by Premchand
When Nadir Shah reached the royal palace his eyes were dazzled by the sight of the objects there. He had been born into a very poor family. His entire life had been spent in battlefields. He was not accustomed to a life of luxury. What a world of difference there was between the rigours of the battlefield and the comforts of the palace! He could not tear his gaze away from the objects at the palace.
It was the twilight hour. Nadir Shah was taking a tour of the palace with his generals. He picked up whatever he liked, entered the Diwan-e Khaas and sat on the ornate throne. He ordered the generals to leave, removed all his weapons and called in the commander to the palace and said, ‘I want to see the dance of the royal wives. Go, deck them in beautiful garments, and bring them in front of me right now. And mind, there should be no delay. I will not tolerate excuses.’
2
The commander was stunned at Nadir Shah’s diktat. How would the ladies, on whom even a ray of the sun had not fallen, be brought to a public assembly, let alone asked to dance? The royal ladies had never suffered such indignities. What a beast! He was not content with painting the entire city of Delhi with human blood.
But no one had the courage to bandy words with Nadir Shah. It was like jumping into a fire. The commander bowed his head to salute the emperor, went to the inner apartments and conveyed Nadir Shah’s command to the royal ladies. He also requested that the command be carried out in full compliance because Nadir Shah wouldn’t listen to any excuse. Such a calamity had never befallen the royal family. But, at that moment, there was no other way to save their lives except obeying the orders of the victorious emperor.
The begums lost their wits when they heard the command. An atmosphere of mourning enveloped the palace. All regular activities were stopped. A curse went out from every heart for the oppressor. Some looked up at the skies pleading for help, some remembered God and His prophet. But there was not a single lady who thought of the sword, even though many of them had Rajput blood coursing through their veins. It seemed like the life of sensual pleasure they had led so far had dulled the spirit of jauhar. The longing for luxury spells ruin for self-respect. There was no time to discuss and come up with a way to save their dignity. Every minute was critical. Helpless, all the ladies decided to appear before the sinful victor. They sighed and lamented their fate. Tears were streaming down their eyes, but they still wore their jewel-studded dresses while kohl rimmed their tearful eyes. They wore perfumes even though they were grief-stricken. Some even decorated their hair with pearl beads. There wasn’t a single woman who had the courage to challenge the order.
It had not even been an hour when the begums, decked in all their dazzling finery, trooped into the Diwan-e Khaas and stood before Nadir Shah. The beauty of their faces was so enhanced by their toiletry, they put rose and jasmine to shame as the scent of the perfume they wore filled the air.
3
Nadir Shah looked at the bevy of ladies from the corner of his eyes, leaned back on the throne and lay down. He placed his sword and dagger before him. Soon he began to doze off. Then he stretched his body and turned on his side. The ladies could hear him snoring. It seemed like he was lost in deep slumber. He slept for half an hour while the begums stood rooted to the spot like the pictures on the wall. One or two ladies who were somewhat brazen looked at Nadir Shah from behind the veil and started whispering among themselves—‘How fearful he looks! How bloodshot his eyes are! What a heavy girth! He’s not a man but a monster!’
Suddenly, Nadir Shah’s eyes opened. The fairies went still. Seeing him wake up, the begums lowered their heads, shrank into themselves and went into a huddle like a flock of sheep. Their hearts were pounding. Now the tyrant will ask us to sing and dance. What do we do? May God restrain this tyrant! We can’t dance—even if we have to lay down our lives. We won’t suffer any more indignities!
Nadir Shah’s voice was harsh when he began to speak. ‘Dear ladies, I had subjected you to a test, and I’m sorry to say that my misgivings about you came true to the letter. When the women of a nation lose their self-respect, you can take that nation to be dead.
