New novel delves into the mind of Mughal emperor Akbar

Akbar's effort to redefine his equation with religion is worth a deep study, believes journalist-turned-author Shazi Zaman, whose latest novel is a result of 20 years of research on the great Mughal emperor.
"I think Akbar is relevant for all societies which have multiple streams, ideologies, and denominations. In that sense, his relevance transcends time. I am living in the 21st century and I find his life and thoughts very relevant today," Zaman says.
The author says the way Akbar "interacted with different and differing ideologies" is inspiring.
"He created an equal opportunity platform for all faiths in his 'ibadatkhana' (House of Worship) and protected their right to speak their mind. I find his quest to seek a larger-than-life role --that of a spiritual leader -- interesting.

"His efforts to redefine the king's equation with religion is worth a deep study. He was a king who was trying to make sense of religion, was trying to drill sense into religion and also trying to find a space for himself in the spiritual realm," says the author.
"Akbar", published in Hindi by Rajkamal Prakashan, also draws from some of the exemplary work on the king such as Akbarnama, Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh, Baburnama, Humanyunnama and Tazkirat-ul-waqiat.

The author traveled extensively from Indian Museum in Kolkata to Victoria Albert in London to study the resources available about Akbar and his contemporaries.
"These two decades have been exploratory. Unknown terrains opened up as I read what his spokesperson Abul Fazl, his critic Mulla Badaoni and many other contemporaries had to say about him," says Zaman, a History graduate from St Stephen's College, Delhi University.

Zaman says he came across a Rajasthani source that
documents Akbar's fit with a clergy and realised the extent of the emperor's impatience with organised religion.
"His interactions with Vaishnav saints, Jesuits, Jains and Parsees as recorded by religious personalities give an insight into how he was viewing these faiths and how these faiths were viewing him."
Asked about the challenges in writing a book on Akbar, Zaman says he is aware that people are sensitive about historical figures but his book goes beyond history.
"I am aware that history is not just about the past. It is about the present as well. People alive today feel deeply, and often politically about people who were alive yesterday. What makes the issue complicated is people's imaginative thoughts about past characters.

"I can foresee an adverse reaction in case the picture I present is not in line with what they think. While my work is historical, it goes beyond history as well. It is a piece of fiction that is rooted in history."
The author says he has explored Akbar's thought process without deviating much from real incidents.
"While all incidents mentioned in the book actually happened, where I have exercised my license is in exploring the manner in which those events and happenings affected the thoughts of the emperor and conversely how it affected the course of events. And that is a matter of interpretation which an author is entitled to," he says.

While the copies of the book are yet to hit the stands, publishers Speaking Tiger have already purchased the rights for the English translation.
"The English translation will appear in next few months. The next steps is to publish it in other Indian Languages for which the announcement will be made soon," says Ashok Maheshwari, Managing Director of Rajkamal Prakashan.