Headlines
Controversy over Akbar's 'Navratnas' installation in heritage site
Agra, March 6
A controversy has erupted over
divisional commissioner Pradip Bhatnagar's decision to install the
statues of Mughal emperor Akbar's "Navratnas" (nine jewels) in Fatehpur
Sikri, a World Heritage site.
Akbar's passion for knowledge and
interest in learning from great minds led him to attract men of genius
to his court. His personal favourites were collectively known as the
nine gems or "Navratnas".
Bhatnagar, using funds from the Agra Development Authority, ordered the statues of the nine jewels to be put up at the site.
But
now historians are asking him to present historical evidence that Akbar
had appointed or released officially a list of nine jewels in his
court, to counsel him and provide him with informed company.
Eminent
Mughal historian R. Nath told IANS: "To my knowledge there is no
authentic list of nine jewels in any work of a contemporary historian.
Its part of the popular folklore though."
"The Archaeological
Survey of India should strictly follow the manuals and the 1958 Ancient
Monuments Act, which does not permit addition or deletion of any new
structures," Nath added.
The nine jewels, according to popular
belief are: Abul Fazl, Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana, Birbal, Mulla
Do-Piyaza, Faizi, Raja Man Singh, Raja Todar Mal, Faqir Azio Din and
Tansen.
Bhatnagar, who is also the chairman of the Agra
Development Authority, initiated a project to get statues made of all
the nine jewels and put them on show at the Fatehpur Sikri complex. But
the Archaeological Survey of India has refused permission. The statues
will now be installed in the Uttar Pradesh tourism facilitation centre
outside the complex.
Historian Raj Kishore Raje told IANS:
"Commissioner Bhatnagar is distorting history. I have written to the
Uttar Pradesh chief minister advising him to restrain the commissioner
from proceeding in this matter."
Raje said there is no mention in
any of the books of the period. Abul Fazal's "Ain-e-Akbari", Farishta's
"Tareekh-e-Farishta", Innyatullah's "Taqmeel-e-Akbarnama", say nothing
about the nine jewels of Akbar.
"Even the books of Sir Jadu Nath
Sarker or Ashirwadi Lal Srivastav make no mention of them. Akbar never
said he had capable hands to help him in administration. Therefore, if
the commissioner goes ahead with his statue project, it would be a
travesty of truth and misrepresentation of history."