TRANSLATION: DEBASHIS DEB
REVISION: ARON BERGLUND
[A discussion about poetry takes place over food at the royal court between the Emperor and the poet Mirza Ghalib. The scene ends with them engaging in a game of chess.]
The Emperor: [reads a poem]
My heart does not settle in this landscape of ruin
Who can feel settled in this evanescent world?
Tell these longings to go live someplace else
This scarred heart no longer has space.
Asking for long life, I was given only days
Half I spent wanting, the other half waiting.
The nightingale complains against groundsman nor trapper
Being caged in springtime was a matter of fate.
How hapless is Zafar, that even for burial,
He could not get a sliver of land near his lover. 1
Ghalib:
The Emperor is great. He expresses his
thoughts eloquently – reflecting on this
constant feeling of loneliness. Honourable
Emperor, friend poet, you are a great thinker,
secluded and deep in both mind and spirit.
The Emperor:
Does it matter if a poet is an Emperor or a
mere citizen? Nevertheless, did you have a new
poem, friend?
Ghalib: [reaches down his bag]
A new verse, honourable Emperor.
The Emperor: [interrupts Ghalib]
Some wine – before we proceed?
[The Emperor and Ghalib share nuts and bread spread on the table, sipping their glasses of wine. They clink their glasses together in a toast before Ghalib begins reading the poem.]
Ghalib: [reads his new poem]
Innocent heart, what has happened to you?
Alas, what is the cure to this pain?
We are interested, and they are displeased,
Oh Lord, what is this affair?
I too possess a tongue -
just ask me what I want to say.
Though there is none present without you,
then oh God, what is this noise about?
I expected faith from those
who do not even know what faith is. 2
[Bahadur Shah Zafar and his family are imprisoned by the British army. A conversation takes place between the Emperor and Queen Zeenat. To help set the scene, a background scenery displaying the destruction wrought by the English soldiers could be of use.]
The Emperor:
Zeenat, Delhi is a crematorium today.
I agree with your words – regarding this rebel
lion, in this war of independence. Now we have
lost everything; even our lives are on the brink
of demise. That we had to witness such ruining
of Delhi at this age…
We had taken shelter at the tomb of Great Humayun.
They would not fire cannons there
So they could not capture us either.
At least that is what I thought.
Major Hardson said,
“Emperor, come out with your entourage.
I will not kill nor arrest you.
Neither will I force you into the court of justice.”
But Hardson did not keep his word.
I was betrayed.
Tricked.
Does ingenuity lie within the nature of the
English blood?
Who knows?
I was then taken prisoner.
My wife, my children, and my grandchildren too.
Everyone was arrested and taken away
By bullock cart.
The last ruler of the Mughal Empire, Bahadur
Shah Zafar, is going to Delhi by bullock cart.
Look, people of India.
Look, people of the world.
Look how cruel the English people and Major
Hardson are.
After slaughtering my sons
They brought their heads before me.
Their bodies, too, were cut into pieces
And brought before me,
Even brought before my queens; their mothers!
Is that the teachings of the English nation?
Is that kind of brutality within their culture?
Is it common within their civilization?epic drama
What is wrong with India?
The Emperor of India is the one sitting on the
throne of Delhi.
What is wrong with Bahadur Shah Zafar?
Me and my other two sons Khizir Sultan and
Mirza Mughal were shackled.
Hardson shot them
In front of the beloved Indian people and their
beloved father,
By the side of the road.
What did Hardson think would happen?
Did he think that the Indians would come and
rescue their beloved Emperor?
Was clever Hardson ever really afraid?
No, my people are peaceful.
They are helpless.
So without resistance, the Englishmen occupied
all of India.
And by availing the same advantage Hardson
spread fear among
The innocent Indians, threatening them, shooting at them.
Killing them.
My soldiers also committed atrocities,
Terrible and inexplicable.
But never issued such instructions.
I inhibited it repeatedly and
Warned against it.I am always against cruelty,
Against bloodshed.
I kept avoiding provocation and incitement.
I have protected all people to the best of my
ability, including English women and children.
I wanted Hindu-Muslim unity, so I sacrificed go
ats in Red Fort – since Hindus do not eat beef.
I regarded all people as human.
I did not see
One as a Hindu,
One as a Muslim,
Or one as an Englishman.
I saw everyone as humans.
But the Englishmen divided the Hindus and
Muslims,
Kindling conspiracies between them.
They made my Delhi a crematorium.
They looted India.
Oh Lord, give me the power to bear through
This disaster and misery.
The power to keep the Indians safe.
The West has seen brutality before.
But I am always against cruelty.
