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Monday 23 July 2018

CH #12 The Mughal Eclipse | Ghalib & Syed Ahmed Khan -fusionstories

CH # 12: THE MUGHAL ECLIPSE




Tug of war between Mughals and freedom fighters

....‘You tell me what should I do first? These mutineers want me to fight in the battle. They want me to look for their wages and needs. Now, these administrative issues…every sepoy want to be an officer. If everyone will be officer then, who would be there to follow and advance in battle,’ Prince Mirza Mughal responded annoyed.

 

‘Prince Abu Bakar, I told you some task?’ Crown Prince called his son.

 

‘Aba huzoor I tried to make a list of sepoys based on seniority as you told but every soldier was claiming him the senior-most as no record is available with us. There is a bulk of reference letters at my table for a single post,’ Prince Abu Bakar explained.

 

‘We’re doing our best to manage this war but these rebellion sepoys are much undisciplined. We should hire our loyal people on senior posts now,’ Crown Prince Moghal replied thoughtfully.

 

 Just then, Niaz din and Aneel Kumar entered there and bowed to Prince.

 

‘Long live Mughal Empire,’ they bowed down.


'The sepoys are eagerly waiting for an announcement of ranks and positions in the Mughal Royal Army,' Niaz Din explained the purpose of the meeting. 

 


‘You lost the winning battle at Badli ki Sarai and disappointed the Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. Tell the sepoys to wait now. The new ranks will be granted according to the performance in the battlefield and no reference or seniority status will be entertained,’ Prince Mirza Mughal ordered in a harsh tone without looking at them and continued to play his game. Niaz Din and Aneel looked at each other. 


‘There should be a proper mechanism to arrange and command the sepoys, Aali ja. The battle has scattered in many towns and sepoys are waiting for backups. There are strong retaliation and massacre in Oudh and Bihar. British are gathering power there. They are burning the villages and killing the innocent. People are afraid of cutting their wheat crops. We need to deploy fresh groups in Oudh and Bihar sectors otherwise the end would be the same as Badli ki sarai. We lost there because of insufficient backup’ Aneel responded in loud. He didn’t like the Prince’s sluggish attitude.


‘Then you leave for Bihar taking your men and I’ll better see at Agra,’ Prince Mirza Mughal ordered after thinking a while.


‘We should ask the Red Fort for more weapons for us,’ Aneel suggested.

 

‘Red Fort is not any weapon factory! You knew this all. Anyhow, Prince Abu Bakar will see it. You better report him before leaving,’ Mirza Mughal answered without giving a damn look on them. 


Niaz Din and Aneel waited for a while and leave furious.

 

12th June 1857

  The night was quiet but brighter than usual. Sepoys deposited 20 rifles and 35 spears to cavalry in Red Fort which they could capture from the British. The charpoys were set on the roof of a haveli in the suburbs of Delhi for the freedom fighters who could reach back from Badli ki Sarai.

 

‘At the start, I was very hopeful that we’ll win this battle and eradicate any foreigner from our land in short but now it seems that we’ve to travel a long tough way to meet our goal.’ Ranbir pulled his charpoy near Umer and lay down exhausted.

 

‘Whatever will be the end but any attempt to get freedom is better than breathing in an insolence life.’ Umer replied still gazing at the full moon.

 

‘It’s just a start. I know the sacrifices of freedom fighters will mark fear at the hearts of whites and they’ll find no way other than to flee from Hindustan. We’ve captured Lucknow, Cawnpur and soon Bihar and Oudh will be in our lap. We would able to make a small independent empire under Mughal Empire soon,’ Ranbir said thoughtfully.

 

‘How would be life without looking at any white in Hindustan then?’ Umer replied somehow anxious.

 

‘It’ll be great no doubt but there must be something fishy at your side. A man only gazes at the moon when it hopes to see the reflection of his beloved in there,’ Ranbir jumped up and sat at Umer’s charpoy.

 

‘There is nothing. I just want to sleep,’ Umer turned opposite and closed his eyes.

 

‘Mom, do you have any idea that how many sepoys are killed in a battle near Karnal?’ just then Angeline opened her eyes, looked at the bright full moon, and asked her mother restless.

 

‘There are many who have sent to hell. British forces have captured Karnal and Sarai safely. Your father Nicholson has sent a message from there that soon he’ll arrange to get us out from here. It is easy for him now. He’s fighting in Bihar now,’ Katherine told her daughter in hush-hush.  The beds of British families were set in an airy balcony of Syed Ahmed Khan’s house. 

 

‘What would if this mutiny never happened? I hope Umer would be safe,’ Angeline didn’t answer her mother while thinking about Umer.


