Game of Thrones adapted from the mega novel ‘The Song of Ice and Fire’ is nothing less than an epic. This show has everything that one could expect from a series. Albeit fantasy, if you look closely, a lot of things in Game of Thrones are derived from episodes we see around us everyday. Over the years of the seasons airing, GoT fans have already compared the show with the Indian epic Mahabharat.
Not just that, Game of Thrones also has striking similarities with Indian philosophy, history, architecture and culture. For example, the law of karma seems to play a major, and unforgiving, role in the GoT story arc. Walder Frey killed the Starks under his roof and was killed in return by Arya Stark. Petyr Baelish used his cunningness for personal gains and ended up with a slit throat.
And since it’s nearly time for the final season, so we thought we’d have some fun with it, while we are all waiting for the show with bated breath. Here are some GoT characters and some individuals that we think can be their Indian counterparts.
#1. Tyrion Lannister – Chanakya (The Strategist and Thinker)
Tyrion Lannister was born with a physical deformity, and was often looked down upon by other highborns, including his own father. He was a dwarf and the butt of ridicule, with nicknames like ‘The imp’ or ‘Halfman’. Even though he stood for his House’s glory in the Battle of Blackwaters against Stannis Baratheon, he was not considered a valuable asset for his house and, instead, falsely accused of regicide.
Later in the series, he becomes a military strategist for Danaerys Targaryan as she seeks to overthrow the Lannisters (his own bloodline) because he believes they are a threat to the people of Westeros.
Similarly, Chanakya was born to a Brahmin family (higher caste) but was often ridiculed for his appearance. Once, he was humiliated by King Dhanananda of the Nanda Dynasty when he vowed to overthrow him and make Chandragupta Maurya, whom he thought would bring peace in the Indian subcontinent, the emperor. Chanakya was a master strategist, statecraft and warcraft, not unlike the redoubtable intellect of Tyrion. However, unlike Tyrion, Chanakya did not partake in debauchery.
#2. Harrenhal – Bhangarh Fort (Cursed)
Once a stronghold of King Harren Hoare of House Hoare, this Fort is said to be cursed. It is believed to be so unlucky that whoever held it eventually died a painful death. King Harren believed that the massive walls of the fort would keep him safe. On the very day the impregnable fort was completed, it was attacked by Aegon Targaryen, and Harren was roasted alive with his family by…you guessed it…dragonfire!
Harrenhal Fort is also said to be haunted. While building the fort, Harren mixed human blood with mortar. The curses of the men tortured while building the fort, and the horrors that occurred inside Harrenhal fort, are said to be behind the ghostly, paranormal sounds heard frequently by the occupants. Several tales are told of Harrenhal, including the tale of Mad Lady Lothston, the flaming ghosts of Harren and his sons, and of servants who go to sleep and are found turned to ashes the following day.
Bhangarh Fort in Rajasthan is much like the cursed fort of Harrenhal. This 17th-century fort is notorious for its haunted sightings. It is said to be out of bounds for tourists after sunset, according to a signboard by Archaeological Survey of India. Yes, it’s that eerie.
Bhangarh Fort was built by a Kachwaha Rajput ruler named Raja Bhagwant Das for his son Madho Singh. According to local legend, an ascetic named Guru Balu Nath meditated at this place and the fort was built after his approval. Balu Nath approved the building of the fort on one condition – that the shadow of the fort must not fall on his area of meditation. The king failed to fulfil this condition and was cursed that no roof would stand at this place, which, curiously, is true to this day.
Another version of the lore states that a tantrik (or a practitioner of Black Magic) fell in love with the princess. He tried to use his black magic to win her affection. He once followed her to the marketplace and offered her a potion that she refused and threw on a large boulder. The boulder crushed him to death. Before breathing his last, he is said to have cursed the fort.
