Radha is smart, sassy and highly skilled.
She exercises excellent control over her emotions and seldom gives into an impulse.
" She is beautiful because she is brave," says Akbar about Radha in the book. Yet, when Akbar saw her for the first time, it was not her bravery which he found attractive.
There are no accounts of a woman of Radha's description in any of the history books. She is purely fictional.
Is it possible that someone, albeit by a different name existed?
Yes, of course!
The first clue was when I researched how Raja Birbal got his title.
The name Birbal was derived from Birbar, the Persian term for Veer Var.
Veer Var refers to "a brave one".
Odd, isn't it to confer that title to someone with modest military skills at best? Mahesh Das a.k.a. Raja Birbal was an artist, poet, and singer. Chapters 12 of the Final Puzzle sets up the premise, and chapter 27 answers how Mahesh Das became Raja Birbal.
That was also the foundation of a female character hidden from the public eye with a close connection to Mahesh Das.
In the final days leading up to his disappearance or death, Raja Birbal was described as acting out of character. His behavior, possibly by Badaoni's accounts was that of a negative, frustrated and argumentative person. That does not jive with what we know about his life in general.
Which begs the question- was someone impersonating him in his absence? Who would have done that and why? Or was he himself acting in such a manner with a specific goal in mind?
Find out about Radha. She may be able to help solve that mystery.
Sunday, June 30, 2019
The Final Puzzle- how it all started
I tucked in my kid one night with a story about Akbar and Birbal etched in my memory. I reflected on Raja Birbal, confidante and close friend of the third Mughal Emperor Akbar who ruled over Hindustan for five decades. Raja Birbal was a highly intelligent man, I thought. Hard to believe he was killed by his enemies ( something I had read many years ago, but not paid much thought).
If the stories I read in comic books were even half true, he had survived several attempts on his life. So how did they get him this time? Or did they? And who were his enemies?
I went to Wikipedia to find out more.
"His body was never found."
That was the sentence that spurred my curiosity. I was between jobs and had the luxury of time on my hands.
The next few months allowed me to dig deeper into many facets of life in Mughal India. I utilized free resources online ( references below).
Raja Birbal was a brilliant, yet unassuming man. But, he has not received the recognition he deserved.
The final puzzle is a fictional narrative of his life-- challenging the description of his final days as the world knows it.
References:
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