Once he had consolidated his hold on the Mughal empire through war, Akbar did an admirable job of developing links with his subjects and allies. But he failed to understand his own son, Salim, which led to a misunderstanding between the two, and nearly put the future of the empire in jeopardy. It is this “paradox” that historians Diana and Michael Preston, who write under the pen name Alex Rutherford, bring out in their book, Empire Of The Moghul: Ruler Of The World. Excerpts from an interview.
Why did you decide to write the second half of your book from the point of view of Salim?
We took a deliberate decision to shift the point of view half way through from Akbar to Salim. We felt this was the best way to reveal the paradox and tragedy about Akbar — namely, though he was so successful and universally loved, he was less successful in building relationships within his family, and in particular with Salim. To bring out that personal dilemma we needed to see Akbar from Salim’s perspective.
There are several incidents that strained the trust Salim had in his father. What was Akbar’s rationale behind those decisions?
Akbar’s rationale in marginalising Salim goes to the heart of the paradox mentioned above. As Salim began to grow up, he didn’t show Akbar the respect and devotion that Akbar was accustomed to receiving from everyone else. Akbar, hurt and disappointed, withdrew from Salim and underestimated his abilities. T
he more he denied Salim the opportunities he craved, the more Salim withdrew into himself. Akbar had a great fund of affection to give and poured it out increasingly on his grandsons, especially the clever, handsome Khurram.
At a certain point in the story an element of jealousy enters into it, felt by an older man who’s used to being a leader, towards a younger male coming to take his place. With grandsons, that doesn’t arise because they are so much younger. There was also an element of sexual jealousy if you believe the Anarkali story.
The story of Anarkali has been interpreted more as a love story in India. Are there historical records of it?
An English merchant called William Finch who visited India around 1608-11 claimed that he saw a sumptuous tomb for Anarkali erected by Salim after he became emperor. Though there is no other contemporary evidence for this tragic romance, the story was clearly part of the oral tradition.
Do you feel Akbar’s biggest failure as father was denying Salim opportunities to channel his ambitions?
Certainly. Had Akbar been more understanding of Salim’s ambitions and allowed him to fulfill himself earlier, he would have been a happier father, Salim a more contented son, and some of the horrific events that we will bring to our readers in the next book could have been averted.
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