The Mughal Empire was a vast territory, as it controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries, or should we say, during its glory years. The geography of the empire will perhaps paint its magnanimity in the truest sense: It stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus river basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of present-day Assam and Bangladesh in the east, and the uplands of the Deccan Plateau in South India. An empire this large always had various kinds of populations co-existing in harmony, each with its own distinct culture and traditions.
The Mughal Emperors knew about the dynamic nature of their empire, and that is why, they tried to embrace those cultures which were not their own, and sometimes, even took part enthusiastically in rituals and festivals. Holi, the festival of colour, was perhaps foreign to the Mughals. But they fell in love with the essence of colours in the air, and thus, had come to share an interesting relationship with the festival.
How did the Mughals play Holi?
In the 13th century, Amir Khusrau, the Indo-Persian Sufi singer, musician, poet and scholar, reportedly wrote many verses in celebration of Holi: “I shall play Holi as Khaaja has come home, blessed is my fortune, o friend, as Khaaja has come to my courtyard.”
Akbar, possibly one of the brightest rulers India has ever seen, strove to unite far-flung lands of his realm through loyalty, expressed through an Indo-Persian culture, to himself as an emperor. During his reign, Mughal India developed a strong and stable economy, leading to commercial expansion and greater patronage of culture. Akbar knew the importance of tolerance and ‘unity in diversity’, and that is why he encouraged the celebrations of all festivals in his realm with equal gusto.
In fact, Akbar was so enamoured by Holi that he started the tradition of playing it in his court. This tradition was carried forward by many other Mughal emperors who continued to celebrate the festival in their courts. It is said that he was particularly fond of the Holi celebrations in the Braj region.
Jahangir’s description of Holi
Jahangir, the son and successor of Akbar, reportedly wrote in his autobiography ‘Tuzk-e Jahangiri’ that he used to hold Mehfil-e-Holi. He also reportedly wrote, “Their day is Holi, which in their belief is the last day of the year. This day falls in the month of Isfandarmudh, when the sun is in Pisces. On the eve of this day, they light fires in all the lanes and streets. When it is daylight, they spray powder on each other’s heads and faces for one watch and create an amazing uproar. After that, they wash themselves, put their clothes on, and go to gardens and fields.” Many artists, specially Govardhan and Rasik, have shown Jahangir playing Holi with Nur Jahan, his wife.
Holi during Aurangzeb’s reign
A memoir penned in 1707 by Bhimsen Saxena, a Hindu subject of Aurangzeb, titled the ‘Tarikh-i Dilkusha’, states that Khan Jahan Bahadur Kotlashah, Raja Subban Singh, Rai Singh Rathore, Rai Anoop Singh, and Mokham Singh Chandrawat enjoyed the festival of colours. “Khan Bahadur’s sons Mir Ahsan and Mir Muhsin used to be more enthusiastic than Rajputs while playing Holi.” Also, many embers of Aurangzeb’s family used to participate in Holi celebrations with gusto.
The popularity of Holi in the Red Fort
Holi would be celebrated with as much grandeur as Eid in the Red Fort. It was called Eid-e-Gulabi or Aab-e-Pashi (Shower of Colourful Flowers), with everyone joining in. There would be fairs behind the Red Fort on the banks of the Yamuna, and a huge crowd would gather till Raj Ghat. Groups of travelling musicians and artists would gather under the Red Fort and display their tricks and talents. The mimics would imitate the emperor, prince and princesses too and nobody would get offended.
The emperor would lavishly reward the artists, and the queens, princesses and noble women would enjoy the entertainment from their jharokas (overhanging enclosed balconies). The grand celebration of Holi in the Red Fort with singing and dancing would continue throughout the night.
The last Mughal Emperor
The last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, allowed his Hindu ministers to smear his forehead with gulal on Holi. He believed that his religion would not be affected by this social ritual. In 1844, ‘Jam-e-Jahanuma’, an Urdu newspaper, wrote that during the days of Emperor Zafar, special arrangements were made for Holi festivities, and goes on to describe the frolicking and exchange of colour made from the tesu flowers. He even wrote a song for the occasion: “Kyun mope maari rang ki pichkaari/dekh kunwarji du’ngi gaari” which means in English “why have you squirted me with colour? O Kunwarji I will swear at you.”
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