Sameer Khan: Dara Shukoh and the struggle of liberal Islam
As the post-Arab Spring nation-building process evolves in the Middle East and North Africa, intense ideological struggles between “moderate,” or liberal Muslims, and orthodox hardliners like Salafists acutely manifest themselves. In the case of Salafists, violence, intolerance and destruction are routine tools to achieve their anti-Sufi and antiliberal agendas. Yet these struggles are nothing new.
A legendary power struggle in 17th-century Mughal India which is also a subject of my upcoming play poignantly illustrates this age-old clash of ideologies, which in this case pitted brother against brother. This is the true story of Dara Shukoh, meaning Darius the Magnificent, who was the eldest son of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, better known for building the splendid Taj Mahal.
Crown Prince Dara Shukoh embraced liberal, tolerant Islam and Sufism, while his younger brother Aurangzeb, who greedily sought succession to the throne, was an intolerant hardliner. Dara Shukoh was a patron of the arts, dance and music and was also a renowned poet. Dara Shukoh has the credit of completing the translation of 50 Hindu Holy Scriptures, called Upanishads, from the original Sanskrit into Persian, the official language of India in 1657, so that Muslim scholars could read them. His translation is often called Sirr-e-Akbar, the “Greatest Mystery,” in the introduction of which he boldly states his speculative hypothesis that the work referred to in the Koran as Kitab almaknun, or the hidden book, is none other than the Upanishads.
His most famous work, Majma-ul-Bahrain, “The Confluence of the Two Seas,” was also devoted to a revelation of the mystical and pluralistic affinities between Sufi and Hindu philosophy. In addition, he was a close friend of the fifth Sikh Guru Hari Rai of Sikh religion. On the contrary, Aurangzeb found music and poetry repulsive and condemned them as heresy. He had no tolerance toward Sufi Islam or other religions. Power struggles between Mughal kings were not just restricted to Dara Shukoh and Aurangzeb, but what makes the succession of Aurangzeb interesting is that it changed the course of history of the Indian subcontinent. Most of the Mughal kings prior to and after Aurangzeb adhered to the principles of secularism. Of course, they did not hesitate to fight and defeat non-Muslim kingdoms, but it was mostly done for strategic and political ambitions rather than religious motivations, and they were equally ruthless toward their Muslim opponents when it came to political wars.
Aurangzeb’s victory over Dara Shukoh marked the triumph of a fiercely puritanical and fanatical brand of Islam against the more tolerant liberal interpretation of Islam. Prince Dara Shukoh, his father’s favorite son, was loved and respected by most Indians including the majority of Hindus. Dara Shukoh lost the war of succession and fell victim to treachery and was betrayed by a greedy noble. Dara Shukoh was in dragged in chains and humiliated in the streets of Delhi, as tearful citizens watched in horror. Many fainted upon witnessing the humiliation and agony of their favorite prince.
This outpouring of sympathy by the masses alarmed Aurangzeb, as he feared the potential for insurrection. As a result, he called a meeting of the Muslim clergy and instructed them to declare Dara Shukoh guilty of apostasy, referred to as takfir, that is, rendered a kafir or non-believer, and as a threat to Islam. Aurangzeb deployed assassins, and Dara Shukoh was put to death... Read more:
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=285570
A legendary power struggle in 17th-century Mughal India which is also a subject of my upcoming play poignantly illustrates this age-old clash of ideologies, which in this case pitted brother against brother. This is the true story of Dara Shukoh, meaning Darius the Magnificent, who was the eldest son of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, better known for building the splendid Taj Mahal.
Crown Prince Dara Shukoh embraced liberal, tolerant Islam and Sufism, while his younger brother Aurangzeb, who greedily sought succession to the throne, was an intolerant hardliner. Dara Shukoh was a patron of the arts, dance and music and was also a renowned poet. Dara Shukoh has the credit of completing the translation of 50 Hindu Holy Scriptures, called Upanishads, from the original Sanskrit into Persian, the official language of India in 1657, so that Muslim scholars could read them. His translation is often called Sirr-e-Akbar, the “Greatest Mystery,” in the introduction of which he boldly states his speculative hypothesis that the work referred to in the Koran as Kitab almaknun, or the hidden book, is none other than the Upanishads.
His most famous work, Majma-ul-Bahrain, “The Confluence of the Two Seas,” was also devoted to a revelation of the mystical and pluralistic affinities between Sufi and Hindu philosophy. In addition, he was a close friend of the fifth Sikh Guru Hari Rai of Sikh religion. On the contrary, Aurangzeb found music and poetry repulsive and condemned them as heresy. He had no tolerance toward Sufi Islam or other religions. Power struggles between Mughal kings were not just restricted to Dara Shukoh and Aurangzeb, but what makes the succession of Aurangzeb interesting is that it changed the course of history of the Indian subcontinent. Most of the Mughal kings prior to and after Aurangzeb adhered to the principles of secularism. Of course, they did not hesitate to fight and defeat non-Muslim kingdoms, but it was mostly done for strategic and political ambitions rather than religious motivations, and they were equally ruthless toward their Muslim opponents when it came to political wars.
Aurangzeb’s victory over Dara Shukoh marked the triumph of a fiercely puritanical and fanatical brand of Islam against the more tolerant liberal interpretation of Islam. Prince Dara Shukoh, his father’s favorite son, was loved and respected by most Indians including the majority of Hindus. Dara Shukoh lost the war of succession and fell victim to treachery and was betrayed by a greedy noble. Dara Shukoh was in dragged in chains and humiliated in the streets of Delhi, as tearful citizens watched in horror. Many fainted upon witnessing the humiliation and agony of their favorite prince.
This outpouring of sympathy by the masses alarmed Aurangzeb, as he feared the potential for insurrection. As a result, he called a meeting of the Muslim clergy and instructed them to declare Dara Shukoh guilty of apostasy, referred to as takfir, that is, rendered a kafir or non-believer, and as a threat to Islam. Aurangzeb deployed assassins, and Dara Shukoh was put to death... Read more:
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=285570
