AmbarSynopsisEN PDF

Malik
Ambar
Synopsis
As a teenager, an Abyssinian slave is bought by greedier, set up trading posts along the coast.
Wazir Changez Khan, the Prime Minister of the Thanks to the master whom he admires, this slave
Kingdom of Ahmadnagar in Deccan. This becomes Malik Ambar, a free man who discovers
nobleman of Turkish origin notices the talents of the meaning of life and devotes his life to
the young African, who becomes not only Head of protecting the Kingdom that has given him his
the Cavalry but also his spiritual son, joining his dignity back. However, his rapid rise and nascent
master’s rebellion against the new forces in relationship with Chand Bibi, the daughter of
motion. The Mughals from Samarkand extend Sultan Hussein of Ahmadnagar, are not to the
their empire in the north of the country, while the taste of everyone in the nobility and earn him
Westerners from Portugal and England, ever much hostility.
Chand Bibi
To strengthen ties between the Kingdoms of
Deccan in their alliance against the Empire, near
Bijapur, Chand Bibi is offered up to the Sultan Ali,
despite his greater predilection for teenage boys.
The princess is horrified by this injustice, but the
fateful day nonetheless arrives. Malik
accompanies the procession of the young future
bride and, during a stop at a caravanserai, they
give in to their burning passion for each other.
The following day, the doors of the royal harem of
Bijapur close once again.
Malik, devastated, is forced to return to Changez,
who has, in the meantime, fallen prey to an world, just when he finally seemed to have
ambush from which he never recovers. It is found peace. He flees and wanders the country
suggested to the dying Wazir that Malik is guilty as a mercenary, where his reputation as an
of this crime. The Abyssinian therefore innovative warrior soon precedes him on the
unexpectedly loses his relationship with the peninsula.
Mercenary
For ten years, he sells his services to the highest
bidder, weakening the Mughal frontlines and
supply routes whenever possible. His invention
of guerrilla warfare [‘bargigiri’, literally: to take by
surprise] makes him master of many a battle
field.
In Agra, the Mughal emperor wants to put an end
to the insurrections of this region preventing him
from uniting Hindustan under his crown. He
launches the siege of the Old Fort of
Ahmadnagar where the elite of the Kingdom is A compromise is reached with the Chief
gathered around Sultana Chand Bibi, who has General of the Mogul armies, who spares the
returned to take over the regency after the people’s lives on the condition that the black
assassination of her husband. Malik Ambar runs warrior takes over the regency of the kingdom,
to her side to try and save the Kingdom that had and pledges allegiance to the empire. To avoid
brought him into the light, in keeping with his plain and simple annexation, Malik accepts this
promise to Changez Khan, but he is too late. nomination as regent, alongside the sickly and
Chand Bibi takes her own life in a bath of acid. sly blood prince, Murtaza II
Head of State
As head of state, Ambar takes a progressive

political line. However, the Portuguese fail to
respect the treaties they have signed with the
sultanates of Deccan against the empire and
burn alive those who refuse to rally behind the
Cross. Meanwhile, the English are
strengthening their position in the territory
thanks to the East India Company. The
increasingly demanding Mughals demand that Malik is torn between his desire to develop his
the regent give his daughter’s hand in marriage kingdom through compromise and his urge to
to the vicious Sultan Murtaza II in order to rid the land of all invaders, as he had promised
establish “a blood tie with the land.” Changez Khan.
William and Sharba
Plunged into deep distress, Malik learns that
during the years he spent wandering, Chand
gave birth to a child, who she presented officially
as the child of a black servant who died in
childbirth. Malik discovers his daughter, Sharba,
the fruit of their passionate encounter at the
caravanserai. This slender teenage girl is the
mirror image of her mother and becomes what
he holds dearest in the world.
Captivated by Hindustan and its five-thousand-

year-old culture, William Shepard, a young
Meanwhile Sharba falls into the hands of the
English officer from the East India Company who
Sultan’s wife when on her way to a late-night
speaks Persian, is appointed alongside the
rendez-vous with William. She is handed over
regent in order to establish trade treaties in
by the guards to Murtaza II’s harem. The
exchange for English military protection. During
Sultan’s wife is jealous of the way her
a prince’s wedding, William falls under Sharba’s
husband covets this mixed-race girl and the
charms. It is love at first sight for both of them
rumours of a planned wedding, on the
and they continue to see each other in secret,
Mughals’ instruction, lead her to poison the
constantly.
young girl. The royal couple of Ahmadnagar
is then immediately assassinated and Malik
However, the young sultan, Murtaza II, hates the
Ambar appoints himself Regent King of the
authoritarian stance of the regent, that “Negro
Kingdom’s dynasty, alongside a five-year-old
from Barbaria,” and also desires his daughter
puppet King.
Sharba. He plots first to get rid of the
“capitulator” complying with the Mughals’
He believed that freedom, love, and
orders and next to seize his daughter. Rumours
recognition would fill the emptiness created
are spread in the mosque about an affair
when he was wrenched away from his
between a young noble Muslim girl and a ‘kafir’
parents and enslaved. However, the
or miscreant. The situation becomes increasingly
subsequent deaths of the people he held
perilous as a rebellion begins in the country
most dear means that all the political power
against Ambar. The English refuse to help ‘this
in the world could not suffice to bring him
tall negro’ and William feels betrayed by his own
inner peace. Without his loved ones, he
people. Deccan’s allies, who are being bought
would never have made such a spectacular
off by the empire, also progressively become
rise to power, nor would he have opened his
Malik Ambar’s opponents and he finds himself
heart to the beauty of poetry and nature,
standing alone.
which became so essential to him.
Bathvadi
At the end of his life, with nothing left to lose, Marathon was for the Greeks.
Malik disengaged from his various degrading The exaltation it brought was short-lived
compromises with the Empire and set off however: after Malik’s death, the Mughal
alone to try and free the Kingdom of empire would go on to absorb his kingdom.
Ahmadnagar. This came at a price: the great
battle of Bathvadi, for Malik what the battle of
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
After his death, a rebellion initiated by Shivaji Bhonsle

emerged amongst the federate Maratha. They resisted
both the Mughals and the English until the 18th century.
This famous Hindu hero acknowledged that he was
inspired by Malik the Muslim’s actions, dubbing him
Malik-el Azam or Malik the celebrated.
Shivaji, a fair-skinned native of Deccan, would become a

historical legend. Consequently, Malik Ambar faded
almost into oblivion, despite the extraordinary trajectory
that saw him overcome his condition, become more
Indian than the Indians, and create freedom through
tolerance. But he was black and foreign and therein lies
the rub.

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Malik

As head of state, Ambar takes a progressive

Captivated by Hindustan and its five-thousand-

After his death, a rebellion initiated by Shivaji Bhonsle

Shivaji, a fair-skinned native of Deccan, would become a

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