‘I wanted to see whether there was some self-respect left in you. That is why I called you into my court. I didn’t want to violate your honour. I am not so depraved yet. If I were, I would be grazing flocks of sheep. If I had surrendered myself to sensual pleasures, I would have been in Persia, listening to the sitar and the sarod, which I love more than Hindustani music. I simply wanted to test you. I feel truly sad that you’ve lost all sense of self-esteem. Was it impossible for you to tread upon my command? When all of you arrived here I gave you another opportunity. I pretended that I had gone to sleep. Wasn’t it possible for any of you to pick up the dagger and shove it into my heart? I swear by the holy word of God, I would have been delighted to see any of you laying a hand on the dagger. I would have bowed my head before those delicate hands. What a pity that in the entire Timurid family, there’s not a single woman ready to raise her hand against indignity. This kingdom cannot survive now. Its days are numbered. Soon its traces will vanish from the face of the earth. You may go now. Try and save the kingdom even now. If not, you will leave this world as prisoners of sensual pleasure.’
Translated from the Hindi by M. Asaduddin
A Loyal Subject
1
It was evening. Nasiruddin, the emperor of Lucknow, was taking a walk in his garden with his courtiers and flatterers. He was wearing an English hat in place of the jewel-studded royal crown and was also dressed in English style.
There were five Englishmen in his entourage. The emperor had placed his head on the shoulders of one of the Englishmen. There were three or four Indians too. One of them was Raja Bakhtaavar Singh. He was the commander of the imperial army whom everyone addressed as ‘General’. A middle-aged man with a well-preserved physique, he looked regal in his Lucknowi outfit. His face exuded wisdom. The second Indian was Raushanuddaulah, who was the prime minister of the state. He was stocky and sported a big moustache. To keep it erect, he walked with his chest puffed. Vanity dripped from his eyes. The others comprised the chief of police and the emperor’s two bodyguards. Although it was the beginning of the nineteenth century, the emperor had accepted the British way of life. He ate an English breakfast. He had great faith in the English and spoke in their favour. No one, be they a big raja or an official, dared to compete with an Englishman.
If anyone had the courage to do so, it was Raja Bakhtaavar Singh. He could not bear to see the East India Company increasing its influence. The number of Company soldiers employed to protect the state of Awadh was increasing day by day, and consequently, the cost of their upkeep was also on the rise. The state could not pay those expenses and was deep in the Company’s debt. The condition of the imperial army was getting worse. They did not have the strength or the organizational capacity. The soldiers did not get their salaries for years. The weaponry had become outdated, the uniforms tattered. There was no one to impose discipline. If Raja Bakhtaavar Singh made any proposal to increase the soldiers’ salaries or improve their weapons, the Company resident opposed it tooth and nail and accused him of encouraging rebellious forces in the state. Chastised by the English, the emperor unleashed his anger on Raja Sahib.
The emperor’s English courtiers always tried to undermine Raja Sahib’s authority and influence. However, despite being sandwiched between the emperor’s indifference on the one hand and the stiff opposition of the English on the other, Raja Sahib was steadfast in doing his duty. The irony lay in the fact that even the soldiers were not happy with him. Many of them were either ruffians or addicted to the licentious life of Lucknow. When Raja Sahib wanted to replace them by recruiting upright youths, it created an uproar. People spread the rumour that he was trying to increase his stranglehold on the administration by recruiting Rajput youths into the army. This rumour had deeply affected the Muslims. Raja Sahib often felt so annoyed that he wanted to give up his job and leave the state. But the fear that the British wou
ld turn the emperor into a puppet the moment the general left, leading to the destruction of the state of Awadh, made him stay. Another problem was that Raushanuddaulah too was opposed to Raja Sahib. He suspected that the general was trying to tie up with the Marathas to destroy Awadh. That is why he got in the way whenever Raja Sahib wanted to do anything. He still believed that the Muslim state of Awadh could stay intact only with the protection of the British. Otherwise it would be gobbled up by the swelling Hindu forces.
In reality, Bakhtaavar Singh’s condition was precarious. His cleverness would see him through many of his activities. He was stubborn by temperament and would take recourse to persuasion, courtesy and humility to get his work done. This added affectation and artificiality to his behaviour, which made him a suspect in the eyes of his enemies.
The emperor told one of his English flatterers, ‘Perhaps you don’t realize how much I value your presence here. In my entire kingdom, nobody would dare look at you with eyes of disfavour.’
