BOOK LAUNCH AT INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE

Monday 10^th April, 2015

·         Apart from some 200 people in the audience I greatly enjoyed the launch of my new novel. Siddharth Shriram released the book and said that though he was not very interested in history this book had been such an easy read that he hugely enjoyed it.

·         Professor Pushpesh Pant (retired professor from JNU, historian and author) endorsed the sentiment saying he had read the entire book in a day and is now reading it for the 3rd time as it contains so many nuggets of information and insights into a fascinating period.

·         I then outlined the thrust of the book that concerned a tipping point in India's history with the orthodox prince Aurangzeb and the liberal Dara Shikoh fighting not only for the Mughal crown but for the very soul of India.

·         Few people know that Dara was a Sanskrit scholar who did the first translations of the Upanishhads and the Bhagavat Gita that were not widely known to most people in Mughal times.

·         I explained that while much had been written about the Mughal emperors very little was known about Dara after the court scribes wrote him off after the battle of Samugarh. As the British had contempt for the `native armies’ very little was also known about the Mughal command and control systems and I had to go to the Military Museum in Istanbul to learn more about them. I also personally walked over many of the battlefields and strategic areas to be able to describe them properly.

·         Several people asked how much of the novel was fiction and how much history. I explained that about 25% of the book concerned the adventures of the purely fictitious narrator, the eunuch Mubarak Ali, but that most of the rest was firmly rooted in history.

·         Several people who had read the novel commented that they were waiting for it to be made into a movie as they saw a panorama of vivid mental images as they read of Mubarak’s adventures in the court and on the battlefields.

·         The battles, romances, betrayals, the events of the harem and the battles were then debated in a very lively discussion with the audience.

Did you see the review of Ocean of Cobras in the Sunday Business Standard?

BEYOND BUSINESS » PEOPLE » PEOPLE

The Mughal fusion of Hindu-Muslim culture is a tradition to be cherished: Murad Ali Baig

Interview with author
Uttaran Das Gupta August 8, 2015 Last Updated at 21:31 IST

The majestic tomb of the second Mughal emperor, Humayun, in New Delhi hides another grave - of Dara Shikoh, scholar, philosopher and the man who would have ascended the Peacock Throne if history had not intervened. Murad Ali Baig's novel, Ocean of Cobras, which will be launched on Monday, fictionalises the Mughal War of Succession (1657-1661) that sealed Dara's fate.Uttaran Das Gupta talks to the author about his upcoming book

From writing on cars to a historical novel - how did this happen?

I have written on cars, travel, environment, rural India as well as history, mythology and religion. My last book, 80 Questions to Understand India, sold about 30,000 copies. I follow my passions: a man can love his wife and also his dog.

Hillary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, said writing historical novels was a second choice when she realised she would not be a historian. You were already well-reputed as a journalist and a non-fiction writer. Why the move to fiction?

I am a historian with an MA in history. So access to records was not too difficult. Textbooks unfortunately mention Dara only as a footnote to the history of Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb and others.

My experience in marketing tractors and motorcycles took me to every part of India, and I visited many of the sites where battles took place, and other places mentioned in the book.

It was not easy learning to write fiction after straight narratives on many different subjects. Ocean of Cobras is authentic history as told by a fictitious narrator - a eunuch in the Mughal court, who is a witness to everything, from the intrigues of the harem to the battlefields.

Can you tell us something about the title of the book?

The Mughals took omens very seriously. Strange events like millions of snakes suddenly appearing in Bengal or the predictions of a wandering fakir prejudiced Shah Jahan against Aurangzeb, which in turn made the prince bitter and determined.

Dara has gained a sort of mythical reputation as a poet and secular-minded leader. Do you think he would have made an able administrator of the Mughal empire?

Dara, Shah Jahan's favourite son, was a great scholar but also an able military commander, who continued the armed struggle against his brother Aurangzeb for more than a year. The Persian scribes of the Mughal court wrote off Dara after the Battle of Samugarh. European writers depended mainly on street gossip.

Dara had deep respect for Hindu and Sufi philosophy, and his ascent to the throne might have led to a continuation of religious harmony for keeping the Mughal empire together. This was shattered by Aurangzeb's bigoted interpretation of Islam. But my novel does question if Dara was strong enough to hold such a turbulent empire together.

On the contrary, don't you think Aurangzeb earned a reputation of a ruthless bigot and religious fundamentalist?

Aurangzeb really became bitter and bigoted in the last 30 years of his life. (He lived to be nearly 90.) He usually tried to be just to all his subjects.

There has been some speculation of how different Indian history would have been if Dara had ascended the throne.

Indian history would have been different. Many would be surprised to learn that Dara had translated 59 Upanishads, and the Bhagwad Gita from Sanskrit to Persian so that the Hindu religious texts would gain wider circulation in the empire. Others would find it surprising the Dara considered Allah to be god to everyone and not just Muslims, like Aurangzeb did.

