A few of my favorite kings

Hindustan's story is the story of kings, emperors and wannabe rulers.

How often do we actually think about those kings? What do they teach us?

I am writing the first draft of my second book now.
(My debut novel, dealing with Akbar and Birbal is available in the market and online The Final Puzzle: An untold Akbar Birbal story

And I thought this was an opportune moment to write about my favorite kings.

My knowledge of history is limited to 10th grade. I did not study much of local Kerala history.

I had two favorite kings until 3 years ago. Now Akbar has joined the list.

My two favorite kings

My 2 favorite kings are Chandragupta Vikramaditya of the Gupta dynasty and Sher Shah Suri, the only Afghan king of India who unlike other Afghans loved his birthplace. 

I have mentioned Chandragupta in my first novel The Final Puzzle.

Why Sher Shah?

In high school, my favorite Indian king was Sher Shah. He lived and ruled like a true Hindustani, not merely an invader. That is why he, unlike other Afghan rulers, is held in great esteem.

What I remembered about Sher Shah was that he built the Grand Trunk Road, National Highway 1.

Turns out that is not exactly true. What he did was renovate it. He built inns and traveler facilities every 4 miles. These, in turn, served as post offices and horse exchanges.
Safety of the vulnerable-- women, peasants, and gentry was a top priority for him.
He standardized currency and came up with the Rupee/ Rupaiya.
Sher Shah rebuilt entire cities in his short stint of 5 yr ( a lesson for modern-day politicians).

Here is an informative article about Sher Shah:

Achievements of Sher Shah

My favorite Sher Shah quotes:

" The most excellent religious rite is the deliverance of justice"

"It behooves the great to always be active"

Sher Shah versus Akbar

Their background:
Sher Shah had boundless energy. He was raring to go. He did not waste time. Think about how much he achieved in 5 years. Akbar is known as Akbar the Great, but destiny gave him 50 years on the throne. And of course, a head start. When Sher Shah ascended the throne of Delhi, he was 54 yr. Akbar was 14 yr. 

Sher Shah's arch-rival was Akbar's father Humayun. Sher Shah's grandfather was a horse trader from Kabul, although he migrated to Hindustan before Sher Shah's birth. Akbar's grandfather Babur rests in Kabul. Incidentally, Sher Shah worked for Babur and when he ascended the throne of Delhi, he allowed Babur's remains to be respectfully moved from Delhi to Kabul where he wished to finally rest. Sher Shah rests in the land he loved Bihar.  He had his mausoleum constructed during his lifetime.

The Mughals came from central Asia- Turkey and neighboring lands including Mongolia and Iran.

There was no love lost between the Afghans and the Mughals. Although the Afghans were a warrior race, the reason the Mughals left a greater impression was because they invested in the land. They invested in infrastructure and left beautiful buildings. They contributed to the land, unlike the Afghans. Except of course the most famous and beloved Afghan, Sher Shah.

What they had in common:

A love of the land
Kindness towards the weak and vulnerable
Tireless energy that they utilized for the good of the land

A personality trait that was different:

When it came to women, Akbar liked them-- a lot. He had 5000 women in his harem. Numerous wives and others. He may have come to regret it later in life.

When it came to Sher Shah, very little is known about his wives. He obviously had a wife who bore him at least 3 sons. Adil Shah, Jalal Khan ( Islam Shah) and Qutub Khan. He married 2 other women, both seemed to be borne out of their need for protection from widowhood and his need for their money. There are no real romantic stories associated with Sher Shah. He does not appear to have been thus inclined. Yet, he was known as a chivalrous and noble man. The story that exemplifies this is his capture of his enemy's wife.

On genes that determine leadership

Although Sher Shah's son followed him as ruler of Hindustan, the Sur dynasty did not last.

Which proves the point that leadership qualities are random, and not transmitted genetically. A great leader is born once in a while, what most people often have to contend with is an average human being on whom destiny has shone the spotlight. For someone incompetent with no leadership qualities, there is no greater curse than having the spotlight on your glaring defects. An insecure, angry person who was muttering and whining in a corner will find himself (or herself these days) doing exactly the same much more openly. They will counter their insecurity by a protective human shield of flatterers and yes-men/women. It is only a matter of time before such people are removed, but they can leave lasting damage.

Sher Shah wanted his son Adil Shah to follow him. But his younger son Jalal Khan, a brave soldier, not altogether deficient in good qualities succeeded him. But Humayun returned to end the Sur dynasty and pave the way for Akbar. Humayun was back in India after 15 years of exile, but he died a  year later.

Going back from 1570

How did Akbar's reign mirror Sher Shah's almost as if the Afghan king was the father Akbar emulated?

Who are the two people who knew Sher Shah who could have influenced Akbar?

One is Todar Mal, who we know served under Sher Shah and then Akbar.

The other person who knew Sher Shah... who was that?

What was the name of the building where Humayun met his death? Who built it?

Fascinated by these questions, I have embarked upon my next novel. It will be much more concise than The Final Puzzle.

I hope to release it before the end of the year.