Ruler of the World

drawing of the cross, but look what the letter says, Father — especially the last lines, about how the Christians pray.’

Akbar stared at the letter in his son’s outstretched hand. Salim must know that he couldn’t read. . Slowly he took the piece of paper and unfolded it. At the top was a sketch of a skeletally thin man nailed to a cross, face creased in agony and head lolling. Beneath the drawing were some densely written lines that of course meant nothing to him. ‘I will keep this and look at it later,’ Akbar said, unable to help the sharp edge to his voice. ‘Leave me now.’

Had his son intended to discomfit him? Akbar wondered, pacing his apartments after Salim had gone. Surely not. Why should he? But then the image of Hirabai’s proud, unyielding face came into his mind. What if she was encouraging Salim to despise him, just as she did? He knew from questioning the boy’s tutor that Salim was spending more and more time with his mother in her silent sandstone palace in the haram complex. She never saw her brother Bhagwan Das or her nephew Man Singh when they came to court, never held entertainments or gave parties, but — or so he had been told — kept herself aloof from the haram, spending her time reading, sewing with her Rajput waiting women and worshipping her gods. Every month at the time of the full moon, she climbed to the pavilion on the roof of her palace to gaze into the heavens and pray.

Perhaps it was simply her self-imposed isolation from him that was affecting Salim, causing the boy to start to behave towards his father as she did? Salim used to be so free and open, but not any more. Now that Akbar thought about it, this wasn’t the first time he’d noticed how awkward and tongue-tied his eldest son had become in his presence. His jaw hardened. Hirabai could live as she chose but he would not allow her to influence their son. Though he wouldn’t wish to prevent Salim from seeing his haughty mother, perhaps he should ensure the visits were short and the pair were not left unattended.

Chapter 14

Sun Among Women

Life was good. Akbar lay, eyes closed, feeling the air stir pleasantly around his naked body as a silk punkah swung rhythmically back and forth above him. He could hear the sound of water trickling down the tattis, the screens filled with the roots of scented kass grass that in summer were placed over the arched windows to cool the hot dry desert air blowing through them.

He had much enjoyed the past hours spent in the arms of a dancing girl from Delhi whose long, jasmine- scented hair fell to the curve of her buttocks. Although he was in his mid-thirties he congratulated himself he still had the vigour of any young blood. He certainly had no need of the hakims’ aphrodisiac potions like ‘the Making of the Horse’ — a dark green foul-smelling concoction that supposedly gave a jaded man the sexual energy of a stallion and according to haram gossip was favoured by some of the more elderly members of his court. Nevertheless, he liked to explore new paths to pleasure. Sometimes he ordered one of his concubines to read to him from the centuries-old Hindu Kama Sutra, marvelling that there could be so many ways of making love. He smiled as he remembered the boy he had been with Mayala all those years ago. He would never have imagined then that he would acquire such a vast haram.

But at the thought, some of his contentment and post-coital languor ebbed. Soon he must rise and go to the diwan-i-khas for a meeting with members of the ulama. Jauhar had warned him what they wanted — to object to his intention of taking further wives because, having recently wed the daughter of an important vassal from the south, he already had four, the maximum permitted by Sunni Islam. Akbar sat up. He wouldn’t tolerate any interference. Dynastic marriages were the cornerstone of his policy for pacifying and extending his empire and it was working. He would take a hundred wives, two hundred, if it would help secure his empire, whether further Rajput princesses or women from the old Moghul clans or Hindustan’s Muslim nobility, whether plain or beautiful.

Of course, it had been very different for his father. Humayun had found in one woman — Hamida — the expression of his heart and soul. Sometimes he wished he himself could feel the same intense love for one woman but it had never happened and perhaps never would. At least it made it easier for him to pursue his policy of strategic alliances and left him free to enjoy an infinite variety of sexual partners. He now had over three hundred concubines. Most men would envy him, he reflected, pushing thoughts of the sour-faced ulama from his mind as he recalled once more the dancing girl, supple body gleaming with perfumed oil.

Two hours later, in robes of emerald silk embroidered with peacocks and with a jewelled ceremonial dagger tucked into his bright yellow sash, Akbar took his place on his throne on the circular platform atop the tall carved pillar in the diwan-i-khas, Abul Fazl and the now stooped figure of his vizier Jauhar behind him. On one of the balconies stood the members of his ulama. Shaikh Ahmad was standing slightly to the fore, obviously expecting to be invited to advance along the narrow bridge to the platform. Akbar gestured to him to remain where he was.

‘Well, Shaikh Ahmad. What do you wish to say to me?’

The shaikh touched his hand to his breast but the small brown eyes he fixed on Akbar were far from humble. ‘Majesty, the time has come for plain speaking. Your intention to take further wives is an affront to God.’

Akbar leaned forward. ‘Be careful what you say.’

‘You are defying what is written in the Koran. I have spoken to you about this many times in private but you have chosen not to listen, forcing me to protest in public. If you still will not heed me, I will preach my message from the pulpit of the great mosque at Friday prayers.’ The shaikh’s face was flushed and he seemed to interpret Akbar’s silence as encouraging. Drawing up his portly body and with a triumphant glance over his shoulder at his colleagues, he continued, ‘The Koran permits a man only four marriages — nikah marriages with women of the Muslim faith. Yet I hear that you plan to take many more — some not even Muslims. If you do not draw back, God will punish you and our empire.’

‘I already have two Hindu wives, as you very well know. Each has borne me a son. Are you suggesting I renounce them?’

The shaikh thrust out his chin. ‘Let them be concubines, Majesty. Your royal sons will still enjoy the status of royal princes. Many princes have been born to concubines. . your own grandfather’s brother, for example. .’

Akbar looked at the mullah, wondering how it would feel to take his sword and slice through that fleshy neck. The thought came that even after being severed, that pompous, self-righteous head would probably still keep talking.

‘Shaikh Ahmad, I have done you the courtesy of listening to you. Now listen to me. I am the emperor. I alone will decide what is best for my empire and for my people. I will not tolerate your meddling.’

The mullah flushed but said nothing. Akbar was about to dismiss the ulama when Abul Fazl’s father Shaikh Mubarak stepped forward. Akbar hadn’t noticed him till now.

‘Majesty, if I might be permitted to speak, I might be able to propose a solution.’

‘Very well.’

‘Like Shaikh Ahmad, I am a Sunni Muslim, but I have spent some years studying the ways of our Shia brothers. I have come to see that they — like us — are faithful followers of the Prophet Muhammad and that we should not allow doctrinal differences to make us enemies.’

‘You speak wisely, but why is this relevant to what you have just heard?’

‘It could not be more relevant, Majesty. The Shias believe that the Koran permits another, lesser form of marriage — the muta. A man may contract a muta marriage with any number of women, whatever their religion, and with no need for any formal ceremony. .’

‘That is heresy. . no true believer would follow such a path,’ interrupted Shaikh Ahmad, shaking his head angrily.

‘Perhaps it isn’t heresy. A particular verse of the Koran — I will show it to you — appears to sanction these