The Englishman bowed and said, ‘We can never pay enough thanks to His Excellency for this favour.’
The emperor declared, ‘I swear by Imam Hussain, if anyone creates the slightest difficulty for you, I’ll have him stand against the wall and shot dead.’
It was a habit with the emperor to hold his hat in his hand and twirl it on his fingers. This daily habit made a dent in the hat. Now when he held it on his finger and spun it around, it made a hole in the hat. The emperor’s attention was concentrated on the Englishmen. Bakhtaavar Singh cringed when he heard the emperor’s words. How much flattery, and how much humiliation for the people of Awadh, was concealed in his words! Others began to laugh when they saw the hole in the hat but Bakhtaavar Singh could not control the words that came out of his mouth. ‘Your Honour, there is a hole in the hat.’
Raja Sahib’s enemies plugged their ears with their fingers. The emperor also felt that Raja Sahib was making fun of him. His demeanour changed. The English and other courtiers began to whisper among themselves, as though they had witnessed a great calamity. There was no doubt that Raja Sahib had uttered those words clearly. It was possible that he had not intended to make fun of the emperor, that he wanted to express his concern. But the words were taken in a different way. His enemies were sure not to let this opportunity pass.
When Raja Sahib saw the situation, his blood froze. He realized that he had laid a trap for himself and it was difficult to wriggle out of it.
The emperor commanded the chief of police, with bloodshot eyes, ‘Throw this traitor in prison and chop off his head. Let him understand the consequences of being disrespectful to the emperor.’
The police chief didn’t dare lay his hands on the general. Raushanuddaulah gestured towards him and said, ‘Why are you just standing there? Arrest him, or you’ll also burn in this fire.’ The police chief went forward and arrested Bakhtaavar Singh. In a moment, his hands were tied. Soldiers surrounded him on all sides and took him away.
The emperor said to his courtiers, ‘I will also go with them. I want to see how traitors suffer when they are killed.’
What brutish behaviour it was! Only a little while ago, this person had been a trusted official of Raja Sahib.
The emperor suddenly said, ‘First, disrobe this traitor. I don’t want the royal robe to be dishonoured.’
No one dared challenge the emperor. The soldiers began to disrobe Raja Sahib. Unfortunately, a loaded pistol tumbled out of one of his pockets. The emperor’s eyes blazed when he saw the pistol. ‘I swear by Imam Hussain, now I’ll not spare his life. Why should he carry a loaded gun? He must’ve had evil intentions. Now I’ll have him thrown to the dogs. Do you see what an evil-minded fellow he is? I was nurturing a snake in my house. What do you think his intentions were, keeping a loaded gun with him?’
The English wanted to show Raja Sahib in a poor light. They, however, needed him alive in order to achieve this. One of the Englishmen said, ‘I don’t see anything inappropriate in this. The general is your bodyguard. He must always be fully armed, especially when he is with you. No one knows when a situation may arise that will require him to act.’
The other English courtiers also supported this view. The emperor’s anger was somewhat mitigated. Had the same words been uttered by his Indian courtiers, the emperor wouldn’t have spared their lives. It was likely that he had asked this question to afford the English an opportunity to show their love of justice. He said, ‘I swear by Hazrat Imam, all of you want to snatch the prey away from the lion’s mouth. But I won’t listen to any of you. Let Captain Sahib be called. I’ll ask him the same question. If he agrees with your opinion, then I won’t take his life. However, if he is of the opposite view, then I’ll send this traitor to hell right this moment. But beware! No one should throw any hints to him. Otherwise, I won’t show any mercy.’ All the courtiers sat there with their heads bowed.
Captain Sahib was Raja Sahib’s friend, but in those days the emperor was very kind to him. He was among those royal devotees who held that their main loyalty was to the state and not to the emperor. Captain Sahib stayed away from the court. The emperor was very happy with his work.