#3. Dragonstone Castle – Amer Fort (Impregnable Fort)
Believed to be another impregnable castle in the GoT universe, this was not as ornate as the Red Keep in King’s Landing. The castle was very strong owing to Valyrian masonry which, combined with its isolated location, allowed a natural fortification against enemy invasions. Originally built by the Targaryens, this place passed to the Baratheons and was held by Lord Stannis Baratheon, King Robert’s younger brother. The castle had reserves of Dragonstone that were used to fashion spears and could kill the White Walkers.
Much like Dragonstone Castle, Amer Fort in Jaipur is known for its strong defenses. Built on a gorge amidst the Aravali hills, Amer Fort bears testimony to the power of the Rajput princely states that flourished in the region from the 8th to the 18th centuries. Secured by strong walls and natural defenses like hills, deserts, rivers, and dense forests, this fort housed major urban centres, palaces, trading centres, and other buildings including temples that often predate the fortifications. Such strong defenses helped develop an elaborate and sophisticated courtly culture that supported learning, music and the arts.
However, unlike the rather plain Dragonstone Castle, Amer Fort has very ornate palaces, temples and other aesthetic structures that exemplify architectural beauty.
#4. Jon Snow – Sher Shah Suri (Nerves of Steel)
Jon Snow started as the most underrated character in GoT, annoying even. But his prominence in the series grew over time. Once thought to be an insignificant supporting role, we now learn that he is the true heir of Westeros! He is the trueborn son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. His maternal uncle, Eddard ‘Ned’ Stark, withheld the truth of his origins from the world, going so far as to call him his illegitimate son in order to protect Jon from Robert Baratheon. He rose from a steward in the ‘Brother of the Night’s Watch’ to the Lord Commander, and, finally, the King in the North. He is known for his inspiring leadership, humility, justice, sense of duty, valour, and fearlessness.
If someone in Indian History resembles him, it has to be Sher Shah Suri. Born as Farid Khan to a Jagirdar (akin to a Lord), he was adept in administration and showed early signs of becoming a successful general. His raw courage earned him the title of Sher after he killed a tiger bare-handed. He served as a ‘Private’ and rose to the position of commander under Mughal emperor Babur, and was made the governor of Bihar. In 1540, he overthrew the Mughals and established his own dynasty, the Surs.
History suggests Sher Shah Suri was a just ruler and did a lot of work for the welfare of his subjects. An anecdote of his humility is shared by tour guides in Chunar Fort (the one he held in Mirzapur district of present day UP): Sher Shah was over 6 feet tall but built the entrance where he met his subjects slightly lower than six feet. The reason? He did not want to miss bowing down before his subjects, even unknowingly (this is an anecdote shared by tour guides at the fort. The factual accuracy is unknown.)
#5. Aerys II Targaryen (Mad King) – Muhammad Bin Tughlaq
Aerys Targaryen aka the ‘Mad King’ earned his name because of his obsession with burning everything and everyone alive, including his generals, advisors, adversaries and subjects. It is shown this way that, he enjoyed watching them burn and laughed as they screamed in agony. He was intoxicated by the smell of burning flesh and the torture that the victims suffered.
When his son Rhaegar Targaryen allegedly abducted Lyanna Stark and raped her, (which, by the way, was not true because they had secretly eloped after Rhaegar annulled his marriage to Elia Martell) Brandon Stark protested and demanded justice. Rather than serving justice, he was arrested and offered as ransom to his father Rickard Stark. The Mad King then arrested him as well and burned them alive in his court. As a result, the houses of Stark, Baratheon, Tyrell and Arryn revolted. The mad king was defeated and Robert Baratheon was crowned the new Lord of the seven kingdoms of Westeros.
The mad king and Muhammad Bin Tughlaq wouldn’t be too different, if history is a judge. In fact if you Google ‘Mad King in Indian History’, Muhammad Bin Tughlaq is the first result that shows up.
Tughlaq did not burn his subjects alive, but he took a few decisions that earned him the title of the ‘Mad King’. Those faux pas may have even led to the disruption of Delhi Sultanate.