Mughal history has served as inspiration for fictional work in India for centuries. Do you think your novel has contemporary relevance?

I think my novel is very relevant: many Mughal customs of governance and taxation survive to this day.

The fusion of Hindu and Muslim culture during Mughal times is a tradition all Indians could cherish.

REVIEW OF OCEAN OF COBRAS

When a glowing Murad Ali Baig announced on Facebook that he had authored a novel called ‘Ocean of Cobras’ I could not get my hands fast enough on it, as his previous work ’80 Questions to Understand India, History, Mythology and Religion’ had proved so fascinating a read that I had not only devoured it but let others participate in the rich mental feast as well. His original, unorthodox approach and answers to questions that might have churned silently in many a mind yet never been asked or, if asked, been answered, fascinated me no end. They also made me conscious how differently historical periods and events can be depicted, analyzed and interpreted and that in a way that truly engages not only the mind, but also the soul and senses.

In ‘Ocean of Cobras’ Murad, a self-professed ‘mongrel of good pedigree’ (from Timur to Mayflower pilgrims via numerous other illustrious characters!) presents from an insider’s perspective not only a rich tapestry of the life and times of Shah Jahan’s reign, but shows, how from early childhood on, the emperor himself incidentally fostered the animosity between the two of his sons, who should later become the main protagonists in the battle for his succession.

While Shah Jahan adored his eldest son Dara Shikoh, an easy going, scholarly aesthete, who was convinced that, ultimately, all religions were one and, thus, there was no need for a conflict between them, the emperor openly rejected the sterner prince Aurangzeb and his narrow interpretation of the Koran.

Keeping the companionable Dara as much as possible by his side, the emperor often got rid of Aurangzeb by sending him to distant trouble spots to subjugate rebellious vassals. Over the years, he thus became a battle-hardened soldier and able administrator, qualities that proved as attractive to some as Dara’s love of humankind to others. Whatever, the hatred and rivalry between the two brothers constituted an important factor in the battles for succession, which cost many a life and an emperor his freedom.

The way Murad juxtaposes Dara’s all-inclusive approach to religious beliefs and Aurangzeb’s narrow interpretation of the Koran makes one wonder what would have happened if not Aurangzeb but Dara had won the crown, - intriguing fodder for thought, indeed, which might nourish a desire to turn the wheel of history a bit backwards –in Dara’s direction.

‘Ocean of Cobras’ is a heady cocktail of adventure, romance, betrayal, battles of the mind and sword and much more. Well researched, it gives insights into court life, marriage ceremonies, tribal customs etc., and, most important, it is a jolly good read.

Roswitha Joshi

When a glowing Murad Ali Baig announced on Facebook that he had authored a novel called ‘Ocean of Cobras’ I could not get my hands fast enough on it, as his previous work ’80 Questions to Understand India, History, Mythology and Religion’ had proved so fascinating a read that I had not only devoured it but let others participate in the rich mental feast as well. His original, unorthodox approach and answers to questions that might have churned silently in many a mind yet never been asked or, if asked, been answered, fascinated me no end. They also made me conscious how differently historical periods and events can be depicted, analyzed and interpreted and that in a way that truly engages not only the mind, but also the soul and senses.

In ‘Ocean of Cobras’ Murad, a self-professed ‘mongrel of good pedigree’ (from Timur to Mayflower pilgrims via numerous other illustrious characters!) presents from an insider’s perspective not only a rich tapestry of the life and times of Shah Jahan’s reign, but shows, how from early childhood on, the emperor himself incidentally fostered the animosity between the two of his sons, who should later become the main protagonists in the battle for his succession.

While Shah Jahan adored his eldest son Dara Shikoh, an easy going, scholarly aesthete, who was convinced that, ultimately, all religions were one and, thus, there was no need for a conflict between them, the emperor openly rejected the sterner prince Aurangzeb and his narrow interpretation of the Koran.

Keeping the companionable Dara as much as possible by his side, the emperor often got rid of Aurangzeb by sending him to distant trouble spots to subjugate rebellious vassals. Over the years, he thus became a battle-hardened soldier and able administrator, qualities that proved as attractive to some as Dara’s love of humankind to others. Whatever, the hatred and rivalry between the two brothers constituted an important factor in the battles for succession, which cost many a life and an emperor his freedom.

The way Murad juxtaposes Dara’s all-inclusive approach to religious beliefs and Aurangzeb’s narrow interpretation of the Koran makes one wonder what would have happened if not Aurangzeb but Dara had won the crown, - intriguing fodder for thought, indeed, which might nourish a desire to turn the wheel of history a bit backwards –in Dara’s direction.

‘Ocean of Cobras’ is a heady cocktail of adventure, romance, betrayal, battles of the mind and sword and much more. Well researched, it gives insights into court life, marriage ceremonies, tribal customs etc., and, most important, it is a jolly good read.

Roswitha Joshi (author)