A man went to bring him to the court. Raja Sahib’s life was in Captain Sahib’s hands. Apart from Raushanuddaulah, there was not a single person in the court whose heart was not swinging between hope and hopelessness. Everyone was praying that somehow Captain Sahib would understand the complexity of the problem. Captain Sahib came and threw a cursory glance at the court. Everyone’s eyes were downcast. He came forward and stood uncertainly with his head bowed. The emperor asked, ‘Is it proper for my courtiers to keep loaded guns with them?’ Captain Sahib saw the silence of the courtiers, their frightened demeanour and their anxiety. He said fearlessly, ‘My lord, I think it is their duty. The emperor has both friends and enemies. If the courtiers do not take up the responsibility of protecting the emperor, who will? They should be armed not only with pistols, but with other weapons too. No one knows when they might require a weapon; where will they go to collect it at that time?’
Raja Sahib was spared his life. The emperor said despairingly, ‘Raushan, don’t kill him, but throw him into the dark dungeon. Don’t give him anything to eat or drink without my permission. Go and take possession of all his property and send his entire family to jail. Raze his house to the ground, nothing should be spared.’
It would have been better for Raja Sahib to lay down his life. His family would not have been dishonoured, the women would not have been subjected to humiliation and poverty. If an infection in the body finds no outlet, it infects the whole body. Raja Sahib’s life was spared, but the fate of his entire family was in jeopardy.
Raushanuddaulah had finally got what he desired. Never before had his jealousy been so satisfied. He was happy that the thorn that had been in his side for years had been taken out. Now he would have his way, now he would be the sole arbiter of the state’s destiny. Before sundown, all of Raja Sahib’s movable and immovable property was taken over. His old parents, the delicate women of the family and the young boys—all were sent to jail. It was a heart-rending scene. The women, who had been protected even from the glance of the deities, were made to walk the street without veils, with naked feet and bowed heads, on their way to jail. They were surrounded by a band of armed soldiers. This was the condition of the family of Raja Sahib, whose every command only a few hours ago could have sent ripples through the city.
2
A month had passed in the prison for Raja Bakhtaavar Singh. He had been subjected to all kinds of tortures. He had not been given meals on time. His family had also been tortured, but Raja Sahib felt a kind of peace in prison. There, he didn’t have to worry about the emperor’s displeasure at every moment and didn’t have to guard against the calumny of other courtiers. It was easier to bear physical torture than mental suffering. He was put to great hardships in prison but he didn’t have a sword dangling over his head. He decided that even if the emperor released him, he
would stay away from the court. The sun was going to set on this state; no human power could prevent its inevitable destruction. These were the symptoms of this destruction.
Do I deserve this punishment for my loyalty to the emperor? Only God knows what difficulties I’ve faced to protect the state. On the one side, the emperor’s indifference, on the other the conspiracy of powerful people—it was difficult to work between a rock and a hard place. Hardly a day passed when I wasn’t afraid for my life. Is this the reward for my service, devotion and commitment? I might have uttered a few words that could have been interpreted wrongly, but such a severe punishment for that! It would’ve been far better if I had been killed. I wouldn’t have witnessed the suffering of my family with my own eyes. I hear that father has not been given even a mat to sleep on. I don’t know what tortures are being inflicted on the women. But I know this much—my dear Sukhada will protect her chastity even at the cost of her life. I don’t care about my own shackles, but I hear that my boys are made to wear them too. All this must be the handiwork of Raushanuddaulah. Well, let them inflict as much torture as they can, I have no complaints. I pray to God to take my life away. Whatever I wanted to do in my life has been accomplished and I have faced the consequences. There is no place in the world for a person like me.
Raja Sahib was wrapped in these thoughts. Suddenly, he heard the sound of someone coming towards his cell. It was late in the night. There was silence everywhere, but he could clearly hear someone’s footsteps in the dark. Softly, this person drew ever closer. Raja Sahib’s heart pounded. He stood up. Though I am unarmed and unable to defend myself, I should not be a passive target for anyone. He got up in a desperate attempt to defend himself. There was no object in the room with which he could protect himself. He realized that his end was near. His enemies had decided to take away his life. It was all right—let him die, marking an end to all his sufferings.