World events help make ‘Twentieth Wife’ relevant

Max Jacobson

Monday, Feb. 25, 2002 | 8:22 a.m.

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At the end of the 16th century, the Moghul Empire that ruled the vast Indian subcontinent and what we know today as Pakistan, parts of Iran and most of Afghanistan was at the peak of its power and influence. Dozens of cultures and ethnic groups were consolidated by this now-defunct empire, whose historical influences continue to filter through to the present day.

The al-Qaeda stronghold, Kandahar, was an important outpost of this empire, and languages spoken in court included Farsi, Turkish and Arabic.

Against this colorful backdrop, Seattle-based, India-born writer Indu Sundaresan has written "The Twentieth Wife," an epic saga about one unconventional woman, and the journey taking her from Persian refugee to Empress of Moghul India. The book is a fictionalized account of historic events, loosely based upon the life of Empress Nur Jahan, who appears as the character called Mehrunnisa, literally "Sun of Women."

Mehrunnisa first encounters Prince Salim, later to be Emperor Jahangir and, eventually, her husband, on his wedding day. Even though she is but a sapphire-eyed, 8-year-old child, it is love at first sight, and from that moment on she dreams of nothing more than of being the young prince's wife. But soon after that chance meeting, the currents of history intervene, and it will be a full 26 years before she indeed becomes the title character, or "The Twentieth Wife."

The twisty plot reveals much about imperial life at the Moghul Court, from life in the zenana, or harem, to the intrigues and conspiracies that pervade political life during that period. Salim barely makes it to the throne. Implicated in a plot to poison his father, Akbar, the Third Emperor of Moghul India, he falls into disfavor with the crown, and almost loses his life.

Mehrunnisa meanwhile is derailed in her attempts to become betrothed to the emperor-to-be. Her father, Ghias Beg, the imperial diwan (or treasurer), reluctantly accepts Akbar's request to have his daughter become the wife of a Persian warrior named Ali Quli, a request that Mehrunnisa is unable to refuse, lest she dishonor her family. During the years that follow, Prince Salim ascends the throne following the death of his father, and endures several plots to topple him, mostly hatched by his eldest son, Prince Khusrau.

As a historical footnote, Khusrau's younger brother, Khurram, achieved the throne in place of his dishonored brother. He went on to become the fifth Mughul Emperor Shah Jahan, the man who built the Taj Mahal to commemorate his undying love for his deceased wife Mumtaz Mahal, who happened to be Mehrunnisa's niece, Arjumand.

Though Mehrunnisa is never in love with her husband, she does remain loyal to him. It is her husband's support of the errant Prince Khusrau that eventually leads to his doom, and makes it possible for her to finally marry the emperor. If the basic plot outline of this work seems similar to a soap opera, then so does much of this author's prose style. Sundaresan is an evocative writer, and the historical pictures that she draws are indeed compelling.

Though this first-time novelist has undoubtedly done her homework, several passages come across as wooden, more Danielle Steel than Barbara Tuchman:

"She stared angrily at him, despising him at that moment more than she ever had, every childhood lesson on being obedient to her husband forgotten. Ali Quli bent over her, took the book from her hands, and kissed her palms, one after the other. It is good to see that you do not cringe at my touch."

Still, this is a relevant story today, not only because it demonstrates the power and influence of love, but also because it speaks volumes about the role of women in that society, then and now. One of the most compelling results of the expulsion of the Taliban in Afghanistan might be the improved status of Afghani women, a group that has suffered unspeakable violations in recent years.

Having a historical perspective goes a long way toward understanding their plight, and the story of Mehrunnisa, who went on to be the most influential woman of her era, lends a ray of hope to the future of those women, and indeed, to women everywhere.