CU-SEM III-BA-ENGLISH LITERATURE-III

mercy on sick and dying travelers. Once the copper currency is introduced with the feign attempt to revive the economy, Aziz becomes a counterfeiter. Later, when the Sultan invites Ghizas-ud-din Abbasid, a descendent of Baghdad Khalifas, to visit his new capital. Aziz kills Ghizas-ud-din and impersonates the Khalifa before Tughlaq. Even after he was recognized by the Sultan himself, Aziz pleads for mercy and is granted the same since he claims to be the only true disciple of Tughlaq. He was offered a high position in the army instead of any punishments. Aziz, like tughlaq, knows no limits. He killed his closest aide Azam and escapes the law. The author has deviated from the factual accounts of history of Tughlaq. However, he has painted a clear picture of his murderous nature and the atmosphere of such distrust and rebel, that Tughlaq punished people around him even on the slightest doubt and did not bother of they were innocent or guilty. It appears that Tughlaq is dominated by the evil in the form of violence. The greatest irony is that fate made him fall at the feet of Azim – a low stature man, who was impersonating as Ghizas-ud-din Abba Sid Khalifa. So, the king literally kissed the feet of a lowely man assuming him to be a religious man. The author has clearly given the message that politics and religion must never go hand in hand. We as Indians are still facing this dilemma. We do not choose our politicians on the basis of the work they do or can do for us, but we look at their religion and political parties. Till the day, we do not rise up from mixing politics and religion, we will keep on granting the power to a tyrant to rule us in one way or the other. The state of affairs in India today are in no way different from that of the conditions prevailing during the reign of Tughlaq. The common people still have no say in the policies. We are only supposed to abide by the rules. No rebellion is allowed or can gain legitimacy as per the laws of the land. It is time for use to stand together and choose our leadership on the basis of qualifications and not merely the family names they carry. Towards the end of this play, Tughlaq is suffering from chaos and confusion as much as the common people in his kingdom. By simple augmentation, we see that our society is again marred with this chaos only. The democratic set up in India has failed to produce the desired results in the absence of a strong opposition. Instead of unity, equality and freedom to all, we have become a nation of divisions based on politics, religion, caste, colour and creed. The tax payers are further burdened with the taxes to give security to the marginalized ones. The

system of quota has left the general category students or common people reach a level where instead of the quota layer, the general ones are suffering. The author is a master of characterization. His characters in this play are various extensions of Tughlaq himself and also, have personality of their own. These characters Najib, Barani, Saint Imam-uddin and the Khalifa, Shihab-ud-din, Aziz and Azam, all have good as well evil qualities. They are neither black nor white, but have shades of grey. Further, the comic element in the form of pair of Aziz and Azam has given a different route to this play. Had the play only detailed the gory incidents of crime and violence, it might not have gained so mich popularity. Key characters of the play: Muhammad Bin Tughlaq He is the Sultan or emperor of Delhi. He is the protagonist with highly complex character. He ascends to throne after the death of his father and elder brother by an accident as he claims, which was really the first murder he orchestrated. He is a visionary, who dreams of a utopian realm for his subjects and thinks of their welfare. He makes various decisions without thinking about their consequences. His tyrant choices lead to complete chaos, which mark the end of his reign. He ordered the murder of several characters in the play, including his Father and Brother, Sheikh Imam-Udin, His Step Mother, Shihab-Ud-Din Sadar, etc. The Stepmother The author does not give her a name. She cares for her son and wishes to keep his madness under check. She chooses to forget that Tughlaq has murdered her husband and son. She is opinionated about the company of Tughlaq – Najib and Barani. She considers Barani to be a

good influence on Tughlaq and Najib to be a bad influence. She murders Najib to keep Tughlaq away from his conspiracies and reduce the violence he causes. She never hides or lies that she was the cause of Najib’s death. She is stoned to death on the orders of Tughlaq. Aziz and Aazam The pair of friends – Aziz and Aazam provide a much needed respite to this extremely depressing play. Aziz plays an important role in the play. He is introduced a Muslim dhobi, who disguises himself as Vishnu Prasad, a Brahmin, in order to file a complaint against the King He gains compensation and a job in Civil Services. His friend – Aazam plays along in all his cheatings. During the movement of common people from Delhi to Daulatabad, he earns bribes from numerous people who were suffering. He is a conniving and shrewd man, who can go to any extent for money and power. He killed Ghiyas-Ud-Din Khalifa and impersonated him before Tughlaq. Aziz is an extension of Tughlaq. He is able to convince Tughlaq even after he was caught for impersonating the Khalifa. He claims to be the true disciple of Tughlaw. Aazam is murdered during the chaos, which makes Aziz feel lonely. Najib Najib is an honest politician and loyal advisor to Tughlaq. He is perceived as a bad Influence to Tughlaq by his stepmother. He has a network of spies, who keep him upto date about all information. Najib is a co-conspirator of various murders ordered by Tughlaq. Barani Barani is a respectable historian and loyal advisor to Tughlaq. He is perceived a good influence to Tughlaq by his stepmother. He is not part of any murder conspiracies carried out. He leaves Tughlaq after he witnesses him acting in a ‘mad’ fashion and turning into a tyrant.

Sheikh Imam-Uddin Sheikh Imam Uddin is an opponent of Tughlaq. He is trusted by the common people. He openly criticizes Tughlaq and his actions. He is convinced that Tughlaq was behind the murders of his own father and brother. He looks a lot like Tughlaq, which resulted in his death in a meeting with Ain-ul-Mulk, wherein he was mistaken to be Tughlaq. Shihab-Ud-Din Shihab-Ud-Din is a good administrator and loyalist. He is fooled by Sheikh Shams-ud-in and Sadar Ratan Singh and becomes part of a failed conspiracy to murder Tughlaq. Sardar Ratan Singh Sadar Ratan Singh is an opponent to Tughlaq. His seeks revenge from Tughlaq as his father was murdered by Tughlaq’s father. He pretends to be friends with Tughlaq, but hates him. He was sent with Sheikh Imam ud-in to meet Ain-ul-Mulk but he escapes and is killed secretly on orders of Tughlaq. Ain-ul-Mulk Ain-ul-Mulk is a trusted friend and companion of Tughlaq. He loves to play chess. He is the first person who raises an army against Tughlaq. He is made the Governor of Deccan by Tughlaq. Let us do scene-wise analysis of the play for better understanding: Scene – I

The 1st scene opens in front of the Chief Court of Justice in Delhi. This scene of the play, a group of predominantly Muslim citizens discuss about the rule of Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughlaq and the political changes in the region. The few Hindu citizens present also discuss in this conversation. The citizens discuss in detail the vision and policies of the Sultan and their connotations. The people criticize the kindness shown by the Sultan, Tughlaq to Hindus. The old man expresses that the Sultan has ruined the country and is a grave insult to the religion of Islam. On the other hand, the young man defends him by claiming that he is a true Islamist as he has made it compulsory for people to pray five times a day. The key point of discussion is announcement by Sultan of the proposal to shift of capital from Delhi to Daulatabad and asking his people to accompany him. The reason for the same being that Daulatabad had a majority of Hindu population. Tughlaq portrays his generosity towards Hindus and uses it as a political strategy. This decision of moving the capital is viewed adversely by the Muslim subjects of the kingdom. His impulsiveness was always condemned. Aziz, an important the character of the play – Tughlaq, is introduced in this scene. He appears as a Brahmin, named Vishnu Prasad and wins a case against Tughlaq himself because the government officers had seized his land. The Sultan found the claims of the Brahmin to be just. He was awarded a compensation of 500 silver dinars and also, offered a post in the Civil Service. It is a clear parody of Tughlaq‘s declaration that he can be acquitted in the court of justice. Aziz is able to trap Sultan in his arguments. Aziz wins against the Sultan and fuels his ambitions. Aziz and his close aide, Aazam then shifting their notice towards making money by deceiving people on their way to the new capital. Again, there is a conversation between the old and the young men. They do not like the plan of moving the capital city. Another man present states that Sheikh Immam-ud-din has claimed that the Muhammad is guilty of murdering his own father and brother for the reign of this sovereign. The Guard eventually asks the crowd to disperse. Scene – II The scene moves from the court to the Sultan’s palace, where Tughlaq is playing chess. In this play, the game of chess is a significant symbol. It is also a symbol of alienation of Sultan

from his situations. The Sultan is always perceived to be isolated and lonely from the rest of his kingdom. He is depicted as being passionately involved in his chess. In this scene, the stepmother of Sultan is introduced, wherein he confesses about his sleepless nights to her. He even asks his stepmother if she believes the gossip about him being the murderer of his father and brother, to which she does not respond. She, however, reprimands him for his reckless behaviour even for his own security. She reminds him that he must initiate the action to counter the anticipated attack from Ain-ul-Mulk, who has an army of 30,000 soldiers marching towards Delhi. She expresses her shock about this anticipated attack since both Ain-ul-Mulk and Tughlaq were good friends. Muhammad Najib, the politician and Zia-ud-din Barani the historian, are two important associates of Tughlaq. These 2 characters are introduced. These 2 characters are supposedly the extensions of Tughlaq as they offer completely diverge perspectives on every issue. Out of these counsels, Najib is rational and shrewd, whereas, Barani is sympathetic and concerned towards the Sultan. Najib is considered to be the man of action, on the other hand, Barani is a man of foresightedness. Najib helps to plot murders and other political strategies with the Sultan. Najib is worried that the Sheik-Imam-ud-in id has set foot in Delhi. He suggest to Tughlaq that that they should get rid of the Sheik. On the other hand, Barani expresses that it is an unnecessary step. They all discuss the sudden marc of Ain-ul-Mulk towards Delhi. Najib indicates that he refused the post of the Governor of Deccan since he wants to stay in Avadh. During the discussion, there is also reference by Najib to the striking resemblance Sheik has with the Muhammad. The Sultan declares that he wants the army to be ready to march towards Kanauj within a day. He assigns the responsibility to Najib and Shihab-ud-in to take care of the administration in his absence. Muhammad and Najib together go to meet the commander-in-chief for detailed strategy. It is in this scene that there is a reference to the insecurities of Tughlaq along with the indication of him being involved in the murder of his own father and brother, due to his ambitions to rule the kingdom.

