The play revolves around the 14th century historical figure of Muhammad Tughlaq. Karnad deals with history of that time in the play. Karnad studied deeply the facts related to Muhammad Tughlaq before writing ‘Tughlaq’. The play is set in the year 1327 and the action moves from Delhi to Daultabad.

Tughlaq, which was published in Kannada in 1964, is Girish Karnad’s second play. His first play, Yayati, was a self-consciously existentialist drama on the theme of responsibility. And those of us writing in the Kannada Navya movement of the time can still remember the excitement when we first read it in 1961.

historical play

Najib : One of Tughlaq’s ministers, Najib is poisoned to death by Tughlaq’s step mother.

A woman asked for leave to see her sick daughter but she was denied leave as she had no money to bribe them. Both of them threaten Ghiyas-Ud-Din and Aziz ends up killing him. Though Aziz believes that they can be with Sultan and loot money. Aazam is murdered.

As the drama opens, Tughlaq implores his subjects to observe a social setting in “without any consideration of might or weakness, religion or creed.” The idealism with which Karnad depicts Tughlaq is in stark contrast to both the historical judgment of him rendered and the political reality within which Tughlaq must …

Karnad himself

Barani never held a post, but was a nadim (companion) of Muhammad bin Tughlaq for seventeen years. During this period he was very close to Amir Khusro. After Tughlaq was deposed, he fell out of favor.

Tughlaq has been described as a well-structured play. The scenes, he says, are so juxtaposed that ‘you are not allowed to be either carried away by your hatred towards Tughlaq for his Machiavellian machinations or by your sympathy or admiration for his idealism”.

Muhammad bin Tughluq (also Prince Fakhr Malik Jauna Khan, Ulugh Khan erattachankan ; c. 1290 – 20 March 1351) was the Sultan of Delhi from 1325 to 1351….

Khusrau states that Tughluq first distinguished himself in the early 1290s, during the Siege of Ranthambore, in which the Khalji forces were led by Ulugh Khan. Khusrau suggests that Tughluq was reduced to obscurity for a brief period after Jalaluddin was killed by his nephew Alauddin Khalji.

To recover some of the lost wealth, Tughlaq increased taxes for farmers in the fertile lands. Quickly, his kingdom began to crumble with famine and distress caused by excessive taxation. Realising his errors, he abolished all taxes in 1341, and took part in charitable activities throughout Delhi.

Feroz Shah is more famous for commissioning buildings of architectural shapes that were seen as unconventional during his era. He is also considered the father of the irrigation system in India for channelizing rivers to provide water through canals to a large part of the country.

Under the Delhi Sultanates’ system of taxation, Khams means a tax on the property of the Muslims. It is a 20% tax that must be paid on all items which are regarded as ghanima (booty seized with war). Other Islamic taxes are zakat and Jizya.

Balban

Iltutmish, also called Shams al-Dīn Iltutmish, Iltutmish also spelled Altamsh, (died April 29, 1236), third and greatest Delhi sultan of the so-called Slave dynasty. Iltutmish was sold into slavery but married the daughter of his master, Quṭb al-Dīn Aibak, whom he succeeded in 1211.

• He was the first sultan to mint gold and silver coins.
• He reorganised the finances and revenue departments of the empire.
• He completed the construction of Qutb Minar.
• He was a patron of art and learning. He gave shelter to many learned scholars of West Asia.

A submission from India says the name Iltutmish means “Gift of god”.