Page 1 of 7
European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 02
February 2019
Available online: https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 417
Modernity in Girish Karnad’s Tughlak
Ruchi Bhardwaj
Research Scholar
Sunrise University, Alwar
Abstract
Girish Karnad is a world famous actor, director, thinker, administrator and an
influencial Indian (Kannada) playwright. Modernity is the very hinge on which Karnad’s
reputation rests as a modern playwright. It touches the very basic nerve of the contemporary
modern readers. In the play Tughlak, Karnad deals with the history of 14th century ruler
Sultan Muhammad-Bin-Tughlak with a modern outlook. His dramatic vision is remarkably
seen in his presentation of the historical play with modern devices like wit, humour, irony
and symbols. The play is about an idealist king who is blamed for parricide and fratricide
during prayer time. Sometimes he was believed to be the most intelligent, practical, visionary
and far-sighted ruler but on another occasion he was proved to be a mad, impractical,
unreasonable and cruel king who nevertheless ended as ‘one of the greatest failure’. He took
two major decisions, one was to shift the capital and moved his subjects from Delhi to
Daultabad and other was to declare the equal value of copper coins with the silver dinars. At
the end, both of his decisions proved futile. The play is considered as a modern masterpiece
because of its striking ‘parallel between sultanate period and the post-independence period.
Kirtinath Kurtkoti was the person who influenced Karnad’s life. Manohar Granth Mala, his
publisher in Dharwar, took the lead in publishing modern literature and made Karnad a
Page 2 of 7
European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 02
February 2019
Available online: https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 418
leading modern playwright. He was enormously benefitted from the ideas of A.K.
Ramanujan, Shankar Panikkar and D.R.Bendre. They had proved a crucible of ideas for
Karnad.
Keywords: Modernity, humour, irony, contemporary
Introduction:
The paper deals with the modern elements in the historical play Tughlak. The play
highlights the story of an idealist king who is blamed for killing his brother and father for the
throne. He views the things with his own perception and never pays heed to others
suggestions. He does not view things through borrowed glasses and tries to accomplishes his
dreams in his own way. The play was written in 1964, the year in which the first prime- minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru rested in peace. Pt. Nehru served India as prime-minister from
1947 to 1969, the era in which the plot of the play developed in the mind of Girish Karnad.
So, we assume that he co-relates the Nehruvian idealism with Muhammad’s idealism. During
that period people were having high hopes for the future but everything ended in despair.
National integrity was at stake. There were Hindu- Muslim riots everywhere. Chaotic
situation was prevailing across the country. Kashmir issue was a major concern for the
administrators which is still unresolved and the current Govt. is striving hard to find an
amicable solution on this issue. Karnad linked that contemporary situation with the 14th
century period during the reign of Muhammad-Bin-Tughlak in which people were
disillusioned.
Page 3 of 7
European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 02
February 2019
Available online: https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 419
In the play Karnad highlights the dual personality of Muhammad. Sometimes he
behaves in an unjust way to show his impartial justice and seems to be a kind, intelligent,
emotional and a visionary person having secular feelings who does not discriminate among
his subjects on the basis of caste, creed, religion and wealth. He only believes in justice,
peace, progress, equality and a purposeful life. His humbleness reflects when he invites his
subjects to Daultabad instead of giving them orders to move and wishes to create a unique
and safe empire over there.
“I invite you all to accompany me to Daultabad. This is only an invitation and not an
order. Only those who have faith in me may come with me. With their help I shall build an
empire which will be the envy of the world.” (CP-I-8)
But on the other hand, he seems to be a cruel, foolish, emotionless and impractical
man when he orders to kill the people who raised their voice. He killed his father, brother,
step-mother and his close associates on the grounds of suspicion. He announced the equal
value of copper coins with the silver dinars. But in order to maintain the equality he didn’t
consider the future prospects of currency. He ignored the fact that if inferior currency would
get equal importance with superior currency then it would not be fruitful at the global market.
Instead he justified his decision by giving the example of successful implementation of paper
currency in China.
Karnad’s dramatic excellence is visualized in presenting the characters of Step- mother, Aziz and Azam. The Court Scene and the Prayer Scene in the play gain the dramatic
excellence of the playwright. Karnad brilliantly shows the theatrical expressions of the king
and all other characters in the play. Sometimes the step-mother seems to show her maternal
concern for Muhammad and sometimes she seems to conspire against him. Sometimes he