The step-mother is also depicted confiding her anxieties in Barani and advising him to keep Tughlaq away from those advisors who mislead him. She asserts that it is his friends, especially Najib, who is a bad influence on him and claims that she cannot tolerate him anymore. Barani is surprised with her remarks, but concurs with her. The stepmother also asks Barani to never leave the side of Muhammad and he accordingly, promises her the same. Subsequently, the announcer asks the public at large to present for a meeting to be addressed by Sheik-Imam-ud-in in front of the Great mosque, wherein he will share the details about the Muhammad’s administration and mistakes. Scene – III Sheikh Imam-ud-din and Tughlaq meet in Delhi. It is not a happy meeting, but turns the wheels towards the long term strategy. The Sheikh is one of the critics of the Sultan and his policies. He accuses the policies of Tughlaq to be the cause of unrest and discontent in the general public of the kingdom. Both Sheikh and Tughlaq are waiting in front of a mosque for an anticipated audience. Apparently, it was Tughlaq’s plan that the Sheikh can be perceived to be advising his subjects and address them. Whereas, no audience was allowed to enter that particular mosque. The Sheikh feels disappointed as no audience is present. He even blames Tughlaq for this deceit. It is then that the Sheikh realizes that Tughlaq’s openness and generosity towards Hindus and Muslims is only a political strategy. Sheikh claims that Tughlaq is not following the tenets of Islam and that he is going against the religion. Both the Sheikh and Tughlaq engage in a verbal duel for justifying their own stance. Towards the conclusion of the scene, Tughlaq convinces Sheikh to meet Ain-ul-Mulk, since his physical attributes resemble that of the Sultan. Tughlaq requests the Sheikh to act as a messenger of peace between himself and Ain-ul-Mulk. The reason which Tughlaq gives himself for this decision is that Ain-ul-Mulk will never start the war when he realizes that the

Sheikh, who is a man of religion, is conveying a message of compromise. After the Sheikh wears the royal robes and head dress, he looks just like the Sultan. Scene – IV The Step-mother shares her anxieties about Tughlaq with Shihab-ud-din, another courtier. The sudden and unexpected death of Sheikh Imam-ud-din is announced in this scene. Sardar Ratansingh, who is the half-brother of Shihab arrives with this news. The Sultan enters the room along with his counsellors, Barani and Najib. The Muhammad declares that he has forgiven Ain-ul-Mulk since he helped solve a chess game within in a few minutes, whereas Tughlaq himself was not able to solve it in days. He was also happy that Ain-ul-Mulk helped him with a mistake in his solution. Tughlaq has pardoned him and asked him to stay in Avadh. Barani is seemingly happy, with the fact that, the Muhammad is capable of pardoning an enemy. Shihab-ud-in and Ratansingh stay back to discuss the death of Sheikh. Sheikh-Imamud-din’s death is testimony to the success of the Sulan’s plans. The Sultan had cunningly plotted Sheikh’s death in the battlefield in a bid to counter Ain-ul-Mulk, and is easily and effortlessly absolved of his guilt. This murder by Tughlaq acquaints the readers with the darker side of his character. His soaring ambition compels him to curb all dissension, and this is a step in that direction. The actual reason for Sheikh‘s death in the battlefield and the Sultan‘s hand in the murder are explained in gory detail by Ratansingh, who narrates the events to Shihab- uddin and says that it was a cleverly conceived murder. Ratansingh further informs him about is a secret meeting happening amongst the nobles of the court and asks Shihab to join it. Scene – V This scene depicts a house in Delhi. Here, Sihab-ud-din and Ratansingh, the Amirs and the Sayyids are discussing the manner in which they can tackle the dictatorship of the Sultan. The Amirs try to influence Shihab-ud-din by expressing concerns over the effects of the policies

enacted by Tughlaq. The Amirs portray the Sultan as offensive and ask Shihab-ud-din to act on their behalf. They also discuss the ploys that Tughlaq had undertaken as regards the Sheikh and ensuring that no citizens attend his address even at the Mosque. The heated discussions of Tughlaq’s tyrant behaviour are observed. They also discuss the shifting of capital from Delhi to Daulatabad. The Amirs opine that it is a trap for them to lose their power since Daulatabad is a Hindu dominated city. The Amirs and Ratansingh manage to convince Shihab-ud-din to conspire in murder of the Sultan. They decide the ploy to murder Tughlaq on the day of the Durbar-i-khas at the prayer time. Initially Shihad opposes this conspiracy, but eventually agrees to the plan since the whole idea behind this plan is to increase the spread of Islam and release of tyranny of the Sultan. Even at the end, Shihab is occupied in his thoughts about the correctness of this conspiracy to murder the Sultan. Scene – VI The Amirs have meeting with the Sultan at the Durbar-i-khas. The Muhammad, Barani and Najib are present when the Amirs enter. Varied issues are discussed including the cancellation of shifting of the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad. The Sultan refuses to accept the change. He further declares that the current currency will be changed in the kingdom from silver to copper. This introduction of copper currency further frustates the Amirs. The Muhammad also declares that Abbasid Ghiyas-ud-din Muhammad, who is a member of the Abbasid Khalifs has accepted his invitation to visit the capital in the following year. The Amirs and Shihab had hatched the plan for the murder at the time of prayer. However, they are immediately imprisoned by the Hindu soldiers of Sultan. Shihab-ud-din is mercilessly killed by the Sultan himself in his momentary angry.

This scene displays the ruthlessness of the Sultan. No sympathy can be associated with the tyrant Tughlaq after this particular scene after he announces that public hanging of all the corpses of the conspirators of his failed attempt to murder as a lesson for others. He even announces a blanket ban on all the prayers in his Kingdom. However, on the advice of Najib, the Sultan suspends all prayer activities till the expected arrival of Ghiyas-ud-din Abbasid, a descendent of the Khalifa. The Sultan declares that everyone must move to Daulatabad with immediate effect. Scene – VII This scene depicts the travel route from Delhi to Daulatabad. In this scene, Aziz is still impersonating as a Brahmin and defrauds the innocent citizens, enroute to the new capital. He makes money out of the misery of people. Aziz, cunningly, manipulates the laws and orders of the Sultan. He keeps on deceiving people. When Aazam enquires him about his fraudulent activities, Aziz retorts that Aazam has not learnt anything even after staying so long in Delhi. He further claims that only after spending a few months in Delhi, he has discovered the art of politics, which is full of wealth, success, position and power. He keeps on making a mockery of the rules and defrauding people. A Hindu woman is shown kneeling in front of Aziz, the impersonator. She requests for leave of absence for a day leave since her daughter is not keeping well. Aziz suggests her to bribe him for a day of leave. She pleads that she has no money and her daughter dies in this chaos. Further, a man accompanied his wife and 6 children arrive. Aziz notifies that they are late and should have reached before the sunset. The man retorts that his reason for delay was the increase number of the corpses that he had to bury on his way, who were killed by the Sultan himself. If their family wanted the dead bodies to be returned to them, they had to pay for those corpses.

On gaining the knowledge of introduction of copper currency, Aziz conspires with Aazam to mint copper coins, which will eventually make them rich. Scene – VIII This scene is based in Daulatabad, which is now the new capital. The two guards of the fort are depicted expressing their concerns over the sad state of affairs in the new capital city. They feel unfortunate to be present in this city. The older guard claims that he has lost his father, son and his wife on the way from Delhi to Daulatabad. They even talk about the presence of a python-like passage inside the Daulatabad fort which claims to swallow people. Suddenly, the Sultan himself appears and comments on the young age of the guards. Tughlaq then mulls over his past, wherein he at the age of 21 years, had made up his mind to build this fort on his own. He also feels that after arrival in this new city, all his hopes and enthusiasm have fizzled. He was disturbed with the outcome of movement from Delhi and unhappy about it. He is further disturbed by the news of armies coming towards his kingdom. Later, he confesses to Barani that he is done with all the ruthless murders and is looking forward to a life of peace and harmony. The Muhammad tells him that Fakr-ud-din and Bahal-ud-din in Deccan are planning a rising against him. He claims that at this moment, he can only trust Ain-ul-Mulk and Shihab’s father to fight alongside him for this new rebellion. However, the scene is dismissed with the news of the murder of Najib, his close aid. Scene – IX This scene is dedicated to another impersonation stunt of Aziz. While waiting for some goods to arrive, Aziz and Aazam discuss new ways in which they can defraud the gullible people and make money for themselves. Aazam declares to Aziz that he does not like sort of life. Aziz convinces Aazam that they must rob and punish the real culprit, which is the King.