Tughlaq decided to shift his capital from Delhi to far off Daulatabad in Maharashtra. He had his reasons for the shift but was warned that its effects would be negative on his empire. A lot of people died in this process and the ones who survived were not able to adjust to the new conditions. In another episode, he ordered minting new coins as token currency of the same value as Gold and Silver coins. However, he failed to maintain the uniformity of the coins, which led to rampant minting, which in turn led to inflation. He finally had to reintroduce gold and silver coins. This whole fiasco caused a huge loss to the treasury and hampered trade in Sultanate.
#6. Highgarden – Udaipur (Known for it’s beauty and grandeur)
According to the book The Song of Ice and Fire, Highgarden is among the most beautiful castles in the Seven Kingdoms. Sitting atop a symmetrical hill, Highgarden Castle is also the home of House Tyrell, one of the wealthiest houses in the Seven Kingdoms. Highgarden is also famous for the ‘Briar Maze’ – a labyrinth that served as an entertainment for the castle’s inhabitants and also served to slow down invaders.
Unlike the castles of Dragonstone or Harrenhal or even King’s Landing, Highgarden is described as aesthetically pleasing with a beautiful complex of towers, courtyards, colonnades, and golden roses. The beauty of Highgarden as told by Robert Baratheon was:
“You need to come south. You need a taste of summer before it flees. In Highgarden there are fields of golden roses that stretch away as far as the eye can see. The fruits are so ripe they explode in your mouth—melons, peaches, fireplums, you’ve never tasted such sweetness.“
Udaipur is similar to the fictional city of Highgarden. Popularly known as the ‘City of Lakes’, Udaipur is renowned for its lavish palaces, man-made lakes, and strong fortifications. Some of places of tourist interest in Udaipur are City Palace, Lake Palace, (located over an island in Lake Pichola), Jag Mandir, and Monsoon Palace. Visit it for a desi feel of the highgarden perhaps.
#7. Old Valyria – Hampi (Ancient Cities now in ruins)
Valyria was once the capital city of the great civilization of Valyrian Freehold (Essos). Destroyed in an event called the Doom of Valyria, this place was used to quarantine people suffering from the Greyscale disease that could spread by mere touch. It was once home to the dragonlord, but was destroyed by a series of volcanoes that wiped out the dragons.
The Targaryens were a noble family from Valyria who rode to Westeros astride their dragons and conquered the Seven Kingdoms. The Targaryens survived the doom because they lived in Dragonstone, which was not affected.
Similar to the ruins in Old Valyria is the town of Hampi. Once the capital city of the Vijayanagara Kingdom, Hampi is now in ruins. One can see the archaeological remains of what was a large, bustling metropolis. Under Vijayanagara rule, Hampi flourished and was believed to be the second largest city, after Beijing, in the medieval era. However, in 1565, in a catastrophic war that lasted several months, the city was plundered and burned to the ground, leaving behind the ruins we see today.
#8. Ramsay Bolton – Aurangzeb (Cunning and Ambitious)
Known for his erratic personality, Ramsay Bolton, or Ramsay Snow, was the illegitimate son of Roose Bolton, Lord of Dreadfort. When the Greyjoys took advantage of Robb Stark’s absence from Winterfell and attacked, it was Roose Bolton who ordered him to recapture the lands.
In the process, Ramsay captured Theon Greyjoy, then tortured and mutilated him. Ramsay was an able warrior and, at the same time, ruthless with his enemies. He loved playing mind games with his victims. Once, he freed Theon using Greyjoy loyalists as the ruse, only to capture him and mutilate him further. A depraved sadist, he loved flaying his enemies alive. He was ambitious and wanted the throne for himself. When his father married Walda Frey (a noblewoman) and gave birth to a son, an insecure Ramsay had them killed, after killing his own father.
If you replace the name Ramsay in the above paragraph with Aurangzeb, you surely won’t find much out of place. Much like the fictional Ramsay, Aurangzeb was a ruthless king. Known for his ambition for the crown, he had his brothers killed and father imprisoned. He tortured his opponents and was crafty.
Well, as they say, art imitates life. Looking at some of these analogies, I suppose one could say Game of Thrones and Indian History have a fair bit in common. What do you think?