‘Once I come out from here then I’ll ask your father to send us back to Yorkshire. I’m a heck of this heat and cavalry of mosquitoes and flies more of any rebellion sepoy in Hindustan,’ Katherine grumbled and waited for her daughter’s response. She wrapped herself in the sheet. Katherine was amazed that Angeline no more grumbled about sepoys and Hindustan.  


16th June 1857

       As soon as he entered the room, the smell of ink, piles of a bind and unbind books, and the bulk of papers overwhelmed his nerves. The room was overburdened with wooden wrecks and closets. Mirza Ghalib was reading and answering letters from all over India.  His poetic work was prominent on the papers on the walls.

 

'Ah, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, what a fresh breeze your arrival has given to me in the suffocating atmosphere all around,' Mirza Ghalib warmly welcomed him. 


‘Adaab,’ Syed Ahmed handled few papers to take his place to fix in that room. 

 

‘So you’re also off of your work from British office because of scuffles all around. Maybe you’re also hoping to grab a higher position in Red Fort after the war. May be an education ministry…. King has asked me to get ministry of arts and culture…what do you say?’ Ghalib grinned at Ahmed Khan and asked meaningfully.

 

‘Every one of us wants freedom but the shackles are upon our minds not on hands. I don’t know whether I say it or not but I’m not much optimistic about the end of this battle. Though the British fabricated the reasons for this mutiny still they’re at the upper hand. This was not the right time to come out, I think,’ Syed Ahmed put his cap at one side, wiped his sweat, and replied. He was observing the situation mindfully from the start.

 

   'Then why you put a lot of effort and time to translate three centuries-old constitutions Ain e Akbari amid working in modern British offices in Muradabad. If you’re here to seek any favor about your translated book then…,’

 

‘No, not at all, I’m here to seek advice…,’

 

‘Advice….,’ Ghalib cackled that his teeth were out of his jaws.

 


‘I wonder you still need more advice. My letter was full of it already. I think you didn’t go through it,’ he continued laughing.

 

‘I read it more of anything else in recent years, chacha but it took time to comprehend it,’ Syed Ahmed Khan was still serious.   

 

              ‘Ahmed writers and poets have been very sensitive to the changes in any society. Our words direct hit the souls. We have to revolutionize the thoughts of our community with our influential writing dexterity. I feel that one day or another, we would have to accept the deep-seated changes in this world. I don’t think it’s that bad to promote and follow up-to-the-minute institution. Just let rest the dead people and laws in their graves and perform incredibly in favor of the brighter future. Accept the changing realities of the universe before they let you rest in the graves of in nominates,’ Ghalib stopped when his servant entered the room holding a tray with mango slices.

 

‘You’re right chacha. I’ve twisted my literary work in a new direction now. I’m writing upon the “causes of the revolt of 1857” in detail nowadays and also want to publish a journal to tell the Muslims about the necessity of seeking education to hold a dominion place in this world,’

 


‘Not only education…but modern, up to date schooling…awareness with new-fangled skills that are the only weapon which can stand us compete against our enemy.  Ahmed your journals and literary work marked you at a significant place in my heart but it’s time to do some practice for your nation. Let this pen-paper be with poets like us. I believe that teachers craft the ground-breaking environment for the fruition of the next generations and you should be among teachers my dear.’ Mirza Ghalib pointed his servants to settle the dish and held his pen to write replies to letters from different cities.

 

‘I’ll not let you disappointed chacha Ghalib,’ Syed Ahmed Khan answered thoughtfully.

 

‘Insha’Allah, enjoy these mangoes from the Red Fort,’ Ghalib smiled.


‘Do you know the sepoys are forcing the ulemas to give fatwas for jihad so that locals can also join them,’ Mirza Ghalib discussed the prevailing situation.

 

‘As far as I know, Maulana Muhammad Qasim Naqvi and Maulana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi have announced for jihad. Only Ahl-i-Hadith scholar Sayyid Nazir Hussain Delhvi is resisting to give any statement. He has his reasons to favor British rule,’ Syed Ahmed Khan informed Ghalib.

 

‘I don’t think these fatwas will impact the war as most of the rebellion sepoys are Hindus,’

 

‘But local people are joining the sepoys as Ghazis,’ Syed Ahmed continued.

 

‘May Allah keep our city safe? This city has witnessed many massacres in recent centuries,’ Ghalib sighed.