In the meantime, Karim brings a gagged man, whom he considers to be a Turkish Merchant. Once the man is allowed to talk, he reveals that he is the Ghiyas-ud-din Abbasid, a descendant of Khalifa Abbasid and the Guest of Honour of the Sultan himself. Khalifa threatens Aziz for treating him in this manner. Aziz claims that the Muhammad has killed numerous people since his arrival to Daulatabad. He also claims that he himself had killed a man, who had pretended to be a descendant of a Prophet. He had then filled the corpse with straw and strung up in the market place as deterrent to others. Khalifa informs that he has a letter and a ring from the Sultan, which are the symbols for his recognition. Aziz then plans and orders the descendant of Khalifa - Ghiyas-ud-din Abbasid to be kidnapped for his future plans. Once the man arrives with the symbols of recognition, Aziz murders the Khalifa Ghiyas-ud-din Abbasid and impersonates him. His disguises are so real that no one can recognize this impersonator. It is definitely a parallel between him and the Sultan. Aziz has yet again managed to cleverly manipulate the orders issued by the Sultan. Using the political instability to his advantage, Aziz gets dressed as the spiritual man, whose arrival was awaited even by Tughlaq. He is aware of the fact that prayer can only be resumed after his meeting in this disguise with the Sultan. Scene – X This scene is set in the palace. Tughlaq’s Step-mother questions his policies and decision making. She particularly points out at his change of currency, which was adopting copper currency instead of silver. She was even aware of the presence of counterfeit coins in the open market, which could have a negative impact on the economy.

The Sultan is greatly disturbed by the death of his close aide, Najib. In order to ascertain his murderer, Tughlaq orders the death of the Amirs and their families. On receiving the news of these innumerable deaths, the step-mother reveals that she had conspired to murder Najib by poisoning him to death. She added that Najib was the reason behind all the violent murders ordered by the Sultan. She believed that after Najib’s death, the spree of murders will come to an end. However, this further added to the agony of Tughlaq, who spiraled into a mentally unstable person. Tughlaq ordered her death by stoning for the murder of Najib. He compares her to an adulteress He feels depressed by the situation around him. He anxiously appeals to the God to help him. He asks for His forgiveness and prays Him to save Tughlaq. At this point, it seems that Tughlaq has had enough of bloodshed and wants to stop all the chaos. He points out that only God can save him now. Barani enters the scene. Tughlaq reveals to him that wished pray against his own rules. Barani highlights that the Governor has issued a letter claiming that they call all begin to pray. He also reveals that the descendant of the Khalifa has arrived. The announcer later declares that the prayer must be resumed from the following Friday and that all Muslims must pray five times a day. Scene – XI This scene is set outside the fort of Daulatabad. The general public is not happy with the arrival of the Khalifa because they have been through a crazy amount of bloodshed and chaos. The common public has understood that prayer is not a solution to their problems like famine and starvation. Tughlaq welcomes the Khalifa, who is in reality the impersonator Aziz. The Sultan uses respectable words and titles for the Khalifa. These dialogues seem hilarious since the sultan is using them for Aziz disguised as the Khalifa and that the reader are aware of the same. Tughlaq embraces the Khalifa (who is Aziz) and falls on his feet to remove all his sins.

During the journey from Delhi to Daultabad, a woman who had lost her child, recognizes the disguised Aziz, but is silenced by his men. Riots breakout in the city and there is more chaos. Scene – XII This scene is set in the palace. Aazam hatches a plan to escape from the palace along with Aziz since he fears all the suspicious activities being done by Aziz. Aziz does not want to leave since he is enjoying the hospitality of the palace. Aziz is confident that no one will be able to recognize them and that they can easily enjoy this life. Aazam, on the other hand, is skeptical of the plan and insists that they both must leave the palace as soon as possible. Aziz does not want to give rise to any suspicions by leaving or by letting Aazam leave the palace alone. Aazam informs Aziz that he has bribed 2 servants of the palace, who will bring to them two horses. They must leave within the next half an hour. Since the city is in chaos, Aazam has planned to escape through the secret passage. They even talk about the counterfeit coins heaped outside the palace, which they had minted. Aazam tries to convince Aziz to leave along with him but Aziz refuses. Aazam eventually leaves the palace on his own accord. Scene-XIII The scene starts with a conversation between Sultan and Barani. Barani brings to the attention of the Sultan that he has to leave for his mother’s funeral, since she has died in the riots in the city. He also expresses his unsurity of return to Tughlaq. In the meantime, a soldier enters and reveals that Aazam Jahan has been murdered in the tunnels. The Muhammad asks the soldier to ensure that the murder of Aazam remains a secret and sends for Khalifa Ghiyas-ud-din.

The unexpected murder of Aazam causes Aziz to face the Sultan. The sultan questions his identity and realizes that it was Aziz who was disguised as the Khalifa. He is caught red- handed by the Sultan himself. Aziz argues before the Sultan that he is in true sense his only disciple, since he had observed all the laws and policies issued by the Sultan. He then details before Tughlaq all his deeds and actions. He expresses how he had tried to imitate the actions of the Sultan himself. He further reveals all his disguises before Tughlaq from the common dhobi, when he had filed the suit against the Sultan and won; to production of counterfeit currency; defrauding people of their money enroute Delhi to Daulatabad; being merciless in his actions; murdering the Khalifa and later, impersonating the Khalifa and appearing before Tughlaq. When the Sultan asked him what is his appropriate punishment, he insisted that he must be promoted to post of an officer in the government. Astonished by his zeal, the Sultan appointed him the official of Deccan. The Muhammad asks Aziz to lead the prayer as if he was the real Khalifa Ghiyas-ud-din. Aziz follows the orders of Tughlaq and exits. Barani fails to understand the reason behind the forgiveness of Aziz. The Muhammad claims that it was Barani who was happy when Tughlaq had forgiven Ain-ul-Mulk, so why is he not happy with this decision. Barani retorts that that Ain-ul-Mulk was a good friend of Tughlaq and on the other hand, it is not same in the case of Aziz. Barani also reveals that Ain-ul-Mulk has invited the Muhammad and people to stay at the capital. Tughlaq claims that he must return to Delhi with his people. Barani is very upset with the chain of events. Barani asks permission to leave from Tughlaq, who doesn’t reply for a quite a long time. He says that he is sleepy after five years. He asks Barani to leave, but to pray before leaving. Later, Barani, the last close aide of Tughlaq, left him. This resulted in a complete isolation of the Sultan. He felt being completely different and unable to recognize himself.

In the last scene, Tughlaq hears the prayers and falls asleep. After the prayer, Tughlaq awakes confused from his deep sleep. What is the contemporary political relevance of this play? The author, Karnad has highlighted the relevance of the play for the present time. This play does not just present a picture of the past kingdoms, but also highlights the implications for the present political scenarios. The author has clearly drawn a parallel between the tyrannical reign of the Sultan Tughlaq and the political upheavals of the Nehruvian era. If we try to compare this play with the current government in the center, we will realize that this play is extremely relevant even today in the year 2021. If we can eliminate the violent murders from the play, we can see a clear picture of current politics as well. Even today, the elected government has given out many laws and orders, which have resulted in chaos in the open market. Though the government has taken up some key projects like Swatch Bharat Abhiyaan, and social security schemes, it has also given us a sudden denomination of the existing currency, which had led to chaos in the initial days till the new currency had reached everyone. Another such policy change was the implementation of GST and repealing all other related financial laws to give way to the implementation of GST in the country. Various key leaders of the country like Yahswant Sinha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, etc. have quoted their comparisons of PM Mr. Narendra Modi to the Sultan Mohammad-bin Tughlaq. These comments and tweets were specially released at the time of sudden announcement of demonetization of the currency in the year 2016. It was a surprise declaration for all the Indians when the PM Narendra Modi hit the TV screens on the dreaded evening of 8th of November, 2016, that the government announced that the demonetisation will curb the rising black money of the country, which was claimed to be in the form of counterfeit currency notes of the denominations of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000. It was further asserted that this move of demonetization will not only check the circulation of fake currency, but also aid in promotion of digital payments. The removal of Art. 370, which was welcomed by general public, also caused criticism of the government. The issue with the current Modi regime has been its sudden announcement of policy decisions and providing lesser time to get equipped to handle the changes. Thus, even after years of its publication, this play continues to be perceived as contemporary.

