A German engraving dated 1890s shows William Shakespeare reciting his play Hamlet to his family. His wife, Anne Hathaway, is sitting in the chair on the right; his son Hamnet is behind him on the left; his two daughters Susanna and Judith are on the right and left of him. A German engraving dated 1890s shows William Shakespeare reciting his play Hamlet to his family. His wife, Anne Hathaway, is sitting in the chair on the right; his son Hamnet is behind him on the left; his two daughters Susanna and Judith are on the right and left of him.

As the world celebrates the 450th birth anniversary of the Bard of Avon William Shakespeare today, let's look back on how the playwright knew and wrote about India. Shakespeare lived at a time when India was ruled by Akbar the Great, or the Great Mogor as he was referred to by the sea-faring Europeans, whose long reign was marked by opulence, harmony and a resultant peace.

There are various references to India in Shakespearean plays. He uses words like Ind, Inde, India, Indies (East) and Indian to refer to a country fabulously rich. The earliest reference to India occurs in 'King Henry VI' (Act III, Scene I):

"My crown is in my heart, not on my head; not decked with diamonds and Indian stones, nor to be seen: my crown is called content, a crown it is that seldom kings enjoy."

The maximum number of times India has been referred to in a single play is four, in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. India appears in this play as the land of gold and sunshine.

There are other references too.

Troilus, the tragic prince of Troy, who had fallen in love with Cressida says, in 'Troilus and Cressida', 'her bed is in India, there she lies, a pearl' (Act I, Scene I).

A portrait of William Shakespeare. A portrait of William Shakespeare.

In another place in the same play, Pandarus who wants to bring Troilus back to him is prepared to walk barefoot to India: Condition, I had gone barefoot to India (Act I, Scene II).

In 'The Merchant of Venice', India, which was a major centre of trade for many countries of Europe, finds a mention on more than one occasion. Protagonist Bassanio makes a reference to his friend Antonio's trade with India: What, not one hit?/ From Tripolis, from Mexico, and England,/ From Lisbon, Barbary, and India? (Act III, Scene II)

On another occasion, Bassanio tells Antonia: Thus ornament is but the guiled shore/ To a most dangerous sea, the beauteous scarf/ Veiling an Indian beauty... (Act III, Scene II)

In Twelfth Night, Sir Toby describes Olivia's gentlewoman Maria as 'metal of India' (Act II, Scene V).

In All's Well That Ends Well, Helena who is in love with Bertram whose high social status is beyond her reach mourns that her lot is like the sun-worshippers of India: Thus, Indian-like,/Religious in mine error, I adore/The sun that looks upon his worshipper/But knows of him no more.

In Othello, the protagonist regrets that he killed Desdemona without realising her virtues, like the Indian who threw away his pearl: Thus, Indian-like,/Religious in mine error, I adore/The sun that looks upon his worshipper/But knows of him no more (Act V, Scene II).

What we have to realize is the limitation of first-hand knowledge. Shakespeare was not a traveller and he lived almost all his life in Stratford-upon-Avon and London. But being in London brought him in contact with the immense tales the sailors brought from around the world.

This, coupled with his exemplary power of imagination, joined the missing dots in his mind and the bard was ready with his own picture of the distant country to be sprinkled generously all over his plays.

His India is exceptionally rich, famous for its precious pearls and stones, its people are deeply religious and its veiled women are famed for their dark beauty.

Shakespeare's house in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. It is a major tourist destination now. Shakespeare's house in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. It is a major tourist destination now.

For a man with no certain education born and brought up in a remote English village 450 years ago, drawing up this picture of a distant country his people had little contact with was no mean achievement.

By 1755, i.e. less than 150 years after his death, his plays had started being enacted in Calcutta and in the next 100 years, the first translation of Shakespeare in an Indian language was ready.

References:

1. India in Shakespeare, CR Banerji (The Indian Journal of English Studies, Orient Longman, New Delhi)

2. The Glimpses of India in Shakespeare's plays, Ravikant Malviya, Deepti Vanjare, Ashish Gupta (International Research Journal)

3. Plays of William Shakespeare.

