At a time when communal antagonism was at its peak (1920s), Premchand was perceptive enough to fathom the cause for religious intolerance being rooted in mutual ignorance of communities about each other’s faith. To alleviate this, he decided to write a play about Karbala, a 7th Century event in Islamic history, in which the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, Imam Hussain withstood the brute forces of the debauch ruler Yazid and sacrificed his life along with that of his companions and family members in the battlefield of Karbala, in modern day Iraq. In an unprecedented leap of faith, Premchand’s play draws the Dutt brothers, descendants of Ashwathhama, spending their exile years in Arabia, in the battlefield of Karbala. Inspired by the uprightness of the Imam and bound by their moral duty to justice, the seven brothers join forces with the Imam and sacrifice their lives for him, singing praises of their motherland Bharatwarsh. An illuminating blend of historical facts and imagination, this outstanding play reflects Premchand’s profound and enlightening grasp of the communal conflict in early nineteenth century India and his unique way of imagining the nation along the Gandhian principles of communal harmony and co-existence of religions.
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