Criticism: Through his plays, the author has demonstrated the transformative practices of his generation and also, has created a distinctive place for himself in the history with respect to the choices of subject matter, his dramatic writing style and authorial built-up of characters. His plays have meaningful texts with important qualities and refer to serious issues of life and society. The plays of the author specifically deal with the philosophical and religious beliefs of the society and celebrate the same. He refers to the historical developments and their transformation with an element of illusion linked to them. Though it is true that myths do play a pertinent role in the Indian society, the author has tried to play on the emotions of the society at large. In the play, he introduced the audience to a different side of Tughlaq than what we all have read and learnt in our history books. He has shown Tughlaq in a very positive frame, who is dreaming for a utopian sovereign nation. The myths and folks introduced buy the author in his writing are at a different level all together. He did not highlight the key issues faced by the people in the form of racial division and religious issues. This play lacks the significance how a common (con) man is able to dupe the biggest Sultan of all times. 2.3 SUMMARY Karnad depicts the journey of Tughlaq from a visionary to a tyrant crazy for power and money. This play draws analogy of reign of Tughlaq with that of Nehru and Indira Gandhi in the democratic India. This play Tughlaq explores the character of one of the most interesting kings of Delhi, namely, Sultan Mohammed-bin-Tughlaq. He ruled for more than 25 years. He is fascinating person. He is extremely well-read, artistic and has creative mind. He is considered a visionary

for his far-sighted ideas. His philosophy of creating a unified and glorious India were unparalleled. He treated Hindus and Muslims equal before the eyes of the state. He abolished the burdensome tax Jaziya from the Hindus and passed the law wherein the Sultan is also considered the first among equals. He gives the right to all Hindus to sue the government or his officials for any breaches. He attempts to move the capital of country from Delhi to Daultabad. His ideas about improving the economy were exemplary. He introduced the copper currency. However, he was not able to achieve his goals and got frustrated with the mismanagement and lack of understanding from people surrounding him. He turned into a tyrant with time. He conspired with his loyalists to get rid of his opponents. He slowly turned suspicious and doubted everyone. He carried out numerous ghastly murders and crimes. He was termed as the ‘Mad King’. This play has portrayed the journey in a very detailed manner. It has also included few other characters to help the readers get a better understanding of what transpired for the Sultan to turn from a visionary to a tyrant. The author has depicted the loopholes of his policies through the actions and shrewdness of Aziz and Aazam. The play was an instant success. It hit the right chords in the hearts of people and made them compare of what the India they expected to be after independence and what has been achieved. The strategies employed by the leader and his aides in this play are visible in contemporary governments also. We do witness the intermingling of religion with politics, which is not a healthy choice for voters at the time of election. It is time we take steps to differentiate between the two – religion and politics. We must draw a strong line of demarcation in order to save our future generations from facing the chaos which ended the reign of Tughlaq. 2.4 KEYWORDS  Contemporary: belonging to the same or a stated period in the past.  Fiction: books and stories about imaginary people and events

 Impersonation: an act of pretending to be another person for the purpose of entertainment or fraud.  Tyrant: a cruel and oppressive ruler.  Utopia: an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect.  Visionary: thinking about or planning the future with imagination or wisdom. 2.5 LEARNING ACTIVITY 1. Imagine yourself as father of Tughlaq. Write a scene between yourself and Tughlaq wherein you ask Tughlaq to take over the throne. 2. Imagine yourself as Aziz. Write a conversation between Aziz and Tughlaq, wherein Aziz confesses all his crimes before the Sultan in detail and convinces him that each one of them is done as an extension of orders of Tughlaq. 2.6 UNIT END QUESTIONS A. Descriptive Questions Short Questions 1. Can Kamala Das be called as a “confessional” poet? 2. Identify potential approaches to annotate the following lines from Das' \"An Introduction:\" \"Be Amy, or be in Kamala” 3. In the poem \"My Grandmother's House,\" how does Kamala Das reveal the intensity of her grief over her past life? 4. What happened to the house after the death of the grandmother? 5. Write about Kamala Das and her notion of the typical Indian woman and male domination in the Indian society. Long Questions

1. What explanation could there be for the names of Kamala Das? Be Amy, or Be Kamala or, better still, be Madhavikutty.... 2. Explain how Kamala Das subverts the dominance of a traditionally patriarchal society by giving voice to women. 3. Discuss the expression off self-consciousness in the poem \"An Introduction\" by Kamala Das. 4. Critically analyse the poem An Introduction by Kamala Das in your own words. 5. Critically analyse the poem The Grandmother’s house by Kamala Das in your own words. B. Multiple Choice Questions 1. Name the first play written by Girish Karnad a. Tughlaq b. Hayavadana c. Nagamandala d. Yayati 2. Which century is depicted in the play Tughlaq? a. Fourteenth b. Thirteenth c. Twelfth d. Fifteenth 3. Which Prime Minister does the play draws parallel with? a. Pandit Nehru

b. Rajiv Gandhi c. Narendra Modi d. Manmohan Singh 4. Tughlaq changed the currency from silver to a. Gold b. Copper c. Iron d. Paper 5. Who is the impersonator in this play? a. Aziz b. Azam c. Tughlaq d. Najib 6. The first scene of the play opens in front of a. Garden b. Temple c. Shop d. Court 7. The play ‘Tughlaq’ is about a. Muhammed Bin Tughlaq who ruled India in the 14th Century

b. The life story of Girish Karnad c. The shifting of the capital to Daulatabad d. Contemporary king 8. The play ‘Tughlaq’ is an allegory on a. The Nehruvian era b. The Mughal dynasty c. Hindu – Muslim relations d. The role of a king 9. The issues posed by the play ‘Tughlaq’ are relevant because of a. The political references b. The organisational references c. The qualities of a leader d. All of the above 10. Who is Barani in the play ‘Tughlaq’? a. The historian b. The constant companion of Tughlaq c. The representative of the rational side of Tughlaq d. All of the above Answers: 1 – d; 2 – a; 3 – a; 4 – b; 5 – a; 6 – d; 7 – a; 8 – a; 9 – a and 10 – d

2.7 SUGGESTED READINGS Reference Books:  Das, Kamala. My Story. New Delhi: Harper Collins Publisher, 2004. Print. “Das, Kamala. Poems.”  Narasimhaiah, C. D. An Anthology of Commonwealth Poetry. New Delhi: Macmillan, 2004. Print  \"Individuality\" in Kamala Das and in Her Poetry\". English Poetry in India: A Secular Viewpoint. Eds. PCK Prem and D.C.Chambial. Jaipur: Aavishkar, 2011. 65–73.  \"Meet the Writer: Kamala Das\", POETCRIT XVI: 1 (January 2003): 83–98. Journal  Behera, N., 2012. Exploring the Unexplored : The Love Poerty of Kamala Das. Paripex - Indian Journal Of Research, 3(2), pp.169-170.  Das, J., 2020. Interrogating the 'Body-politics' and Construction of 'Subjectivity' in Kamala Das's 'An Introduction'. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 7(6), pp.44-46.  Das, K., 2000. An Introduction. Feminist Studies, 26(3), p.727.  Das, M., de Valk, H. and Merz, E., 2016. Mothers' Mobility after Separation: Do Grandmothers Matter?. Population, Space and Place, 23(2), p.e2010.  Kishore, U. and Hariharan, B., 2020. Kamala Das. Writers in Conversation, 7(1).  \"Man-Woman Relationship with Respect to the Treatment of Love in Kamala Das' Poetry\". Contemporary Literary Criticism Vol. 191. Ed. Tom Burns and Jeffrey W. Hunter. Detroit: Thomson-Gale, 2004. 44–60.  Rathee, R., 2018. Mode of Confession in Kamala Das' Poetry. Journal of Advances and Scholarly Researches in Allied Education, 15(3), pp.178-182. Websites

 A feminist reading of Kamala Das’s poetry. Prof. K. V. Dominic. Web.20 Mar. 2000.  Confessional mode in poetry of Kamala Das. Web. 25 Aug. 2013.  Avinash English. 2021. My Grandmother's House, Summary | Question Answer Objective Class12. [online] Available at: <https://avinashenglish.com/my- grandmothers-house/>.  Literature Analysis. 2021. An Introduction as a feminist poem by Kamala Das.. [online] Available at: <https://www.englishliterature.info/2020/10/an-introduction-as- feminist-poem.html> [Accessed 5 April 2021].  Owlcation - Education. 2021. Analysis of the Poem \"My Grandmother's House\" by Kamala Das. [online] Available at: <https://owlcation.com/humanities/Analysis-of- Poem-My-Grandmothers-House-by-Kamala-Das> [Accessed 5 April 2021].  Poem Analysis. 2021. An Introduction by Kamala Das | Poem Analysis. [online] Available at: <https://poemanalysis.com/kamala-das/an-introduction/> [Accessed 5 April 2021].  Poem Analysis. 2021. My Grandmother’s House by Kamala Das | Poem Analysis. [online] Available at: <https://poemanalysis.com/kamala-das/my- grandmothers- house/> [Accessed 5 April 2021].

