There is no doubt that Amish Tripathi’s works are responsible for reigniting interest in mythological and historical stories among many. This year also marks a decade since his first work The Immortals of Meluha was published. Now, having established himself among the finest storytellers in the country, and having written the widely acclaimed – Shiva Trilogy and Ram Chandra Series, he takes on the task of narrating the life of one of India’s greatest kings – Suheldev – in his latest work, Legend of Suheldev: The King Who Saved India.
I heard of the story of King Suheldev at a conference in Goa,” he says, adding, “It was when two friends of mine, both scholars, told me about the Battle of Bahraich and King Suheldev.” The first mentions of the king come from the 17th century Persian text Mirat-i-Masudi. “I was fascinated, and saddened at the same time. Here was a hero who had fought for Mother India. Every child in every Indian household should know his story. And yet, very few people knew of him,” rues Tripathi.
Tripathis says that when a storyteller writes about a legendary king like Suheldev, his/her job is different from a scholar. “A scholar has to research primary sources and create a non-fiction book analysing what must have happened. These books may be written in an interesting style, or, more often, written in a dry, academic style,” he says, adding that the job of a storyteller, however, is different. “A storyteller’s job is to use secondary sources, the works of the scholars, add in his/her own imagination, and write a story that is captivating, while carrying the main philosophical message of the tale (in this case, King Suheldev’s message is clear: When we Indians are united, we are unbeatable). That’s what one has tried to do with Legend of Suheldev.”
{{/usCountry}}Tripathis says that when a storyteller writes about a legendary king like Suheldev, his/her job is different from a scholar. “A scholar has to research primary sources and create a non-fiction book analysing what must have happened. These books may be written in an interesting style, or, more often, written in a dry, academic style,” he says, adding that the job of a storyteller, however, is different. “A storyteller’s job is to use secondary sources, the works of the scholars, add in his/her own imagination, and write a story that is captivating, while carrying the main philosophical message of the tale (in this case, King Suheldev’s message is clear: When we Indians are united, we are unbeatable). That’s what one has tried to do with Legend of Suheldev.”
{{/usCountry}}Suheldev is credited with defeating Ghaznavid general Ghazi Salar Masud in the Battle of Bahraich. “This will not be the only one. As Sanjeev Sanyal said, our history books tell us the story, largely, of our invaders, not of our ancestors who fought those invaders. This needs to be set right. Many heroes and heroines have been ignored. I intend to write books, with the help of the Writers Centre, on many of them,” says the author.
However, the author does feel that over time, his “book triggers some interest among more scholars to study the story of the great King Suheldev”. This, he feels, is important because sadly, the history of many parts of the country have been ignored except Delhi. “Because of the Delhi-centricity of our establishment historians, many other parts of India have been relatively ignored. For example, the Marathas, the Gurjar-Pratiharas, Maharaja Bhoj, the Cholas, the Palas, the Hoysalas, the Ahoms, Emperor Lalitaditya Muktapida, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Adil Shahis, King Kharavela, King Martanda Varma, and so many others do not have adequate coverage in our mainstream history books. This needs to be set right,” Tripathi reasons.