Tales Within Tales (Book)

Taj: A Story of Mughal India By Timeri N. Murari

It is ironical that the Taj Mahal, the marble mausoleum hailed as the most splendid emblem of love came to be erected in the Mughal period — tarred by hatred, cruelty, torture, and fratricide. Timeri N. Murari’s novel, Taj, plays out this irony, highlighting the paranoia which gripped the minds of Mughal princes and emperors confronted with the bewildering choice of “takt ya takhta” (throne or coffin). The novel cuts a swathe of 59 years (1607-1666 AD) from Mughal history. It is conspicuously marked by a warped time sequence as Murari does not stick to the linear pattern of historical time. This time-tampering in the narrative is coupled with the epilogue predating the prologue. The monkey and the blind, old man episode of the prologue projects the entire novel as a flashback, underscoring the futility of power-struggles and individual glories represented in history.

The two parallel narratives contrived by Murari progress with varied pace in alternating chapters. The odd-numbered chapters are titled “the love story” and touch on events like Shah Jahan’s courtship, his marriage with Arjumand Banu (later named Mumtaz-i-mahal), Mehrunissa’s conspiracy, Shah Jahan’s flight from the Mahabat Khan-led Mughal force and his eventual accession to throne, culminating in Arjumand’s death — all happening in the years between 1607 and 1630 AD. The even-numbered chapters, titled “the Taj Mahal”, are devoted to chronicling the story of Murthi, a Hindu idol-carver who is somewhat mysteriously employed to fashion the famous marble jali around Arjumand’s sarcophagus. The mystery is later resolved as the full identity of Isa, Arjumand’s favourite eunuch and Shah Jahan’s trusted attendant, is revealed. This second narrative covers the time period 1632-66 AD.

Another feature that distinguishes the two sections is the difference in the narrative voices. While the first proceeds through monologues of Shah Jahan, Arjumand and Isa, the second is basically a narrative. As a result, the immediacy of intimate personal details contrasts with the suspenseful narrative which brings alive the tricky twists and turns of politics. Each narrative has its own climactic points which are discreetly played against each other. Often the content of one narrative seeps into the other and the overlap turns up interesting perspectives.

In the final analysis, Taj remains an expertly crafted novel with richly textured details, especially of violence and erotocism. It takes the reader through the corridors of history, pointing out lanes and by-lanes hitherto uncharted. Here the refrain of Mughal history “The Kingship has no Kinship” rings loud, reminding one of the life of those 22,000 architects “who lived and died building” the proud monument of love. The filmic quality of the novel may tempt a filmmaker to put it on the celluloid in near future.