Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh): Till now, you must have heard of the Valmiki Ramayana in Sanskrit language and Tulsidas’ Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi however, do you know that there is a hand-written Ramayana in Arabic language preserved in its original form since more than 400 years ago.
The holy scripture was translated into Arabic on the orders of the great Mughal emperor Akbar during his visit to Gwalior.
The 468-year-old handwritten Arabic Ramayana is a unique example of India’s Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb and is present in Ganga Das' Badi Shala at Padav in Gwalior district.
Interestingly, it is also the same place where Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi was martyred while fighting the British.
In a quick trip to the lanes of history, Mahant Ramsevak Maharaj of Ganga Das' Shala said that during his reign, Akbar had come to Gwalior. Here, he wanted to take education from the Mahant of Ganga Das’ Shala.
Mahant Ramsevak Maharaj |
Upon hearing his request, the Mahant had told Akbar that since he is a follower of only one religion, if he wants to get educated about other religions, he should follow all the religions.
Akbar established Din-e-Ilahi
This was when Akbar established Din-e-Ilahi, a new syncretic religion combining the teachings of Islam and Hinduism.
Akbar, then, got the Ramayana translated into Arabic language from the Mahant. Since then, this Ramayana has been kept in a preserved manner in the school of Ganga Das. The special thing is that even after years, the letters of the Arabic Ramayana still shine like gold.
As the day of consecration ceremony at Ayodhya's Ram Temple is just round the corner, this historical anecdote is a great reminder of the high syncretic ethos of Indian culture.
