Karnad

Muhammad Bin Tughlaq was a famous educated Idiot.Tughlaq did many experiments in his life which were complete failure. Therefore, people used to call him Mad king. Let me tell you about the three biggest mistakes of Muhammad Bin Tughlaq’s life.

The first big mistake of Tughlaq’s life was that he changed his capital, Delhi to Daulatabaad. He made Daulatabaad his capital from Delhi, due to which he faced a big economic loss and lost many of his peoople life. It happened because changing capital is not an easy work.

The question is why Tughlaq wanted to change his capital from Delhi to Daulatabaad. There are two main reasons, first reason is to defend himself from Mongols attack. The second reason is he wanted to rule both North and Southern part of India. By being in Daulatabaad he was able to rule both North India and South India.

The second biggest mistakes of Tughlaq life was that he made Silver and Gold coins. The population was very high and coins had huge demand so to full fill that demand he made grass and copper coins and give them same value of gold and silver.

When grass and copper coins began to build so people started copying it as it was very easy to copy them. The people started making grass and copper coins and started changing it with gold and silver coins because both had the same value. Due to which Tughlaq faced a huge loss.

The third biggest mistakes of Tughlaq was applying taxes. There was a place called Doab which was very fertile land and the farmer of that land were very rich. So Tughlaq applied huge tax on Doab to earn money from them. As soon as Tughlaq applied huge tax on Doab, the farmers of Doab runs away due to which there was no one left to do farming on in Doab. These are the three major biggest mistakes of Tughlaq’s life which made him Mad Sultan of India.

Muhammad Bin Tughlaq had few good qualities as he was a secular person. He never discriminate among his people on the basis of caste and religion. He respected all religions equally.

Tughlaq By Girish Karnad Summary

The story of play begins with character, Aziz, who is a Muslim but disguised himself as Hindu Brahmin. He changed his name from Aziz to Vishnu Prasad so that people can’t understand that he is a Muslim. After becoming Hindu Brahmin, Aziz files a case against Tughlaq, he claim that Tughlaq has captured his land so he demands his land back. Aziz demands are fulfilled by giving him 500 Dinar in return of his land. The Question is Why Aziz become Hindu to file a case against Tughlaq ?

It is because Tughlaq wanted to win the trust of his Hindu people. He wanted to show people that how secular he is. So Aziz thought if he became Hindu then he willl be treated respectfully by Tughlaq. That’s why Aziz became Hindu and get 500 Dinar in return for his captured land.Tughlaq want to be secular person but he does not know that the person he help is Muslim not Hindu.

Afterwards, Muhammad Bin Tughlaq tells in his court that he is taking his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad. Daulatabad is a city of Hindu people where Hindu people are in majority. Tughlaq believes that after going in Daulatabad he can unite Hindu and Muslim. The second reason was he can defend himself from Mongols attack as Mongol used to attack on Delhi easily. Tughlaq does not give order to people of his court to come with him in Daulatabad, he just ask them. He just give them a invitation to come with him.

There comes new character, Ain ul Mulk, who was a friend of Tughlaq but has revolt against him. Ain ul Mulk is coming to fight with Tughlaq with his thirty thousand soldier. On the other side, Tughlaq has only six thousand soldier. If there will be fight among them, then Tughlaq will lose for sure.

The story now introduces new character, Shaik Imam Uddin, who does not like Tughlaq. Shaik is provoking people against Tughlaq. Tughlaq knows that Shaik Imam uddin does not like him. He invites Shaik and ask him to meet Ain ul Mulk for peace proposal. Tughlaq ask him to tell Ain ul Mulk that he want peace and don’t want to fight with him.

Tughlaq gives royal dress and one big elephant to Sheikh Imam Uddin to meet Ain ul Mulk. When Shaik Imam goes to meet Ain Ul Mulk, he was looking like a king and when Ain ul Mulk saw him, he thought that he is Tughlaq. Ain ul was thinking that he is Tughlaq so he give order to attack on him. As soon as Ain ul give order to attack, his soldier fires arrow towards him due to which he died on the spot.

Afterwards, Tughlaq decides to shift Daulatabad as soon as possible. After coming Daulatabad, Tughlaq announces that the value of copper coins will be same to silver and gold coins. Due to which people made lots of copper coins and exchange it with silver and golden coins.

The people started calling him Mad king due to his bad decisions.Tughlaq had one good friend named Najib, a only person in Tughlaq’s life to whom he trusted more than anyone one else in the world. Najid used to help Tughlaq a lot and used to give him right advice.

One day, Tughlaq’s best friend, Najib who killed by step mother of Tughlaq. Muhammad Bin Tughlaq’s step mother give poison to Najib due to which he died. As soon as Tughlaq get to know about his step mother, he orders his soldier to throw stone at her till she died.

Through this decision author is trying to tell us that how frustrated Tughlaq was and how everything was going out of his control. The story now features new character named Ghiyas Uddin Abbasid who is coming in capital, Daulatabad to meet Tughlaq.

The story now jumps to Aziz who killed Ghiyas Uddin and takes his place. Aziz goes to meet Tughlaq and tells him that he is Ghiyas Uddin. He made Tughlaq believe that he is Ghiyas Uddin. When Tughlaq knows about Aziz real identity like how he was fooling him by being Ghiyas Uddin. He does not punish him but made him a officer in his court. At the end of story, Tughlaq goes to sleep and wake up in tiredness.

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