The Politics of History in Girish Karnad's Tughlaq: A Play of Power and Paranoia

Girish Karnad’s Tughlaq (1971) stands as a powerful political allegory that reinterprets history to reflect the complexities of postcolonial governance. Set in the 14th century but resonating deeply with modern India, the play presents Muhammad bin Tughlaq not merely as a historical figure, but as a symbol of the tragic collapse of visionary politics. This paper explores the politics of history in Tughlaq, focusing on the Sultan’s paradoxical blend of secular idealism, rational governance, and tyrannical control. Through the use of irony, symbolism, and episodic structure, Karnad critiques the dangers of utopian leadership untempered by pragmatism or empathy. Tughlaq’s policies—rational on the surface—reveal an underlying absurdity when divorced from the lived realities of his subjects, resulting in state violence, mass suffering, and the erosion of trust. Drawing from historical sources, postcolonial criticism, and dramatic theory, the study shows how Karnad uses the past to interrogate the present. The play thus becomes a mirror for India’s own post-independence disillusionment, revealing the psychological and political consequences of unchecked power. Ultimately, Tughlaq is not just a historical drama, but a timeless political tragedy—exposing the cyclical nature of tyranny masked as reform and the fragility of idealism in the corridors of power.