[jyotirmoy]

As you walk in the  Mughal forts through the maze of marble quarters with lattice windows, mirrored walls you can feel the past. The air hangs heavy with the palace intrigues, betrayal, untamed passion, greed, violence and unfulfilled love of the past. It was here in the flickering lights of blazing torches as well as in the dimly lit narrow corridors that steel flashed in the form of daggers & swords. Blood splashed the marble walls with priceless gem inlays.

It was one such place where Akbar as a 13 year old played although he was the Emperor of the Mughal kingdom. His general ruled on his behalf until he came of age. Maham Anga, Akbar's aunt was his chief nurse and mother of his foster brother, Adham Khan. While bringing up young Akbar she was plotting her own game. In her mind there were plans for her son Akbar’s playmate Adham. If the blood of near ones is to be spilled it will be.

The regency belonged to Bairam Khan, a Shia Turkoman noble who successfully dealt with pretenders to the throne and improved the discipline of the Mughal armies. He ensured power was centralised and was able to expand the empires boundaries with orders from the capital. These moves helped to consolidate Mughal power in the newly recovered empire. Naturally Maham didn’t like this and Akbar’s dependence on Bairam.
In March 1560 the mother & son urged Akbar to visit them in Delhi, leaving Bairam in the capital, Agra. While in Delhi Akbar was bombarded by people who told him he was now ready to take full control of the empire and to dismiss Bairam. Persuaded by one and all Akbar sent Bairam on a pilgrimage to Mecca. In the corridors of a palace a mother & son conspired in hushed tone. Adham Khan rode out with a small army to “escort” Bairam. Seeing this army closing in Bairam had to fight with just a few of his followers. The real consolidator of the Mughal empire was chained and brought to the court of Akbar as a rebel & Adham won’t settle for anything less than execution. Akbar laid down full honours to the General, and gave him robes of honour, and agreed to fund him a proper Hajj excursion. But Bairam’s blood was destined to be spilled, a dagger of an Afghan whose father had been killed five years earlier in a battle led by Bairam. With Bairam gone the mother & son finally heaved a sigh of relief.

It was the mother who persuaded Akbar to send her son to capture Malwa, which was being incompetently ruled by Baz Bahadur. Baz Bahadur was a talented musician but had no ability to govern an area. Baz Bahadur fled, leaving behind his wealth and his wives in their Harem, and instructions that they were to be killed if the city of Sarangpur  fell to the Mughals. However, despite the best attempts by the Eunuch in charge of the Harem, many of the women survived; even Rupmati, who was famed through many of Baz Bahadurs songs for her beauty. Blood dropped on the Persian carpets as she slashed her wrists. To hasten her death before being raped by Adham she took poison. Rupmati died.
Adham then engaged in some thoroughly grotesque abuses of the captured Harem and populace. The least attractive members of the women were brought before the senior members of the invading army and killed, as they drank alcohol, took opium pellets, and generally treated the event as if it were a festive occasion. Akbar received word of what Adham had done, and became enraged. He decided to ride out to Malwar himself. Adham became terrified and quickly begged for Akbar's forgiveness. Akbar forgave him. But the palaces & forts craved for more violence & blood.

The same heavy air induced Adham to commit the most insane act. His dagger sank in to the heart of  Atkah Khan, an Afghan appointed by Akbar to be the equivalent of Prime Minister. His insane lust drove him to attack Akbar’s Harem. The stoned courtyards of Sikri was dry & thirsty. Akbar got Adham thrown from a tower but he survived. Akbar then instructed to throw him again and this time head down. From behind the lattice windows of the Zenana Mahal the mother saw her son’s blood drenching the courtyard on which you may be walking now.