Dr. Shadab Ahmed
At a time when the Delhi Sultanate was marred by internal chaos, assassinations, and rebellions—particularly under the Tughlaq dynasty—India’s political landscape was dramatically reshaped by the invasion of Tamerlane and his Tartar-Mongol-Turkish armies. Hailing from Transoxiana in Central Asia, these conquerors brought with them a unique synthesis of Turkish identity, Persianised culture, and Islam. Tamerlane’s devastating invasion subordinated the Delhi Sultanate to his Timurid Empire. The final blow to the Sultanate came under the Lodis when they invited Babur, Tamerlane’s descendant, to invade India. In the clash of the Sultanate’s might with Babur’s Mongol ferocity, the Sultanate was crushed, and the Mughal Empire was born.
While the Mughals emerged from a nomadic, warrior tradition, their rule in India saw a profound shift. Mughal emperors, from Babur to Shah Jahan, became patrons of creativity—nurturing poetry, painting, music, architecture, and historiography. Among them, the third emperor, Jalal-ud-Din Muhammad Akbar, stands out. Although Akbar was a formidable warlord, driven by conquest and ambition, he was also an aesthetically refined ruler with a deep intellectual curiosity. His reign was marked by efforts to bridge the religious and cultural divide between Hindus and Muslims, to harmonize the Sufi tenets of Islam with Hindu philosophy, and to foster a shared cultural understanding between his subjects.
To achieve this delicate interweaving of ideologies and traditions, Akbar initiated several intellectual and artistic projects. He established the Tasvir Khana (the imperial atelier for painting), the Ibadat Khana (a space for interfaith dialogues), and the Maktab Khana (the imperial translation bureau). These institutions not only encouraged creative expression but also served as tools for cultural assimilation, reflecting Akbar’s pragmatic diplomacy and visionary leadership.
The Maktab Khana was a remarkable institution where scholars, poets, and artists worked to translate important Sanskrit texts into Persian, the lingua franca of the Mughal court. It became a symbol of Akbar’s inclusive vision, producing Persian renditions of works like the Ramayana, Rajatarangini, and numerous Persian classics, including Qissa-i Amir Hamza and Shahnama. Among these monumental projects was the translation of the Mahabharata into Persian, titled Razmnamah (The Book of War).
The Razmnamah project was a groundbreaking initiative, commissioned by Akbar and executed by a team of theologians, philosophers, and court scholars. The original Sanskrit text of the Mahabharata, revered as one of India’s greatest epics, was abridged, translated, and reorganized into an exquisite Persian literary form. Despite Akbar’s inability to read or write—owing to his sudden ascension to the Mughal throne at a young age—his intellectual curiosity and cultural diplomacy drove him to sponsor this ambitious undertaking.
The Razmnamah encompasses all eighteen books (parvas) of the Mahabharata, as well as the Harivamsa appendix. The translation primarily relied on the Devanagari version of the Sanskrit text, though other variants may have influenced the final product. Divided into three volumes, the Persian Mahabharata reflects a masterful blending of Indian and Persian artistic and literary traditions.
The first volume of the Razmnamah includes the Adi, Sabha, Vana, Virata, Udyoga, and Bhisma parvas, chronicling the origins of the epic and the build-up to the great war. The second volume focuses on the climactic battles of the Kurukshetra war, including the Drona, Karna, Salya, Sauptika, Stri, and Santi parvas. The third volume captures the aftermath of the war, featuring the Anusasana, Asvamedhika, Mausala, Mahaprasthana, and Swargarohana parvas, culminating in the epic’s spiritual and philosophical resolutions.
What makes the Razmnamah particularly remarkable is its portrayal of a quintessentially Hindu text through an Islamic-Persian lens. This synthesis is reflected not only in the language but also in the illustrations that accompany the translation. The Mughal artists combined Persian miniaturist techniques with Indian aesthetics, creating a visual and cultural masterpiece that continues to inspire art historians and scholars.
The Razmnamah is more than just a translation—it is a testament to Akbar’s strategic and cultural acumen. At a time when religious orthodoxy threatened to fragment Mughal India, Akbar sought to integrate and celebrate India’s diverse traditions. By sponsoring the translation of Hindu epics like the Mahabharata into Persian, he acknowledged the cultural heritage of his Hindu subjects while promoting a shared literary and artistic canon that transcended religious boundaries.
It is indeed ironic and fascinating that Akbar, an emperor who never learned to read or write, became one of the greatest patrons of literature and translation in Indian history. His illiteracy, however, did not diminish his intellectual pursuits; instead, it made him rely heavily on scholars, artists, and historians to achieve his vision. Akbar’s embrace of the Razmnamah underscores his diplomatic genius, particularly in fostering alliances with the Rajputs and other Hindu elites. Through this project, Akbar not only honored the literary traditions of India but also reinforced his image as a ruler who sought harmony and inclusion among his subjects.
The Razmnamah stands as a shining example of how cultural and artistic synthesis can transcend divisions. It epitomizes the Mughal Empire’s ability to adapt, integrate, and innovate—a quality that defined Akbar’s reign. For Akbar, the Razmnamah was not just a book but a symbol of his vision for a united, pluralistic India.
In commissioning the Persian Mahabharata, Akbar proved that true leadership lies in curiosity, openness, and the ability to embrace the unfamiliar. His patronage of the Razmnamah remains a profound legacy—one that reminds us of the enduring power of art, literature, and shared cultural understanding in bridging divides.
(Note: Dr. Shadab Ahmed is an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon and a translator of several works on historical and ethnic poetry.
