Tales from India

by Bali Rai

  He liked drinking water from the Ganges River, and had this water sent in sealed jars carried by teams of water-carriers to whichever part of India he was in. He enjoyed playing the game Pachisi – we know this in a simplified form as Ludo (Parcheesi in the United States). Akbar also liked eating fruit, and as he grew older, he gave up eating meat.

  Akbar founded a great library with over 24,000 books in it, in many different languages. He encouraged poets, writers, scholars, musicians, craftsmen and readers to come to his court for study and discussion. Every day someone read to him, as he loved literature – but he never learned to read or write!

  Birbal (1528–1586)

  Birbal’s real name was Mahesh Das. His nickname, ‘Birbal’, was given to him by Akbar – it means ‘courageous and great’, which was a joke. He was not particularly brave, or a skilled soldier! Birbal was a Brahmin, a member of a group of Hindus who were scholars and priests. Educated to know the Hindi, Sanskrit and Persian languages, he was a poet and musician. After his appointment to Akbar’s court, Birbal soon became the ‘Kavi Rai’ (the poet laureate). He was the only courtier to have a house within the walls of Akbar’s palace at Fatehpur Sikri

  Abdul Qadir (1540–1615)

  Abd al-Qadir Bada’uni was one of Akbar’s court historians and translators. He was a traditional Muslim and, along with other Muslims at court, disliked Birbal because he was a Hindu. He agreed Birbal was a good musician, but thought he had too much influence over Akbar. Akbar asked Abdul to write several books for him. The most important is Muntakhab al-tawārīkh (Selection from History), often called Tārīkh-e Badāūnī (Badāūnī’s History), a history of Muslim India. Abdul Qadir also translated the great Hindu epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

  RELIGIONS OF INDIA

  In the stories we meet characters from two of the world’s great religions – Hinduism and Islam. There are many people who belong to these two faiths in India, along with those of other faiths, including Buddhism (which started in India), Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Christianity and Jainism. The Emperor Akbar tried to bring some of them closer together by emphasizing things that were similar, but in the end he did not succeed.

  Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest religions. Most Hindus live in India, though it has influenced people across the world. Unlike other religions, Hindus have many sacred books and writings. Some people study by going to an ashram, a place where religion can be taught away from the activities of the world outside.

  Hindus have many gods and goddesses, but these are usually thought to be particular aspects of Brahman, a universal spirit. The most important gods who make up Brahman are Brahma, the creator of the universe, Vishnu, who preserves it, and Shiva, who destroys it.

  Shiva’s wife is Parvati, who appears in these stories. She is much loved, and is the goddess of motherhood. But in another form she is also Kali, the goddess of destruction. Ram (or Rama) is one of the aspects of the god Vishnu. He is the perfect man, whether considered as son, brother, teacher, husband or king.

  Hindus see how time moves, from birth to death and from creation to destruction. They believe that the soul doesn’t die. When a body dies, its soul is reborn. This is called ‘reincarnation’. Animals are reincarnated, as well as people. If you live a good life, you will be reborn into a better state, and if you are bad, you will be born into a worse one. This is a law called karma.

  There are many holidays and festivals in Hinduism. One important festival is Diwali, which falls in October or November. It is a festival of light.

  Islam started in Arabia, where around AD 600, the Prophet Mohammed began to preach in Mecca. He believed he had been called to teach his people to worship Allah (God). He taught them that there was only one God, and that he was God’s messenger.

  Mohammed’s companions wrote down his teachings and revelations and eventually they became the Muslim holy book, the Koran. Islam teaches that Allah created the whole universe, and has absolute power. He is just and merciful, but humans should behave well. They should be just and honest. They should be kind to the poor and unfortunate. Life on earth is a test, and angels in heaven keep a record of how each human behaves.

  On the day of judgement, a good person will be given his record book to hold in his right hand, and he will go to heaven. A bad person will have to take their book in their left hand, and go to hell.

  One special group of Muslims are the Sufis. A Sufi tries to make his worship as perfect as possible. He will reject worldly things, concentrating instead on prayer and thought and study.