UNIT - 3: POETRY BY KAMALA DAS Structure 3.0 Learning Objectives 3.1 Introduction 3.2 An Introduction 3.3 My Grandmother's House 3.4 Summary 3.5 Keywords 3.6 Learning Activity 3.7 Unit End Questions 3.8 Suggested Readings 3.0 LEARNING OBJECTIVES After reading this unit, the student will be able to:  Know the poet – Kamala Das  Understand and analyse the poem ‘An Introduction’  Understand and analyse the poem ‘My Grandmother’s House’ 3.1 INTRODUCTION Kamala Das (also known as Kamala Surayya, after the change of her religion) was born as Kamala Madhavikutty. She used the pen name – Madhavikutty for her works. She was a leading Indian English poet. She was a leading Malayalam author belonging to Kerala. She is known as the “mother of modern Indian English poetry”. ‘The TIMES’ gave her this title in the year 2009. She was born in Punnayurkulam, Thrissur District in Kerala in the year 1934 in an artistic family. Her father, V. M. Nair was managing editor of the Malayalam Daily – Mathrubhum and her mother, Nalappatt Balamani Amma was a well-known poet. So, in her early ages only, she was introduced to the world of literature. She spent her childhood shuttling between Calcutta, where her father was working in the Walford Transport Company and their Nalappatt ancestral home in Punnayurkulam.

Kamala Das is celebrated for her truthful poems and covering a wide range of issues in her short stories and for her detailed autobiography. Her work contested the Indian beliefs of female sexuality. She is considered to be a champion for women’s rights and equality. She started her journey of writing at an early age with her uncle, Nalapat Menon, who was a well-known writer. She was married at the young age of 16 years to Madhava Das. She had three children. Her husband actively encouraged her writing. She quickly rose to fame in the artistic and cultural circles of Calcutta in the early 1960s. Due to the presence of inequality in the society and belonging to the ‘fairer sex’, she could not write during the day, but had to wait for night to start writing. She usually spent the whole nights emerged in her writings. Her husband supported her for the same. This eventually had a negative impact on her health since she was not getting proper sleep as during the day, she was taking care of the house and kids, and at night, she was busy with her writing. The poet had open views of sexuality of women. She touched the taboo subject of how a woman can also explore her needs. She added eroticism to her writings along with death. Her topics were always unique. She was a confessional poet who has been compared to Anne Sexton and Robert Lowell. She is basically known for her bold and forthright expression. The key characteristics of her poetry are obsession with love and the confession about it. The themes of her poetry revolve around freedom, love and protection. She wrote on a diverse range of topics ranging from the story of a poor old servant to sexual issues of upper middle class women. In the year 1965, her 1st book of poetry was published. It was titled – Summer in Calcutta. This book was a collection of poems about love and betrayal. Her style of writing was different from her contemporaries, who followed the writing styles of the 19th century. She followed a personal approach to poetry, but less emotional. Her 2nd book was again a collection of poetry, titled – The Descendants. Through this book, she urged women to release their hungers and satisfy the desires of their man.

It was in her 40s that she published her autobiography – “My Story”. She did incorporate elements of fantasy and fiction in the same. It was written in Malayalam language. This book was admired and criticized in equal measures for its sexual candor. Till date, this autobiography features in the popular lists of autobiographies in India. Some of her popular stories include Pakshiyude Manam, Neypayasam, Thanuppu and Chandana Marangal. Neermathalam Pootha Kalam is one of her well-received books. Another popular poem of hers, titles – A Hot Noon in Malabar, is about climate in a town in Malabar. This climate annoyed many people due to the heat, dust and noise. However, she seems to like this climate as she associates it with wild men, erotic thoughts and steamy love. She feels that it is a torture to be away from Malabar in that climate. \"Dance of Eunuchs\" was also one of her many appreciated poems. In this poem, the poet sympathises with the eunuchs and their dancing in the heat of sun. She has illustrated how their costumes, makeup and their dancing passion suggest the female fluidity. She compared their inward and outward appearances; how their external joy is contrasted with their hidden sadness; and how there is no real happiness in their lives. In the poem titled 'A Request', she contemplates over her meaningless life, loneliness and repetitiveness. Her last book was titled “The Kept Woman and Other Stories”. It featured translation of her short stories and was published posthumously. When her international fame grew, she travelled to many countries for reading her poetry. She often visited Germany, England, Canada and Australia. She was a regular to read poetry to various universities in Germany, namely, the Universities of Duisburg-Essen, Bonn and Duisburg. She also a regular at the Adelaide Writer's Festival, Frankfurt Book Fair, and South Bank Festival in London. She also visited regularly the Concordia University at Montreal, Canada and University of Kingston in Jamaica. Her works are available in many foreign languages including French, Spanish, Russian, German and Japanese. She has held various prestigious positions as Vice-chairperson in Kerala Sahitya Akademi, Chairperson in Kerala Forestry Board, President of the Children's Film Society of Kerala, editor of the magazine - “Poet” and Poetry editor of Illustrated Weekly of India.

She always read a controversial life. After her husband died in the year 1992, after 43 years of their marriage, she developed a relationship with an Islamic scholar, Sadiq Ali and converted to Islam. Both of them never got married. Later, she regretted her decision of religious conversion and wished to convert back to Hinduism. She was dissuaded by her son for re-conversion back to Hinduism as it could irk the radicals and threaten her. In the year 1984, the author / poet was shortlisted and nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. She did not receive the same. Her list of awards include:  PEN Asian Poetry Prize in the year 1963  Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Story – Thanuppu in the year 1968  Shortlisted for the Nobel Prize in Literature in the year 1984  Kendra Sahitya Academy Award (English) – Collected Poems in the year 1985  Kerala State Film Award for Best Story in the 1988  Vayalar Award – Neermathalam Pootha Kalam in the year 1997  Asian Poetry Prize in the year 1998  Honorary D.Litt by University of Calicut and Muttathu Varkey Award in the year 2006  Ezhuthachan Award in the year 2009 She even launched a political party named, Lok Seva Party with the aim to provide asylum to those mothers who had no house and were left alone; and to promote of secularism. In the year 1984, she was unsuccessful when she contested in the Parliament elections. She died at a hospital in Pune at the age of 75 years in the year 2009. Her body was flown for last rites to her home state of Kerala. She was buried at the Palayam Juma Masjid at Thiruvanathapuram with full state honour.

Her longtime Canadian writer friend, Merrily Weisbord, who published a memoir of their friendship titled – The Love Queen of Malabar in the year 2010. 3.2 AN INTRODUCTION BY KAMALA DAS ‘An Introduction’ was part of her first collection of poems published under the title - ‘Summer in Calcutta’ in the year 1965. The theme of these poems is love and pain that follows betrayal. This particular poem – ‘An Introduction’ is one of her most well-known poems. True to her writing style, it is a confessional poem, wherein the poet is emphasizing her own emotions in regards to the patriarchy that controls her life and the lives of countless other women who are suffering. It is a sage of her own mental and emotional state as she aged and pushed back against the patriarchy. The poem ‘An Introduction’ begins with the speaker narrating that she knows all the male leaders of India. All their names are a part of her existence. She pays tribute to their overwhelming power. This contrasts it with the lack of power she felt while growing up and getting married at a young age of sixteen years. She struggles with her identity during the early years and is finally able to step away from the traditional role of wife. She describes the means in which men are able to move through the world with a strong identity of their own. They have the freedom of their choices and emotions. In the last few lines, she expresses her opinions against the patriarchal way of life by declaring that she feels that she does not belong to the man she loves. She too can be “I.” The poet explores powerful themes of feminism, equal rights to women, freedom and marriage in this poem ‘An Introduction’. This poem sends a strong message of feminism to the readers and others who advocate for free choice for all women. Though it is in regards to every aspect of life, but the poet puts a special emphasis on marriage. In this poem, a strong comparison has been drawn regarding the contrasts of the roles of men and women in society. It explains how during her life, she was forced to obey the rules, which infringed on her freedom. She raises the questions in minds of readers if, like the pot suffering in the poem how, they had to apply similar rules to their own life. If there is no

match, then they might ask themselves the reason for the same and if some kind of unaddressed or unacknowledged privilege is making their lives better. This poem - ‘An Introduction’ is a sixty line poem which is contained in a single section. The lines range from three words to eleven words. There is no set metrical pattern being followed by the poet. Also, the poet has not followed a rhyme scheme in this poem. The lines vary greatly in length as well as syllable number. The poem is written in free verse style of writing, which allows the poet to use diverse structures and make use of intermittent rhyming words. There are few examples of half-rhyme and internal rhyme in this poem - ‘An Introduction’. The poet uses various techniques like enjambment, repetition and anaphora. Repetition and anaphora are evident at the beginning of a number of lines, such as lines four and five. In this instance, the poet is giving two conviction filled statements about who she is. The same is conveyed through the repetition of the pronoun “I”. Later on, the same repetition is used to define her language as both “English” and “human”. She is a human being and is equal and valuable as any other. In this poem, we can also appreciate the examples of allusion. She suggests a specific place and that the name of a specific politician, which require research in order to understand. Let us know break and analysis the poem - An Introduction Lines 1-13 In the first section of ‘An Introduction,’ the poet compares her knowledge of politicians to the days of the week and months of the year. Though it is imperative to note that she does not have a good knowledge of politics itself, those in power have stayed in her mind. This depicts their power to be much greater than their role should allow. The 1st politician she is able to recall is “Nehru,” who served as India’s first prime minister after the independence of the country.