An Indian rebel infantry came to Delhi,
Looted the treasury,
Distributed the money,
Set fire to the court and
Attacked the cantonment.
A rebel cavalry also came.
Both parties were from Meerut, and they came
together, to me.
I urged
A request.
That they would keep calm,
Take shelter in Salimgarh fort,
Follow the rules and regulations of the military
and
Halt the destruction.
I do not like cruelty.
I do not want more of what has happened,
I do not like cruelty.
Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar does not like cruelty.
I am that Emperor,
I am that miserable
Bahadur Shah Zafar,
I have seen the true cruelty of this world.
My ancestors,
The great Emperor Babur;
Great Humayun;
Great Akbar;
Great Jahangir;
Great Shahjahan;
Rest your gaze upon the earth, upon Delhi,
upon Bahadur Shah Zafar, and behold our
miserable condition.
[This is a court-martial scene. The Emperor faces false allegations. A screen in the background displays the courtroom scene. The Emperor delivers a monologue, acting out the words of other characters.]
The Emperor:
The people of India!
The great Emperors; my ancestors!
The Almighty Lord up above!
You do see
Upon this throne of Delhi
With what farce,
What barbarity,What impertinence,
And what incivility,
The foreign English soldiers have acted.
They will try Bahadur Shah Zafar, the Emperor
on the throne of Delhi,
In a court-martial.
Major Palmer,
Major Redmond,
Major Sawyers,
And Captain Rothney
Sit in the judge’s seat,
With Lieutenant Colonel Doyes as chief judge.
Interpreter James Morkey is on one side and
The public prosecutor Major F. J. Harriet is on the other.
What do I say?
Whom should I say anything to?
I talk to myself, with these four walls as witness,
about how the impermanence of the rebellion
is an effect of weak leadership.
My weakness is that I am too soft-hearted. I
care too much about people.
India has fallen into yet another historic crisis,
and our dream of independence has been
further distanced because of the unruliness of
the rebels.
We have been thrown out,
epic drama
I am old,
The throne is lost,
Everything is gone.
Well, I am leaving.
Oh, people of India,
Was this appeal for freedom
Not meant to be an omen heralding the coming
dawn of India’s independence?
From 1757 to 1857 and today, for a hundred
years, the English presence has loomed over India.
How many years must pass before indepen
dence is achieved now?
India, please find joy
Amidst the division under
The English grasp.
Oh court,
I will tell you the real story.
I do not want to lie at this old age.
I did not know anything
Before the anarchy and chaos broke out in
Delhi city.
It was at eight o’clock in the morning,
The sun had just risen in the eastern sky.
A group of agitated soldiers made noises outsi
de the window of my palace.
I rushed to a window
To see what the matter was about.
They were from Meerut.
I asked,
Why have you come?
Why are you killing the Englishmen?
They answered,
“In attempt to destroy the unified Hindu-Muslim religion
The Englishmen forced us to bite down the
cartridges from our guns, which are prepared
from the fat of cows and pigs.
When we refused
Innumerable native Indian soldiers were brutally killed.
Finding no other way to prevent this, we started a revolution, and
After killing the English soldiers in Meerut
We have come to you, Your Majesty.
We are looking for an Indian leader.
Traditional royal blood floods through your veins.
You are old and wise too.
So we came to an agreement selecting you to
be our leader.
We want to declare independence and
You will be the independent ruler of all of India.
We will obey your orders concerning the welfa
re of the country and the people,
and we will drive the foreigners out of the
country.
The country is ours.
We the Hindus,
We the Muslims,
We, the people of all religions in India united,
We will rebuild our country.”
I understood the purpose and importance of
their words,
But I shut the window before they finished
speaking.
[The Emperor closes the window and continues his monologue]
Where is the captain of the palace guard, I asked?
“I am here, your excellency,” he answered.
I asked if I could go out and talk with the rebel
soldiers?
But no,
I was advised not to.
Instead, the Captain himself spoke with them
from the balcony.
Shortly after that encounter I got a letter from
someone named Mr. Fraser.
[The Emperor brings up a letter in court and reads it in front of the judges]
Mr. Fraser required two guns for self-defense
In order to protect two women under his care.
Seeing this as a valid argument, I accepted the request.
But the irony of fate!
The rebel soldiers killed the Captain of the
Palace Guard,
They also killed Mr. Fraser
And the two women he was sheltering.
Before I realized this
And before I could take any initiative, the rebel
soldiers had congregated at Dewan Khas [premi-
ses of the palace] and at the nearby mosque.
I was alarmed.
I asked them to kindly leave the palace,
But they would not listen to me.
They ignored me.
