Of Kafur & Kafir

Allauddin Khilji was the ruler of the Delhi Sultanate from 1296 to 1316. He was the first ruler who ventured down Southern India for conquest. His campaigns were led by an able general, Malik Kafur. Kafur was also known as Hazaar Dinaari, which was supposed to be the amount the Sultan paid for buying the slave who rose to the rank of general. In 1294, Kafur led Sultan’s army to the Yadava Kingdom of Devagiri. He even defeated the Mongols in the Battle of Amroha. Later, between 1309-1311, Kafur led two successful campaigns against the Kakatiyas of Warangal and the Pandyas and reached as far as Madurai. The booty from Warangal included the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond. After Alauddin’s death, Malik Kafur after blinding the heir apparent installed Alauddinn’s three year old son Umar Khan on the throne.

Why am I telling you about Malik Kafur today? The reason is simple- the two recent events much debated on the idiot box were on the Article 377 where the fate of the LGBT is being decided by the Supreme Court and the ruckus that is happening at the Jawaharlal Nehru University today. Here’s how I am connected with the two dramatic happenings of acceptability and nationalism in our times.

It was the summer of ‘87 and my friend Murali was at home. He needed a place to stay while preparing for his civil services so applied for MPhil at JNU. I was clear, no more colleges for me. It was time to get studying and thinking seriously about my career. Despite my protests, he made me fill the application form for the entrance test. Anyway without any preparations, I landed up at the examination centre and wrote an essay which would have caught the fancy of the examinees and then got a call for the interview. As part of the interview, every candidate had to write a short essay on the topic he wished to pursue in MPhil in History. The candidate would then be interviewed on the basis of the topic by the illustrious board consisting of who’s who of Indian History. Impishly I wrote down a short essay on a topic which I knew would surely get out rightly rejected.

 And the Big Day arrived and I waited outside the door for my turn. There was no element of fear in me as my life and future was not dependent on this interview, however, was not sure how embarrassed I would be walking out of the room. As my name was called, sipped some water and walked in…Oh My God…Romila Thapar, Bipin Chandra and other doyens of Indian History…I felt as if I had walked into the college library and all the historians whose books we had read had come to life.

Smile often is your best defence in situations when you know death is certain. And that is what I did as I sat down on the chair that lay in one end of the table. All the interviewers were sitting in a semi circle. They reminded me of Auschwitz where I was a poor Jew waiting for the Nazi firing squad. Could see the defenders of Indian History shout, “feuer ..feuer”….and I said, “do it quickly and painlessly O Scribes.”

After the initial small talk of my graduation and post graduation scores, one of them asked, “Can we have the topic you wish to do research in? “

I handed over the note to the interviewer sitting closest to me and crossed my hands defensively in front. As the grey haired historian read the topic, I could see his eyes light up…he may not have blinked his eyes as he finished reading the note….Bingo…I knew my arrow had hit the Bull’s Eye!

My note was passed around the table to a couple of interviewers. I could see their jaws drop as they read in complete awe…there was an eerie silence till one of the doyens spoke up…

Mr. Sen, would you consider changing your topic?

Why, what is his topic, asked the two who had not laid their eyes on my brilliant notes.

Mr. Sen here wishes to study the Role of Eunuchs in Medieval Indian History.

Whaaaat!! Role of Eunuchs in Medieval Indian History?  What sort of topic is this? I agree Mr. Sen you should seriously consider changing your topic.

No Sir, I wish to do my research on this topic itself. I have written about a few kings including Malik Sharwar, who started the Sharqi dynasty of Jaunpur, who was a eunuch.  Then there was Saif-ud-Din, the ruler of Bengal, who too was a eunuch. And finally how can anybody forget Malik Kafur and his role in the Delhi Sultanate. There were many among them who guarded the royal harems and the royalty and played an important part in palace intrigues and in shaping the history of early Medieval India. I find this topic really interesting and surely my research will bring out many more facts and events about the eunuchs.

I was adamant and so were they, both with a cause we professed. Me, to make sure they threw me out  of the campus and they, to protect the sanctity of historical literature and dignity of the temple of education.

We seriously think, Mr. Sen, the topic needs to be changed. We can’t allow such a topic to be part of any serious historical research and that too associated with an institution like ours.

I kept on repeating my request but they fell on deaf ears. Peace was finally restored as one of the seniors there said, “We will examine this topic but however is there any other topic in Medieval Indian History that interests you.”

Reluctantly and in order to end the mutual agony, I agreed to speak about the Decline of the Delhi Sultanate…one of the most uninteresting topics. They let me speak for some time on the new topic.

As I walked out of the room, I could hear a snigger behind me, “kaise kaise log aa jaate hain yahaan”. Surely my days of history had become history today.  Not many know that there is a theory of Alauddin Khilji falling in love with the effeminate beauty of Malik Kafur. Maybe my ‘historical’ research would have added to the ammo of the LGBT community in their fight for equality and maybe JNU today would have the Sense and Sensibility to distinguish a believer from a kafir as the nation moves from medieval-ism to modernity.

SS