After these opening lines that set the scene, the poet describes her own being. She is an “Indian” citizen and she is “very brown” in color. Lastly, she belongs to Malabar in the southwestern part of India. These are the essentials of her life, but do not comprise of everything. She adds that she is able to speak three different languages, write in two languages and dream only in one language. She continues to describe the importance of language and how she is judged for writing in English, which is not her “mother-tongue”. Her mother tongue is Malayalam. She emphasizes that whenever she is criticized for the way she speaks and writes, she feels lonely. She does not find anyone supporting her in this scenario – neither her friends nor cousins. She finds that everyone have been turned into a critic. She directs the next sentence towards her group of critics and questions them that why do they bother about what language she speaks. The poet feels a deep bond to the words she uses. She asserts that it is her choice to use this language and that it can only be defined as her own if she chooses it even with the alterations, if any. Lines 13-25 In the next few lines of the poem - ‘An Introduction,’ the poet claims that she is one part English and one part Indian. She does not consider herself as either 100% English or Indian. She finds this combination funny and confesses it being a truth. This otherwise trivial issue, appears to be an important part of her being along with her desire for being authentic and honest to herself and others around her. Her identity, as she understands through her voice, is only human. She emphasizes on the fact the she is a human being. She does not like being categorized into different compartments. She feels it impairs her existence if she is defined by a single label and that she does not have the option to choose any other role for herself. The poet detests the gender-defined roles which are forced on women under the umbrella of patriarchy. The poet describes the control she has over her voice through speech as well as text. Her voice can exhibit all emotions, which mind can observes and perceives.

She compares the speech of humans to roaring of lions. She claims that the roar of a lion is comprehensible, unlike the roaring of a storm or the sounds of blazing fire. The poet states that she has freedom of choice, which can only be expressed through her voice alone. In the next few sentences, she explains that there are other aspects of her life which are hinged to that freedom. These aspects are not in her control alone. She commences this section of the poem by expressing that she felt older as she grew because of the physical changes she underwent and observed in herself. Lines 26-38 The next few lines define her unhappiness and is directly related to freedom she yearns for. She claims that when she was a young girl, she was naïve. She only looked out for love because she did not know what else she could desire for. The poet feels that her priority of finding love and this want ended when she married at the age of sixteen and her bedroom door closed after her and her husband. Although her husband did not physically abuse her, she felt oddly knocked out. In this part of the poem, she places her own body in one of those labels against which she had wished to rebel as mentioned in the beginning of the poem. It is due to this generalization of the fairer sex, woman, being treated only as a physical body, having no mind or decision making powers, which led her to marriage at a young age of sixteen. She attributes liability on her own physical appearances for leading her to this chaotic place. She feels that her noticeable female parts – her “breasts and the womb” play an overwhelming role in her life. The pressure placed on her body by her husband and by her family led to an emotional and mental turmoil for her. It was a pathetic process, but it did end. She continues the narration with the change that occurred in her. She decided to put on the trousers of her brother and chopped her hair short. The poet tried to get rid of the physical attributes leading to feminity, which she feel caused her harm. With her recreating her image, she felt empowered and was able to refuse to adhere to the traditions of womanhood and gender defined roles. These includes dressing up in traditional attire. She then feels that the people who categorized her into these roles might again tell her not to reinvent herself, keep

on intervening in her life, but she is not going into listen to anyone now. She has chosen to move her life beyond the traditional role and has therefore expanded her presence in the world. Lines 39-50 In the initial part of the next stanza of this poem, it becomes evident that the poet is truly destined to create her own identity for herself. She wonders at how she has carved out her own identity and is amazed by the fact that she can now choose to be anyone she likes: Amy, or Kamala. She claims it is better if she is herself – a unique version of Madhavikutty. The poet, Kamala Das, uses this very name – Madhavikutty as her pen name. She further added that there are few other reminders of the categories created by patriarchy, like how she should not pretend to play any games or cry embarrassingly loudly. The society has defined her role as a woman to be submissive, quiet and docile. She later describes a time period during which she met a man and fell in love with him. This person is referred to as a “man,” and is not named. With not naming that man, the poet has not made him the center of her narrative and refers to him as any and every other man who uses a woman according to his pleasures. At one point, when she is overwhelmed with her emotions, she questions this unnamed man to reveal himself and share as to who he really is. He responds that “it is I.” This “I” represents the authority he has been granted in the society. The poet reflects on that fact that how easy is it for men to make their own choices and have the authority and ability to define themselves as is expressed by usage of the pronoun – “I” in order to acquire whatever they want. Lines 51-60 The poem concludes with the poet acknowledging that “I” are constantly present around her. In the world around her, she contemplates that there are “I” men surrounding her everywhere.

A man has the freedom to go out for drink anytime of the day, not bothering if it is late, and stay anywhere, not caring about where he is. As the poem continues, the distinction between the poet and the “I” get blurred. Eventually, the poet is attempting to accept her own new found independence and unique identity as both the saint and the sinner. She feels suffocated between her own necessities of freedom and the society which does not like this free version of her, but attempts to keep her restrained as her old self. The final statement maintains protest and resistance. She states that she has pains which belong only to herself. She can never share these aches with anyone around her. And that she too can be “I.” Relevance of the poem today: The points of view shared by the poet in this poem are of particular significance to the modern times that we are living in. She has addressed several aspects of women’s role in the society, her freedom to choose, her desire to create a unique identity alongside the position a patriarchal society thrusts upon her. All these issues are clearly still relevant. Isn’t it interesting to note that how the poet was able to capture her emotions and thoughts in this poem - “An Introduction,” which was published in the year 1965, retains its relevance even today? As a society, are we stuck at the same thought process? When will we grow to accept the required changes? The poem explores the various aspects of an individual ranging from racial, social, familial, biological and even artistic. The poet has discussed all characteristics that can impact an individual per se. She has shed a new light on some of the harsh realities of our society. Let us break-down the key points of this poem in terms of their relevance today also.  Power: She started the poem with her emphasis on the fact that she is not political in nature, but she is aware of the power these politicians can display on the public at large. It is an important and relevant concept even today. The usage of the name of “Nehru” as the only politician further evidences how important few names become in the political

arena and the masculine dominance of power in independent India. Today also power and politics go hand-in-hand and play a predominant role in our society. The political scenes are still male dominated barring a few female politicians who have been able to challenge them. These few female politicians are countable on fingers as compared to their male counterparts. The elections are indeed a game changer.  Identity – racial and territorial: Firstly, the poet is referring to her national identity – Indian followed by her skin color – very brown and then, the place of birth – Malabar. She is conveying how important is the citizenship for her identity and also, the territorial association with her birth place (Malabar in this case). The skin color – very brown conveys her ethnicity. Even today we are biased with the race and regionalism. As a society, we have not matured a bit to distance ourselves from the issues of caste, creed and color. It has become a part and parcel of our lives so much so that we are not even trying to unlearn it. We continue to pass these identity related misconceptions from generation to generation. These issues get a revival of sorts with each round of elections and gets more deeply ingrained in the society.  Language divide: The poet asserts that she can speak three languages proficiently, which are, namely Malayalam, English and Hindi. She further mentioned that she uses only two languages for writing her works, namely Malayalam and English. She conveys that like all other human beings, she dreams only in one language, which is the language of human subconscious mind. She mentions how she is criticized for writing in a language (English), which is not her mother tongue. Don’t the Indian writers still face the issue of being compared with those English writers for whom the mother tongue is English? Isn’t this division of favouring the mother tongue a continuing issue? The poet abhors the criticism done by her cousins, friends and relatives for choosing a foreign language over her mother tongue. She questions her freedom to choose the language she feels comfortable in. She, being solely responsible for her creative works, must have the basic freedom to choose her language. She does not like being questioned by the nosy extended family. Look around you. How many instances can you recall when you have faced such an interference from those who are not even responsible for you? Do you let the judgments of such people affect you? If yes, then have you not given them the freedom to make choices for you in your life? It is time

we learn to mind our own business and stop poking our long noses in the life choices made by others. This judgmental attitude that we carry in the society only leads to negativity and affects the mental well-being of people in general.  Puberty The poet touches the sensitive topic of a girl being shamed for hitting puberty by the society. She clearly mentions her astonishment of how short her journey of adolescence was and how “they” pointed it out for her. The trauma of a child bride at the young age of 16 years is clearly depicted in this poem. The poet herself wonders how naïve she is at that young age where she seeks only love and does not even know what she wants for herself in future. It is time that puberty of a girl or a boy is celebrated and not made a burden on them. Though we have laws to ensure that the legal age of marriage for a girl is 18 years and that for a boy is 21 years, are these being executed properly? Is even 18 / 21 years the right age to marry? The marriage should not be determined only with age in numbers, but that of the mind. This would greatly help in reducing the marital horror stories we may witness or hear. It is important that both girls and boys are taught that the end goal is not marriage, it is a means to an end. The key is to find one’s own purpose and work towards it instead of just mindlessly getting married and starting a family.  Domestic violence The young poet of mere 16 years of age is drawn into the bedroom by her husband. She is at an age where she is not even aware of her own sexuality and here, she is forced to enter into the sexual relations with the man who is called her husband. Her husband does not physically abuse her, but the sexual relationship itself is extremely draining for her. She as a girl might not have a choice to even say “no” to her husband. It is not just the physical violence which is covered under domestic abuse, but also mental and emotional violence. Did you know that even today we have no laws which recognize marital rape? Once the girl is married, she is presumed to have given consent to her husband to use and abuse her body at his will and pleasure. She cannot refuse sexual relation with her husband. If a girl dares to do that and moves away from her spouse, the spouse has the right to file for restitution of conjugal rights. Is this not emotional violence, which may lead to physical violence as well? Are we