 

   ‘Look, my fans are urging me to pen the cheering poems for the freedom fighters. They’ve sent hundreds of their pieces for review too….Ah… someone tells these daydreamers that Muslims ruled the world when their warriors were skilled with the tools of learning. They were not fixed to the past. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) oriented the Arabs towards luminosity from ignorance. Here we’re just stuck on whether we should school the English language or not as it will hit our religion...Ah…how knowledge can hit anything negatively…how…?’ Ghalib threw one letter asides.           

 

              ‘Muhammadan ….Anglo…Oriental…School,’ an idea sparked in Syed Ahmed’s mind. He instantly wrote the name on paper.

 

‘What…have you said something?’ Ghalib left writing.

 

‘I should start saving every penny from my income to meet my dream…a school…but I’m an employee in British office…No, I was…I’ll be a teacher…I’ll be a learner… It doesn’t matter that freedom fighters win or lose but I’ll have a spanking new course towards success,’ he signaled the horse cart for a ride.

 

‘I got it…I just got its name…thanks for everything Chacha Ghalib,’ Syed Ahmed Khan showed gratitude.

 

‘Hey, you didn’t enjoy these mangoes. King Bahadur Shah Zafar has sent these especially for me but these mangoes are not tasty this year. I don’t know…why?’ Ghalib held one slice thoughtfully

 

‘I’m taking,’ Syed Ahmed held one slice.


 He was about to leave when Ghalib looked at him deeply.


‘Dear Ahmed, Prince Farrukh was very dear to me and I owe special respect for his mother and Princess Hamida Bano. Princess Hamida is a very sensitive, mature, and cultured lady,’ Mirza Ghalib spoke up.

 

‘Indeed, she is,’ Syed Ahmed replied gazing at the sudden mention of the princess.

 

‘As soon as the situation will settle down, I’ll talk to the king about you and Princess Hamida. I know she’ll support you in your cause,’ Ghalib continued.

 

‘You’re at my father’s place as you think better,’ Syed Ahmed felt blushed.

 

  Delhi outside was under evident misconduct. Freedom sepoys had captured many shops and houses in the city. People were worried about taxes from Red Fort. The same news of mismanagement and blows were coming from Lukhnow and Cawnpur.


People were scared and were discussing the battle consequences.


‘I just don’t believe that these creepy Hindustani stood against Queen of Britain gaining the back of crippled Mughal name. All villages between Delhi and Meerut fell to Mughal lap because of a native leader Khadam Singh Gujar. These Gurjas and Rangerhars (Muslim Rajput) have expelled East India Company from there not the mutineers. They’re a real pain in the neck. Move a force to Meerut,’ General Canning was upset about the situation.

 

‘We’ve asked for soldiers from near presidencies but…,’ Colonel Tom stopped.

 

‘But…,’

 

‘Although apparently the presidency of Bombay and Bengal are calm and are unconcerned about the uprising in Delhi, still Generals are reluctant to trust the local sepoys. Many have disarmed the soldiers. Many of the native soldiers have left for their homes. We’ll have to wait for reliable aid from Nepal and Simla. Also, Sikh Rajah in Punjab has assured us of his full support. He’s ready to send his well-armed men. We’ve to wait and gather our force,’ Colonel continued.

 

‘These Sikhs have grudges against Mughals and Hindus. We should take advantage of it. Send my men to discuss the conditions with them. We’ve to crush this mutiny at its place at every cost before it makes space in other states. Crush these rebellion sepoys in Bihar as soon as possible and move to Meerut. Give me detail of every second and provide the soldiers with every possible support,’ General Canning ordered.

 

    Mirza Mughal was writing letters to other Barracks to administrate the Army. He spread his scouts beyond Delhi to know the activities at British garrisons but the spies didn’t trust him and any key report leaked out before meeting him.

 

‘I’ve called for help from big Muslim princely states of Hyderabad and Mysore. You know what they’ve responded?’

 

‘They said that we’re having an eye on the situation. Until the results are not evident we’ll not enter the brawls,’ Crown Prince Mirza Mughal punched on the table.

 

‘Just cowards…Mughal rule is about to shine again with its boom and these states will beg for an alliance then,’ he continued.

 

Freedom sepoys captured Bihar by end of June and were fighting at Oudh now. Freedom sepoys were overjoyed on their victories. The concerned General Nicholson arranged few men to take her daughter and wife out of the walled city of Delhi which was still under freedom sepoys and Mughal security but Prince Jawan Bakhat had a better plan for Angeline.Link to CH # 13

 Link to CH# 1

Above complete novel of 'THE MUGHAL ECLIPSE' is also available KINDLE AMAZON

Disclaimer: All characters of the story are imaginary. They bear no resemblance to anyone living or dead.

The writer can be followed at fusion stories@facebook.com.

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