  Sikhism was founded in the sixteenth century by Guru Nanak, a Hindu who lived during the time of the Mughal emperor Babur. Today, there are about 20 million Sikhs worldwide. Sikhism stresses the importance of doing good deeds – living honestly, treating everyone equally and being generous to those in need – rather than rituals. Sikhs believe in one God, who is kept in the mind and heart at all times.

  A challenge!

  Can you think of any other religions? Can you find out some things about one you haven’t come across before? If you met someone who belonged to that religion, what questions would you like to ask to find out more?

  THE MUGHAL EMPIRE

  The Mughal Empire was founded by Babur, a prince of Afghanistan. When he was driven out of his kingdom of Samarkand, he invaded India in 1526, and defeated the Sultan of Delhi, taking his lands to rule. Later success in war brought him more territory.

  Babur (a Persian nickname: it means ‘Tiger’) was not Indian. He was a mixture of Turk and Mongol. His mother was a descendant of Genghis Khan, his father was a descendant of Tamerlane, and he had been brought up in the Persian tradition. The Persian word for ‘Mongol’ is ‘Moghul’ and this gave his empire its name.

  Babur wrote poems, many of which became popular folk songs, and also wrote his autobiography. He said, ‘The new year, the spring, the wine and the beloved are joyful. Babur make merry, for the world will not be there for you a second time.’

  Babur’s grandson, Akbar, was the greatest of the Mughal emperors. Akbar came to the throne in 1556. He was a good soldier, and expanded the empire. He ruled justly and with tolerance, and people of many religions and races served him loyally.

  Akbar’s grandson, Shah Jahan, loved architecture. He had many famous buildings constructed, including the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal. But his court was so luxurious it started to cost more than the money available.

  Shah Jahan’s son, Aurangzeb, extended the empire even more. In his day, he ruled over almost all of India, and over nearly a quarter of the world’s population. However, he was not tolerant. He persecuted his Sikh and Hindu subjects, and destroyed many Hindu temples. The Mahrattas, Hindus from Central India, rose against him, and this seriously weakened the empire. After Aurangzeb’s death it began to break up.

  The empire finally ended when the British captured Delhi in 1858.

  Write your autobiography

  The person you know best is you. What things would you like other people to know about you? What have you already done in your life? What would you like to do – study something special? Help people in need? Change the world? Have a go at writing your autobiography, like Babur.

  THE CASTE SYSTEM

  In ancient India, people were divided into groups, called castes, mostly depending on what they did. Some work was more highly thought of than others. You were born into a caste, married someone of the same caste, and couldn’t leave it. Members of each group belonged to the same religious sects, and had about the same amount of wealth as other group members. The groups were known as varnas, or colours.

  Brahmins (white) were priests, teachers and scholars

  Ksatriyas (red) were nobles and warriors

  Vaishyas (yellow) were farmers, merchants, bankers and craftspeople

  Shudras (black) were servants and labourers

  Over time, the groups divided and subdivided, until eventually there were more than 3,000 castes. Then another group emerged – the outcaste
s, or untouchables, often called dalits. They did the dirtiest kinds of jobs, like tanning skins to make leather. In 1950 India outlawed untouchability. Equal status was granted to all people. However, it has proved very difficult to do away with the system.

  What do you think?

  What do you think about dividing people up like this? Can you think of some good things about the system, and some bad ones?

  SOME THINGS TO DO …

  ANIMALS SNAKES AND LADDERS

  Snakes and ladders is a very ancient board game invented in India. It’s now world-famous.

  In the original game, the ladders represented good qualities, such as generosity and knowledge. The snakes were bad qualities – anger, telling lies, disobedience. There were more snakes than ladders, because it’s harder to be good and get to heaven than it is to be bad and slide back down to earth!

  In the stories, there are many animals and birds. Some help humans, and some don’t. Try making your own snakes and ladders board, using good animals on the ladders and bad animals on the snakes. Read the stories carefully, because some animals help people when you might think they wouldn’t, and others are unhelpful when you might expect them to be kind.

  You will need:

  A big sheet of paper

  A ruler

  Coloured pencils or felt-tips

  A dice

  Counters (use buttons or pebbles if you don’t have counters)

  Rule a grid with 100 squares in it – 10 squares along the bottom row, and 10 rows of 10 squares each going up. Number every square – square 10 should be the bottom right-hand corner, and square 11 is the one right above.