still not reeling under domestic violence over women with such patriarchal archaic laws?  Societal expectations of motherhood After the marriage, the poet feels that it is her breast and womb, which are crushing her under the societal pressure and expectations. She is being treated merely as a physical body for sex and later, for reproduction. Her usage of the term – breasts and womb are an indication of the pre-determined expectation to start her family at the earliest. Ask any newly-wed of today, how many times does she face the same question – when are you starting your family? Do people ever consider the career choices or even the fundamental freedom to choose not having a baby? Is that even an option? God forbid, if one faces any medical issues in conception, the list of unsolicited advice the poor soul receives can be a torture in itself. Add to the trauma, it is still the woman, who is blamed for all medical problems, even if she is not the reason behind it. We may have evolved in terms of medical problem solving, but have we evolved as a society where a woman is not crushed under the weight of becoming a mother. The next level of harassment begins once the journey to motherhood commences. The gender defined roles of our society still expect only the woman to be solely responsible for the child and not the man. These issues lead to numerous physical as well as mental health issues in women.  Society defined image of ideal woman The poet has emphasized the need she felt to rebel against the image which the society has defined for a woman. She does not want to dress up like all others and look the same. To defy this societal pressure, she wore masculine clothes from her brother’s wardrobe. She wore shirt and trousers, which were not the norm for women at that time. She even cut her hair short. She hates the caged identity linked with gender. She does not like when the society forces her to wear sarees to be like a girl or be the ideal wife. It is not the clothing or physical appearance which define her. Do you observe such perceptions related to physical attributes even today? The women who do not wear traditional clothes or stick to the norms defined by the society are still treated as a rebel. Are women still not expected to dress up in a certain manner at particular events?  Freedom to choose a career

The poet feels that the society expects a woman only to discharge duties related to the role of a house wife alone. She can be a seamstress, cook or a domestic supervisor only. She is advised to follow the herd and fit herself into any of these roles. She has no choice to choose a career for herself as per her own wishes. After almost 5 decades of this poem, we still face the dilemma of not being able to choose our own career path or move away from the roles defined by the society. Till date, it is the women who is expected to take care of the family, kids and related chores. On the other hand, it is still the duty of the man to be provide for his family. He is not allowed to take a break from his responsibility to earn for his family. We are still following these norms and have not moved away from it.  Carve your identity The poet yearns to carve out a niche for herself. She does not like the fact that she is expected to take care of her family and can only do her writing related work at night, when others have slept. This gradually starts affecting her health. She urges the women to stop conforming to the society defined stereotypical roles and start listening to their inner voice. She feels that the women should be allowed to nurture their talents and choose their own identity. Is this not the need of hour today also? It is imperative that the women have freedom to choose the role they want to play in their lives. They must have the freedom to even choose their names and not stick to their father’s or husband’s name forever. A woman should be able to carve a distinct identity of her own even after she marries. This poem – “An Introduction”, though was written almost 5 decades ago, sadly still holds true in various aspects. The women of today also lack freedom and equal status and opportunities as compared to the men of our patriarchal society. 3.3 MY GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE BY KAMALA DAS This poem ‘My Grandmother’s House’ was also part of her 1st poetry collection – ‘Summer Time in Calcutta’. It is an autobiographical poem in which the poet describes her longing for her parental house in Malabar. She emotionally describes that house. She is reminded of that

ancestral house from her childhood where she had received unadulterated love and undivided affection from her grandmother. The poet claims that her feminine awareness finds its strongest relationships in it. This poem has a pessimist thought throughout the action of the poem. It reveals the painful unfulfilled desire of the poet to visit her grandmother’s house again, to which she is deeply and emotionally connected to. The poet is in utter shock when she realizes that the house has ruined after the death of her grandmother. She suffers silently due to the wear and tear that the house has undergone in the absence of her grandmother. She connects the state of stillness of the house to a death-like situation. The intensity of her grief is conveyed by the usage of a few dots in the poem. It was her disappointment of her loveless marriage that reminds her of the pure and selfless love of her grandmother. The poet feels that her heart is like a dark window, where there is no place for the fresh air to blow. The sad image of the house is trapped in her mind. The poet has used the similes of a fretting dog to show her inability to pay a visit to the house belonging to her grandmother. She has used suggestive visual imagery of ‘blind eyes of the windows’ and ‘the frozen air’ to convey the impression of death and desperation. Let us break down and analyze the poem: Lines 1-5 There is a house now far away where once (…) To read, and my blood turned cold like the moon

This poem depicts the intense love and attachment the poet has to the house which belonged to her grandmother. She feels homesick about that house. She suffers from a desperate sense of estrangement after she left that house after her marriage took place. The poet lives in a big city after she got married and is away from her grandmother’s house. Each day, she is reminded of her grandmother’s house where she spent her memorable childhood. The poet deliberates over the fact that this house is the only place where she received unadulterated love from her grandmother. She claims that the death of her grandmother is mourned even by the house to which she was emotionally connected. She states that a death-like stillness now resides in the house after her grandmother left this world. The poet feels that her grandmother was the very soul of this house. Now that no one occupies the house, snakes can be notices in the books kept in the library of the house. At one point in time, the poet was too young to read those books, which looked quite terrible to her and repulsive like snakes. The poet was stunned with fear at the passing away of her grandmother and it seemed ice cold like the moon. The commencing lines of the poem sum up the nostalgic mood of the poet. She is reminded of the happiest days of her childhood which she had spent in the company of her grandmother. She was emotionally very attached to her grandmother who was extremely caring and affectionate towards her. The poet was emotionally weakened after the death of her grandmother and felt heart-broken. The intensity of her grief is suggestively conveyed by the dots mentioned this section of the poem. It was her disappointment with her loveless marriage that reminded her of her unadulterated pure and selfless love. Lines 6-12n How often I think of going

(…) Dog… In the above lines of the poem, ‘My Grandmother’s House’, the poet defines her relationship with her grandmother in a very emotional manner. The poet is reminded of the happiest days of her life, which are her childhood which spent with her grandmother. The poet yearns to visit her grandmother’s house to which she was emotionally connected since her childhood. To her, her grandmother’s house was the symbol of security and protection, which the poet feels is missing in her new house in the big city. The poet wants to go back in the time where she can peep through the coloured panes of the windows. However, these windows are now filled with dust and have been shut since the death of her grandmother. She would like to listen and feel the calmness of the atmosphere prevailing in the house. It is this craving to revisit her grandmother’s house that augments her sense of frustration and hopelessness. She opines that the darkness of her grandmother’s house will not scare her. On the other hand, she would like to gather some darkness as memories and carry them with her to residence in the big city. The memories of her grandmother’s house will have the much needed soothing impact on her loveless and hopeless married life. The poet is in a mood of recollecting her older times. She recreates the plight of the grandmother’s house after her demise. She gives us the mood of the house in its current state of neglect and desertion. The poet has used the simile of a brooding dog to show her inability to pay a visit to her grandmother’s house. Lines 12-16 you cannot believe, darling, (…) Receive love, at least in small change?

The poet depicts her frustration and disappointment of her marital life. She goes to the extent of having thoughts of having an extra-marital relationship to feel that passion in her life. Unlike her pathetic city life with her husband, the grandmother’s house has been a place of security and genuine love for her. In these sentences, the poet informs her dear husband that he can never even understand the intensity and amount of love that she received from her grandmother. He can never realize how proud she was of her grandmother’s house where she received love by her grandmother. It is her separation from her grandmother’s house after marriage which has eventually ruined her life forever. It is a loveless and hopeless married life which has crippled her sense of pride and love which she used to have in her grandmother’s house. She has become a beggar for love who knocks helplessly at the doors of strangers and receives love in small doses. She has almost lost her way in search of genuine and selfless love. The poet exposes the futility of loveless and hopeless marital relationships in the concluding lines of the poem. It shows the anguish and embarrassment of a married woman, who is forced to seek extra-marital relationships to seek love for her emotional satisfaction. It is the mood of nostalgia that dominates the closing phase of the poem. The poet is reminded of her grandmother’s house where received love and safety in her childhood. She has lost all her identity and freedom in her loveless relationship. 3.4 SUMMARY In the poem, An Introduction, the poet begins with a statement that shows her honest distaste for politics, in the politically free India, which is ruled by a chosen elite. The poet asserts her right to speak three languages, and defends her choice to write in two languages – her mother-tongue, Malayalam as well as English. She does not like the patriarchy of society and to be advised by any guardian or relations. She feels that her choice is her own: authentic and born of passion. The poet looks upon her decision to write in English as natural and humane. From the issue of the politics to the subject of sexuality and the pointing out her puberty by other male members of the family, the poet covers many aspects. As the girl understands her adolescent passion and wants to understand it, a young lover is forced upon her in the name of marriage. She is traumatized by the sexual relationship with her husband and is coerced

