Tughlug

You were exceptional
among ancient Indian emperors
with vast learning,
yet your silhouette stands
under the signboard,
engraved with ‘Intelligent Fool’,
in the recess of history.

It was tenable
to transfer the capital
to the thorax of your empire.
But why’d you drag
the people of Delhi to Devagiri?

Your innovations turned
curses and corpses
in improper implementation.

As a ruler’s thoughts
fall into the maelstrom in brain,
his subjects
sink into the fathomless suffering.

Nous deprivation determines
decline of each reform.

It’s fate
you’re reborn on the earth
again and again.

First printed in Hawaii Review, Spring 2017(University of Hawaii)

*Muhammad Bin Tughlug(1324-1351), was an ancient ruler of Delhi.
Though he was a learned man, his reforms, including transfer of
capital from Delhi to Devagiri, failed due to improper implementation.