  Work out where your good animal ladders and your bad animal snakes will go. Each one must clearly start and finish in a square. Colour them in, and decorate the outside of the paper if you like.

  Play the game with at least one other person. Throw the dice, and move your counter along the board according to the number of pips on the dice. If you land on a square with the bottom of a ladder on it, go up to the top and carry on from there. If you land on a square with the top of a snake on it, go down! The winner gets to square 100 first.

  RICE PUDDING

  Many of these stories contain special meals, banquets and feasts. One of the most popular things to eat is rice pudding! This is easy to make – why not try it?

  You will need:

  45 g (3 tbls) small-grain (pudding) rice

  600 ml (1 pint) milk

  (25 g butter if you use semi-skimmed or skimmed milk)

  1 tbls sugar

  Nutmeg

  An oven-proof dish

  What you do:

  Please ask an adult to help you before you start cooking.

  Heat the oven to a temperature of 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2

  Put the rice and sugar in the dish. Pour the milk slowly over the rice and sugar. (If you are using semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, add the butter to the mixture.) Sprinkle a very small amount of nutmeg on the milk.

  Put the dish in the oven, and cook for 2 hours.

  Take it out carefully, wearing thick oven gloves to protect your hands, or get a grown-up to do this for you.

  There is enough pudding here for four people.

  Rice can be flavoured with such things as cinnamon, cardamom, saffron, rosewater and vanilla. Some people add nuts or raisins – they are all delicious.

  GLOSSARY

  ashram – a place, usually in a remote location, where people can retreat from the world and study the Hindu religion

  azure – a bright blue colour

  banyan tree – a kind of fig tree in which some branches grow towards the ground, where they root and turn into extra tree trunks

  bungalow – a house with only one storey. They were first built in Bengal for Europeans living in India

  charpoy – a bed with a light wooden frame strung with thin rope or webbing

  cohort – originally a unit of six centuries in the Roman army, now used for a group of people who share something similar

  conch shell – a large, strong sea shell with a spiral shape. Some can be blown through to make a musical note

  dhoti – a piece of cloth worn as clothing by some men in India. A dhoti is tied round the waist and covers part of the legs

  dosa pancake – a pancake made using flour with a mixture of rice and pulses, such as peas and beans, ground together

  fakir – a religious person, usually a Muslim but sometimes a Hindu, who has given up worldly things and lives on what food kindly people provide

  karma – how you have lived your life – not just the one you are living now, but the lives you have had before. The total of goodness or badness will affect your future. Karma is an important part of the Hindu and Buddhist religions

  khichri – a very simple dish of rice and lentils. A richer version, including eggs and fish, is known in Britain as kedgeree

  okra – the long seed pods of a tropical plant, eaten as a vegetable. Okra is sometimes called ‘ladies’ fingers’

  papaya – the fruit of the papaya tree. A papaya looks like a thin melon. It has orange flesh and small black seeds

  peepal tree – a kind of fig tree held to be sacred by Buddhists, because Buddha sat under one. Also called a bo tree

  pomelo – the biggest citrus fruit. It is rather like a grapefruit, with a thick yellow skin and a sour taste

  prudhan – a senior government minister in India, like a prime minister

  sadhu – a wise and holy man. Sadhus live very simply

  saffron – a yellow-coloured spice made from a variety of crocus. Saffron can also be used as a colour

  sari – a dress worn by women in India and other Asian countries. It is a piece of cotton or silk cloth, folded and wrapped round the body to give a long skirt, a covering to the top of the body, and with one end floating free

  Sufi – a Sufi is a Muslim who tries to practise his religion as perfectly as possible. Sufis spend time in study, thought and prayer and reject worldly things

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  First published 2017

  Text copyright © Bali Rai, 2017

  Illustrations by Joe Lillington

  Illustrations copyright © Penguin Books Ltd, 2017

  The moral right of the author and illustrator has been asserted

  Cover design © Nathan Yoder

  ISBN: 978-0-141-37325-6

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