I asked them,
What do you want?
What is your purpose?
They said –
“Please, do not interrupt our work.”
No.
I was afraid of their violent behaviour
And quickly realized that I would not become a
silent spectator in this.
During the evening, they brought captured
Englishmen to me.
They had arrested them by the ammunition depot.
They wanted to kill them.
I disagreed
And asked for them to be spared.
They honoured my request and
Left with the Englishmen.
I got news that the rebels had decided to kill
the Englishmen despite my plea.
I rushed to them immediately
And earnestly requested them not to kill the captives.
I begged for the lives of those Englishmen.
After a lengthy conversation, the rebels once
again honoured my request.
But regardless, the Englishmen were later killed clandestinely.
The blame for all those murders were pointed at me.
Honourable court,
The British colonial government has fabricated
this evidence against me.
I am the one accused of killing Mr. Fraser and
the Captain of the Palace Guard
But I have never issued any such instruction to anyone.
I do not know how Mukundalal, an old friend,
could perpetrate such false testimony against
me in the name of religion.
The rebel soldiers reaped many valuable lives
while keeping me completely in the dark.
epic drama
I reprimand all their heinous actions.
They have completely lost all my confidence.
I was the big hurdle between them and
achieving their final goals.
The rebels wanted to make my sons –
Mirza Mughal,
Mirza Sultan,
And Mirza Abu Bakr –
Captains in their army.
I disallowed it.
The rebels did not like that.
They ignored me and made my son Mirza Mug
hal a commander anyways.
They even forced me to sign the appointment
letter to him.
[The Emperor imitates signing the letter]
They could have killed me easily there and then.
Reality was that I was under house arrest and
heavy surveillance.
Such was my condition!
During the time that followed I had to sign
orders without reading them.
They also craved my signature on white papers.
I don’t know what they did with those.
They would send those papers to me, keeping
my Shahzads at gunpoint.
Evidently, they were nothing more than hostages.
I was also a hostage.
I had to sign those papers to save their lives.
The rebels were suspicious of me,
And of Queen Zeenat Mahal too.
They also detained innocent noblemen,
Keeping them as hostages.
I begged for their lives and tried to save them,
But many of them are sadly still confined.
Sometimes when I refused to sign a paper or order
They threatened me in front of my son Mirza Mughal.
They wanted to depose me and put him on the throne.
What should I have done in that situation?
What would any of you have done if you were in my situation?
I only acted according to what my strained
situation allowed, while trying to minimize the
consequential damage.
One should always make decisions based on what you are.
Otherwise, injustice will follow.
The rebel soldiers held court trials.
But over there I had no jurisdiction
So I never went to them.
I was scared seeing all the plunder around me.
I wanted to flee to Qutb Saheb’s Dargah,
Then to Azmir Sharif
And then to Makkah.
But, I could not.
The treasury and ammunition depot,
Under heavy surveillance and guarded by sentinels, was looted.
They also looted the palace of Begum Zeenat Mahal.
I was in no way involved with it.
But yet, I am accused of these allegations.
How is it proved that they were looting fol
lowing my orders?
I have sent no letters to the Persian terrorists.My enemies forged letters in my name.
One such letter was seized from Muhammad Darwish,
But there has been no investigation of its authenticity.
How can I be punished for a forged letter?
The rebel soldiers did not respect me as their Emperor.
Sometimes they did not even greet me.
They did not take their shoes off when they
came to meet me at Diwanai Khas and Jumma mosque.
They used me for their own interests.
And they succeeded in many cases.
I was a puppet pulled by their strings.
I had no weapon,
I had no artillery, no guns nor ammunition.
Contrary to me, the Englishmen had all of those.
So how could they not subdue the rebels?
All the blame is put on the unfortunate Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar!
I wonder.
What judgment did the British army face for
failing to subdue the rebellion?
Why are there allegations against such an old
and powerless person like me, Bahadur Shah Zafar?
None of my bodyguards were part of the rebel lion,
Nor any of my old servants.
I would keep them close to me for the rest of life.
I had no confidence in the rebel soldiers.
It was only to save the lives of my retainers that
I took shelter in the grave of Humayun, leaving
everything behind.
English Major Hardson told me that
No harm would be done if I surrendered.
I would not be insulted
Nor dishonoured.
He promised.
But he did not keep his word.
All the words I speak are true.
Letters written in Urdu are being used against
me as proof of the opposite
But I do not write in Urdu, I write in Persian.
Persian is the language used in my office.
I have now addressed the false accusations to
prove my innocence, I hope that is enough.
I believe that the Hon’ble Judges can connect
my statements of defense with the difficult
situation I previously was in.
