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    My favorite artworks from European Museums

    My favorite artworks from European Museums

    Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

    Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

    Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

    Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

    Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

    Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

    Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

    Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

    The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

    The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

    Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

    Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

    Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

    Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

    St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

    St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

    Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

    Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

    Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

    Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

    The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

    The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

    The Dohany Street synagogue in Budapest

    St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

    St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

    The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

    The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

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    Jahan koshan cannon, Murshidabad

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      My favorite artworks from European Museums

      My favorite artworks from European Museums

      Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

      Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

      Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

      Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

      Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

      Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

      Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

      Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

      The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

      The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

      Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

      Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

      Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

      Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

      St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

      St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

      Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

      Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

      Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

      Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

      The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

      The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

      The Dohany Street synagogue in Budapest

      St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

      St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

      The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

      The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

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      Jahan koshan cannon, Murshidabad

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      Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat: More fiction than history – The Indian Express

      inBook and Publication, Medieval Indian History
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      Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat: More fiction than history – The Indian Express

      The portrayal of the Khiljis in Padmaavat has no real basis in history.
      Padmaavat, the film by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, which is supposed to be historical fiction, is more fiction than history. Set against the backdrop of patriarchy and Rajput morality vs Khilji, the Muslim invader’s immorality, it is neither faithful to Malik Mohammad Jayasi’s epic poem Padmaavat that the film proclaims it’s based on, nor to the Khilji rulers.
      Some of the most vociferous complaints about the movie have been about the glorification of the jauhar scene. First, in the poem, Ratansen dies fighting another Rajput king Devpal, [who also coveted Padmaavati] in a duel and both his wives commit sati. Jayasi was a Sufi, who used many allegories to describe what is essentially a Sufi’s journey of seeking God and ultimately annihilating himself/herself in the divine. Thus, the first step is to learn about the divine and to seek him with the guidance of a spiritual teacher who shows the way. Many sacrifices have to be made on the way, the most important being the sacrifice of the ego and of worldly trappings. The last stage is the stage of gnostic knowledge of the divine and a state of spiritual experience, leading to a union (after death) with the beloved (god). Likewise, the relationship between the hero and heroine in a Sufi romance is that of the seeker and the beloved (god). Thus, sati was included in the poem as the ultimate aim of the seeker to annihilate oneself to become one with him. In deleting the character of Hiraman, the parrot who signifies Padmavati’s companion and spiritual guide, Bhansali’s film is wholly bereft of the Sufi overtone. Sati, then, becomes a glorification of a medieval patriarchal custom in the film.
      The constant clash of civilisations in the film is another disservice to Jayasi’s spirit as is Bhansali’s characterisations. In fact, in the preface of the first English translation (1944) of Padmaavat, the translator A G Shirreff, writes, “If we could meet him in the Elysian fields and could ask him whether he approached the theme from a Muslim or Hindu standpoint, he would, I imagine, answer with a smile, that he did not know and that he had never seen any difference between the two.”
      Sultanpur, UP, where Jayasi lived and Shirreff was district magistrate of, had never seen communal clashes in that era according to records. The portrayal of the Khiljis also has no real basis in history. Jalauddin Khilji came to the throne in 1290 only to bridge the chaos after the death of Balban. He was never ambitious and did not launch any attack on Hindustan from Ghazni.
      Ali Gurchasp, however, was the opposite of his uncle Jalaluddin — ambitious, cunning, unscrupulous and aggressive. He killed his uncle and ascended the throne in 1296. Alauddunya wad Din Muhammad Shah us Sultan was the name he adopted as king. Alauddin, as he came to be known, was also patient, ruthless, bold, cautious and capable of planning and organisation. Though a tyrant, he was not a manic barbarian — tearing into meat with his hands, as he is shown in the film, would have been very uncharacteristic for a royal. His reign saw the threat of the Mongols who had devastated much of Central Asia and his priority was strengthening his borders and army. He effected far-reaching agrarian and market reforms, which he ruthlessly implemented.
      Alauddin broke the domination of the Turks and broadened the administrative machinery and made governance independent of shariat. He saw himself as a second Alexander and though he could not conquer the world with Mongol hordes at his doorsteps, he expanded his kingdom within Hindustan. Chittor was one such conquest. Neither Amir Khusrau, the court chronicler who was with him on this war, nor any other near contemporary chronicler like Isami or Barani, make any mention of any Padmavati or jauhar. Khusrau did refer to jauhar in Ranthambhor, so obviously had no scruples in describing it.
      Alauddin Khilji Who is the bad guy? A 17th century painting of Alauddin Khilji.
      Just as Jayasi felt no obligations to be bound by facts of history or geography while writing his epic, Bhansali was faithful to neither history, geography nor the epic on which he based his film. Both the poet and filmmaker used their creative freedom and are entitled to it. What I find unforgivable, though, is Bhansali’s use of Hazrat Amir Khusrau’s famous verse in the film. Not content with showing the great Sufi poet saint as a pale shadow of himself, Bhansali uses the epic verse that encapsulates the entire Sufi philosophy of annihilation of self and ishq e haqeeqi or love for the divine in the context of Alauddin’s obsession for Padmavati that was driven by ego and lust.
      Khusrau darya prem ka, ulti wa ki dhaar,
      Jo utra so doob gaya, jo dooba so paar.
      Oh Khusrau, the river of love is such that it runs in strange ways
      One who jumps into it drowns, while one who drowns in it, reaches the other side.

      https://www.google.co.in/amp/indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/padmaavat-padmavati-bhansali-5049950/lite/

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      Rana Safvi

      Come, explore and fall in love the Beauties of Delhi (Dilli ki Ranaiya’n) and the World with me, Rana Safvi

      I have a masters in medieval history from the prestigious Centre for Advanced Studies, Dept. of History, AMU. A firm believer in our Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb, I am passionate about gaining and sharing knowledge and these days I am doing it via the social media platform.

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      © 2018 Rana Safvi - A blog Exploring Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb of India, website handcrafted by Abu Sufiyan.