into this relationship. Her female-body feels abused. She feels this institution of arrange marriage is the display of powers and authority of patriarchy. When the post understands herself better, she opts for male clothing to hide her femininity. The guardians of patriarchy enforce her to wear the typical female attire – sari. She is warned to fit into the socially attributes of a woman, to become a wife and a mother and get confined to the domestic routine. She is threatened to restrict herself in the four walls of her house and feminity; or she will be termed as a psychic or a maniac. The poet, however, is an individual woman trying to voice a universal womanhood. She is trying to share her experiences, good or bad, with all other women. The poem ends with repetitions of the pronoun – “I” to suggest vindication of the body and the self. She reveals herself and the position of women in society particularly in that time to divulge the abuses in the society. In the poem – “My Grandmother’s House”, the poet recalls the house where she once used to live with her grandmother, who was extremely connected to. She was very fond of her and receives unadulterated love from her. The grandmother has now expired and no one is there to take care of the house. Her grandmother’s house is now uninhabited and dilapidated. The poet recalls the days when she was a little girl and did not even know how to read the books which were available in the house. The death of her grandmother has numbed her and she cannot feel any emotions. The poet often thinks of going to that house so that she can enjoy the reminiscence of her childhood days. However, the windows are dusty and the house is lifeless. She will only feel hopelessness and despair. She wishes to gather everything from that house including the darkness and stillness of the house. She wants to carry the memories of the past with her to her current residence in the city. Eventually, she addresses her husband and states that he would never be able to believe the amount of love she felt in that house. She is extremely proud of how she felt in that house and

could be herself. She is happy about that fact that she received the unadulterated love of her grandmother. She no longer receives any love from anybody. Presently, she seeks love from strangers and feels like a beggar. She feels comforted even if she gets a small measure of love from anyone. 3.5 KEYWORDS Confessional poetry: a style of poetry focusing on extreme moments of individual experiences. Patriarchy: a system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it. 3.6 LEARNING ACTIVITY 1. Is your society patriarchal? Have you faced any issued similar to the ones faced by the poet? Illustrate. 2. Recall your Grandmother’s house from your childhood and compare it with the current one. Write 5 key characteristic differences between your memories. 3.7 UNIT END QUESTIONS A. Descriptive Questions Short Questions 6. Can Kamala Das be called as a “confessional” poet? 7. Identify potential approaches to annotate the following lines from Das' \"An Introduction:\" \"Be Amy, or be in Kamala” 8. In the poem \"My Grandmother's House,\" how does Kamala Das reveal the intensity of her grief over her past life? 9. What happened to the house after the death of the grandmother? 10. Write about Kamala Das and her notion of the typical Indian woman and male domination in the Indian society.

Long Questions 6. What explanation could there be for the names of Kamala Das? Be Amy, or Be Kamala or, better still, be Madhavikutty.... 7. Explain how Kamala Das subverts the dominance of a traditionally patriarchal society by giving voice to women. 8. Discuss the expression off self-consciousness in the poem \"An Introduction\" by Kamala Das. 9. Critically analyse the poem An Introduction by Kamala Das in your own words. 10. Critically analyse the poem The Grandmother’s house by Kamala Das in your own words. B. Multiple Choice Questions 1. ……… ‘That woman died, ……… ’Who is the woman referred to here? How is she related to the poet? a. Grandmother b. Mother c. Aunt d. Sister 2. ’………. to lie Behind my bedroom door like a brooding Dog…. means that a. The memories will always remain with the poet. b. The memories will lie unca-red for in a corner. c. The memories are as important as a dog. d. The memories will never remain with the poet. 3. Identify the most appropriate meaning for the expression, ‘an armful of darkness’. a. Sad days

b. Darkness of the past c. Memories of the grandmother’s house. d. Past life 4. In the last three lines of the poem, the poet thinks of herself as a beggar. What is she begging for? a. Love b. Food c. Water d. Memories 5. In the poem – Introduction, whose trousers does the poet wear? a. Husband b. Father c. Brother d. Sister 6. In how many languages does the poet speak, write and dream? a. 3,2,1 b. 4,5,6 c. 1,2,3 d. 0 7. Be Amy, or be Kamala. Or better still be……… a. Me

b. Amy c. Kamala d. Madhavikutty 8. Name of 1st book of poetry collection of the poet – Kamala Das: a. Summer in Calcutta b. Summer in Mumbai c. Summer in Malabar d. Summer in Grandmother’s house 9. At what time can a man order a drink? a. Noon b. Morning c. Evening d. Midnight 10. At the beginning of her career, at what time could Kamala Das do writing? a. Day b. Night c. Noon d. Evening Answers: 1 – a; 2 – a; 3 – c; 4 – a; 5 – c; 6 – a; 7 – d; 8 – a; 9 – d and 10 – b

3.8 SUGGESTED READINGS Reference Books:  Das, Kamala. My Story. New Delhi: Harper Collins Publisher, 2004. Print. “Das, Kamala. Poems.”  Narasimhaiah, C. D. An Anthology of Commonwealth Poetry. New Delhi: Macmillan, 2004. Print  \"Individuality\" in Kamala Das and in Her Poetry\". English Poetry in India: A Secular Viewpoint. Eds. PCK Prem and D.C.Chambial. Jaipur: Aavishkar, 2011. 65–73.  \"Meet the Writer: Kamala Das\", POETCRIT XVI: 1 (January 2003): 83–98. Journal  Behera, N., 2012. Exploring the Unexplored : The Love Poerty of Kamala Das. Paripex - Indian Journal Of Research, 3(2), pp.169-170.  Das, J., 2020. Interrogating the 'Body-politics' and Construction of 'Subjectivity' in Kamala Das's 'An Introduction'. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 7(6), pp.44-46.  Das, K., 2000. An Introduction. Feminist Studies, 26(3), p.727.  Das, M., de Valk, H. and Merz, E., 2016. Mothers' Mobility after Separation: Do Grandmothers Matter?. Population, Space and Place, 23(2), p.e2010.  Kishore, U. and Hariharan, B., 2020. Kamala Das. Writers in Conversation, 7(1).  \"Man-Woman Relationship with Respect to the Treatment of Love in Kamala Das' Poetry\". Contemporary Literary Criticism Vol. 191. Ed. Tom Burns and Jeffrey W. Hunter. Detroit: Thomson-Gale, 2004. 44–60.  Rathee, R., 2018. Mode of Confession in Kamala Das' Poetry. Journal of Advances and Scholarly Researches in Allied Education, 15(3), pp.178-182. Websites  A feminist reading of Kamala Das’s poetry. Prof. K. V. Dominic. Web.20 Mar. 2000.

 Confessional mode in poetry of Kamala Das. Web. 25 Aug. 2013.  Avinash English. 2021. My Grandmother's House, Summary | Question Answer Objective Class12. [online] Available at: <https://avinashenglish.com/my- grandmothers-house/>.  Literature Analysis. 2021. An Introduction as a feminist poem by Kamala Das.. [online] Available at: <https://www.englishliterature.info/2020/10/an-introduction-as- feminist-poem.html> [Accessed 5 April 2021].  Owlcation - Education. 2021. Analysis of the Poem \"My Grandmother's House\" by Kamala Das. [online] Available at: <https://owlcation.com/humanities/Analysis-of- Poem-My-Grandmothers-House-by-Kamala-Das> [Accessed 5 April 2021].  Poem Analysis. 2021. An Introduction by Kamala Das | Poem Analysis. [online] Available at: <https://poemanalysis.com/kamala-das/an-introduction/> [Accessed 5 April 2021].  Poem Analysis. 2021. My Grandmother’s House by Kamala Das | Poem Analysis. [online] Available at: <https://poemanalysis.com/kamala-das/my- grandmothers- house/> [Accessed 5 April 2021].

UNIT - 4: POETRY BY NISSIM EZEKIEL Structure 4.0 Learning Objectives 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Goodbye party for Miss Pushpa T. S. 4.3 Night of the Scorpion 4.4 Summary 4.5 Keywords 4.6 Learning Activity 4.7 Unit End Questions 4.8 Suggested Readings 4.0 LEARNING OBJECTIVES After reading this unit, the student will be able to:  Know the author – Nissim Ezekiel  Understand and analyse the poem ‘Goodbye party for Miss Pushpa T. S.  Understand and analyse the poem ‘Night of the Scorpion 4.1 INTRODUCTION Nissim Ezekiel is known as the “father of post-independence Indian verse in English”. He published a number of collections of poetry. He had an interesting career as an English teacher in India, England and the United States. He wrote plays, worked as the broadcaster on radio in India and contributed articles to various magazines and newspapers. The poet was born to an affluent Jewish family in December 1924 in Mumbai. The family housed in a small community, which predominantly spoke Marathi called the “Bene Israel”, with approximately 20,000 inhabitants in the area. Unlike other Jewish communities around the world who had to face a lot of issues, this community – Bene Israel was extremely peaceful place. His father was a professor of the subject - Botany at the renowned Wilson