[Inside the prison, The Emperor engages in an internal monologue, restless and fidgety. He paces back and forth, alternatively sitting and standing, tearing paper apart as he reflects on the impending verdict.]
Judgment!
There is judgment!
Judgment by the English!
What is the meaning of justice?
Farce and farce!
What verdict will they announce?
They are afraid of India!
A guilty mind is always suspicious!
Robbers hold the trial!
They even fear sentencing me to death!
They fear that the people of India will revolt again!
They have declared my exile,
And meanwhile they killed more of my princes.
Twenty other people from the palace escaped
into the mosque and scattered about.
Eighteen of them were hanged to death publicly.
Will that do any justice?
Now they announced my deportation,
To Rangoonepic drama
Out of India.
The Emperor of India is being thrown off the
soil of his own country.
Such a farce!
Such unfairness; injustice!
This Red Fort,
This Jinat Mahal,
Where and who of my relatives are here?
I do not know anything.
Delhi is full of aggression today!
Oh God, was this our fate!
All my things of value – my books, the library;
all the memories of generations past, all sym
bols, the soil of India, its sky, its air, the nature
of Delhi – are all leaving me. I am heading into
an unknown world.
This is the end of my empire!
Where is Rangoon?
Where is Bahadur Shah Zafar?
The prisoner, Bahadur Shah Zafar?
[The Emperor cuts a line in the paper and points at it like a map]
Convicted Bahadur Shah Zafar! The last heir of
the Mughal Empire built by Babur, is the victim
of unfair oppression by the English occupiers!
The Emperor of Red Fort,
The prisoner of Red Fort,
The Emperor of Delhi
Deported to Rangoon!
Sigh!
Will this injustice ever be heard of in London?
How many years will it take?
The people of India;
Hindus of India;
Muslims of India;
All peaceful and loving people of India, pardon me.
You will wake up some day.
This Red Fort,
This Delhi, will regain its dignity one day.
On that day, this old unfortunate Bahadur Shah
Zafar will not be the Emperor!
I utter it today, keeping these four walls as witness.
[The Emperor writes on the table, then in a struggle of pain throws his chair across the stage]
[The Emperor is confined within four walls, battling sickness, frustration, and despair. Restlessly, he paces back and forth, punctuating his movement with frequent puffs from his tobacco-pipe. Stripped of paper, writing materials, and even basic necessities, he resorts to using coal for brushing his teeth. Undeterred, he fills the wall with poetry, one verse after another, the charcoal inscriptions multiplying by the day. At times, he erases his own words, a ritual of creation and destruction amid his solitary
confinement.
In the midst of this silent struggle, the emperor continues his monologues, his thoughts echoing off the prison walls. Occasionally, Queen Zeenat sits quietly beside his bed, her gaze fixed ahead, her eyes betraying no emotion. Amidst the silent narratives etched on the walls, her presence remains a stead fast yet silent witness to the unfolding saga.]
Is this, then, the last days of the last Emperor of
the Mughal dynasty?
There is no bed to sleep on,
But a cot made out of rope.
[He gestures towards it]
The room is devoid of any window.
No relatives nearby.
Except you, Zeenat Mahal!
The wretched queen of the worthless king!
Only two of my princes are here, in the vicinity,
with some retainers.
But where exactly are they?
Are they confined in an isolated room like me?
Zeenat, my days are over.
But you will stay.
I am debilitated by this perpetual darkness,
Forgive me.
Where is the Red Fort?
Where is the Red Fort?
Where are those golden days?
Where is Delhi’s garden of heaven?
Everyone in the world respects that garden!
God’s throne is amazed with that garden!
What disasters the Englishmen committed!
They made Delhi a crematorium.
I was sent to Kolkata first.
Then by a military ship
To this dark chamber in Rangoon.
What to eat?
When does the day pass?
When does the night pass?
Where is Ghalib?
Where is the ghazal?Where is the wine?
Where is the chess?
Where is the dance?
Where is my life?
Where is the happiness of life?
I will write poetry to cut off pieces of my pain.
I will write poems.
Where is the paper?
Where is the pen?
How wicked the English are!
How ferocious the English are!
How cruel the English are!
Are they afraid of my name?
Are they afraid of Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar?
They are afraid that India will roar again in my name!
So loud that the tremors are felt in Britain!
But no one has any opportunity to interact with me.
If they would give me paper or
If they would give me a pen,
They are afraid that the freedom-loving people
of India will come in contact with me.
Can the Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar not even
be granted the recognized rights afforded a epic drama
common prisoner?
Could they not just kill me!
The Englishmen pretend to be noble, talking
about saving lives.
