Girish Karnad Litcharts __full__ — Tughlaq By

Karnad uses the play to critique the manipulation of religion. Tughlaq tries to separate mosque and state, yet he is constantly surrounded by religious leaders (like Sheikh Imamuddin) who challenge his authority. This theme mirrored the political climate of 1960s India and remains relevant today. 3. Disillusionment and Alienation

Tughlaq’s two advisors. Barani is the historian who seeks the "human" side, while Najib is the cold, pragmatic politician. Symbols and Motifs The Game of Chess tughlaq by girish karnad litcharts

By the end of the play, Tughlaq is isolated. He has killed his mother, his friends, and his advisors. He becomes a symbol of the "Angry Young Man" generation—full of potential but trapped in a system that refuses to change. Character Analysis Karnad uses the play to critique the manipulation

| Character | Role | Description | |-----------|------|-------------| | | Protagonist | Idealistic, cruel, paranoid, brilliant. Wants to create a utopia but ends up a tyrant. | | Aziz | Antagonist (commoner) | A cunning, greedy citizen who exploits the Sultan’s token currency scheme for personal gain. | | Azam | Aziz’s brother | Less shrewd than Aziz, but complicit in the corruption. | | Najib | Loyal friend to the Sultan | A poet and idealist who believes in Tughlaq’s vision; eventually disillusioned and killed. | | Sheikh Imam-ud-din | Religious critic | A fiery Muslim scholar who condemns the Sultan’s policies as un-Islamic. | | Shihab-ud-din | The Sultan’s cousin | Represents the old nobility; conspires against the Sultan. | | Ain-ul-Mulk | Governor of Daulatabad | Pragmatic and honest; warns the Sultan but is ignored. | | Ratan Singh | Hindu Rajput king | Symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity that Tughlaq fails to achieve. | | Step-mother of the Sultan | Minor but symbolic | Appears in a dream sequence; represents conscience and tradition. | Symbols and Motifs The Game of Chess By

Desperate to prove his impartiality, Tughlaq stages a “state trial” of his own dead father. He declares his father’s reign unjust, a shocking act of self-flagellation meant to show his commitment to merit. Instead, it alienates the clergy and the military. A loyal soldier, , publicly insults the copper currency. Tughlaq has him trampled by a horse—revealing that his “justice” is just another form of tyranny.

Tughlaq speaks eloquently, but no one understands or trusts him. His decrees are logical but impractical. The gap between royal language and public reality is unbridgeable.