I was given coal to brush my teeth.
What else could I do?
The great Emperor Babur,
Did he leave the document of inheritance for me?
Where is happiness? Where is honour, power
and reputation?
Nowhere.
Where are my friends? There are no compani
ons to the right nor left.
Nowhere.
Bahadur Shah Zafar is as good as dead.
Nobody knows what will happen after death.
[He writes on the wall]
Who will come to place flowers on my poor grave?
Who will come to light the lamp in the dark?
Who will come to recite sweet Fateha?
This is the lonely memorial of a poor person,
just like me.
[The Emperor takes a deep breath, calms down, lies down on his cot, and sits back up again]
But Zeenat! The last queen of the Mughal Empire!
You have shared, with shame, the misery of
my last days; you became the witness of my lament.
I keep you witnesses to it, along with these four walls –
As long as faith remains in the hearts of the
fighters of freedom, the sword of India will
relentlessly keep on striking towards the heart
of England, and London.
Zeenat: [Tries to put the Emperor to bed]
Be calm; be quiet.
Drink a sip of water.
[Zeenat hands the Emperor a glass of water. The Emperor lies down briefly but keeps sitting up repeatedly, taking coal to write on the wall once more]
The Emperor:
The color of flowers will fade, their fragrance will be lost,
Their splendor and glory will end.
Only I will remain, keeping the happy memories of spring.
[The Emperor places his head against the wall, and lies down tired again. He is drowsy, but suddenly jerks erect again]
Nobody came when I needed it the most.
Then, it is wise to call for death to come on time.
Innalillahey Wa Inna Ilaihey Rajeun.
[The Emperor wipes his eyes from tears]
Zeenat!
[Zeenat rushes over and sprinkles water on the Emperor. She hugs the Emperor and bursts into tears. This was the end of the last Emperor of the Mughal Empire in India]
What will happen to me now?
[The following last verse written by the Emperor will be recited in the background. It could be displayed on a digital screen.]
No one cares for me, no one cares for me, no
one cares for me.
If it is of no use to anyone, it is a huge waste.
I am not the one who is going on, what will he
do to my mind?
I am crying for all the birds, I am crying for all
the sorrows.
My complexion has grown bigger, my love has
grown bigger than me.
The man who gathered food from food, I am the harvest of it.
I don’t love anyone, I love anyone, I don’t love
anyone,
The one who grows up becomes fortunate, the
one who grows up becomes rich.
Who has read this book, which book has read
this book?
Why don’t you light a lamp, but the maid’s
tomb is built. 3
– Bahadur Shah Zafar Poems by the Famous
Poet – All Poetry
[After reciting this poem, the sunrise shines on theshrine of Bahadur Shah Zafar — which will beshown on a digital screen with the flags of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma and Afghanistan. On thescreen, the Indian Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, willpay tribute to the grave of Bahadur Shah Zafar withflowers in his hands. The quote of the Prime Ministerof India, Rajiv Gandhi, will appear on the screen.]
“It is true that in Hindustan you did not get ayard of land. But from your sacrifice we couldraise our voice of independence. You did not have bad luck Zafar; your name will be remembered forever with glory, for the message offreedom.”
– Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi, Rangoon
1 S. Abbas Raza, 3 Quraks Daily. Monday Musing: A Poem By Bahadur Shah Zafar. 3 Quarks Daily. 2008. Monday Musing: A poem by Bahadur Shah Zafar - 3 Quarks Daily (translation retrieved 2023-05-04).
2 Poem Hunter. Innocent Heart Poem By Mirza Ghalib. Poem Hunter. 2010. Innocent Heart - Innocent Heart Poemby Mirza Ghalib (poemhunter.com) (translation retrieved 2023-05-04).
3 All Poetry. Bahadur Shah Zafar. All Poetry. N.D. Bahadur Shah Zafar - Poems by the Famous Poet - All Poetry (translation retrieved 2023-05-04).
All Poetry. Bahadur Shah Zafar. All Poetry. N.D. Bahadur Shah Zafar - Poems by the Famous Poet - All Poetry (translation retrieved 2023-05-04).
Poem Hunter. Innocent Heart Poem By Mirza Ghalib. Poem Hunter. 2010. Innocent Heart - Innocent Heart Poem by Mirza Ghalib (poemhunter.com) (translation retrieved 2023-05-04).
Raza S. Abbas, 3 Quraks Daily. Monday Musing: A Poem By Bahadur Shah Zafar. 3 Quarks Daily. 2008. Monday Musing: A poem by Bahadur Shah Zafar - 3 Quarks Daily (translation retrieved 2023-05-04).
