Chapter 6: "The Storm of Dissent"

Scene 1: The Ulema's Fatwa

Jama Masjid of Murshidabad – Courtyard at Noon

The mosque courtyard was packed to the brim, a sea of white turbans and green banners. The ulema had gathered not to pray, but to declare war.

Mufti Ibrahim's body lay on a bier, draped in a black shroud. His face, pale and lifeless, bore the marks of poison—a purple hue around his lips, his eyes wide in eternal accusation.

Maulana Tariq, now the de facto leader of the ulema, stood atop the minbar, his voice thundering through the crowd.

"Huzoor Saifullah-ud-Doula has betrayed us! He consorts with Jews, arms infidels, and ignores the laws of Allah! The death of Mufti Ibrahim is no accident—it is a message. A warning to all who dare oppose him!"

The crowd erupted in cries of "Takbir!" and "Allahu Akbar!"

A merchant in the front row shouted, "He taxes us to fund his wars while his Jewish friends grow rich!"

A farmer raised his sickle. "He lets women into madrasas but denies us bread!"

Maulana Tariq raised his hands for silence. "The time has come to rise against this tyrant. By the will of Allah, we declare a fatwa: Saifullah-ud-Doula is no longer the rightful Nawab of Bengal. He is a kafir—an enemy of Islam!"

The crowd surged forward, their anger a living thing.

Scene 2: The Riot Begins

Murshidabad Bazaar – Afternoon

The unrest spread like wildfire. Merchants shuttered their stalls as mobs poured into the streets, armed with sticks, stones, and burning torches.

"Down with the Nawab!" they chanted. "Death to the Jews!"

A group of rioters stormed Eli Cohen's warehouse, smashing crates of tungsten and setting fire to the building.

"Yahudi!" they screamed, dragging a terrified worker into the street.

Karim, watching from a rooftop, clenched his fists. This isn't justice. This is madness.

He slipped into the burning warehouse, dodging flames and falling beams. In the chaos, he spotted a locked chest—its contents spilling onto the floor. Letters. Dozens of them.

He grabbed a handful and fled.

Scene 3: The Palace Under Siege

Hazarduari Palace – Evening

The mob reached the palace gates, their torches lighting the night sky. The guards, outnumbered and terrified, hesitated.

"Hold the line!" Siraj roared, his scimitar gleaming. "For Bengal! For the Nawab!"

But the crowd was relentless. They scaled the walls, hurling rocks and curses.

Inside the palace, Saifullah stood in the council chamber, his face a mask of calm.

"Huzoor, we must flee," Mirza pleaded. "The people have turned against you!"

Saifullah shook his head. "I will not abandon my city. Nor my faith."

Ayesha entered, her face streaked with soot. "The ulema have declared you a kafir. The people believe it."

"Then we must show them the truth," Saifullah said. "Where is Karim?"

Scene 4: The Traitor's Gambit

Fort William – British Headquarters

Robert Clive watched the chaos unfold through a spyglass, a satisfied smile on his lips.

"Perfect," he murmured. "The Nawab's own people will tear him apart."

Nihar Roy handed him a glass of brandy. "And when the dust settles, we'll sweep in and claim Bengal for the Crown."

Clive raised his glass. "To the fall of Saifullah-ud-Doula."

Scene 6: The Palace Under Siege (Continued)

Hazarduari Palace – Night

The mob had breached the outer gates, their torches casting flickering shadows on the palace walls. The air was thick with smoke and the acrid stench of burning wood. Siraj-ud-Doula stood at the forefront of the defenders, his scimitar slick with blood, his voice hoarse from shouting orders.

"Hold the line! For Bengal! For the Nawab!"

But the guards were faltering. Outnumbered and overwhelmed, they began to retreat, step by step, toward the inner courtyard.

Inside the palace, Saifullah stood in the council chamber, his face calm but his mind racing. Ayesha stood beside him, her hands clenched into fists.

"Huzoor, we must leave now," Mirza urged, his voice trembling. "The mob will not stop until they see you dead."

Saifullah shook his head. "If I flee, I lose the people forever. If I stay, I may yet reclaim their trust."

Ayesha stepped forward, her voice steady. "Then let me speak to them. They know me as a scholar, not a tyrant. Perhaps they will listen."

Saifullah hesitated, then nodded. "Go. But be careful."

Scene 7: Ayesha's Plea

Hazarduari Palace – Inner Courtyard

Ayesha stepped onto the balcony overlooking the courtyard, her figure silhouetted against the flames. The mob below roared, their anger palpable.

"People of Bengal!" she called, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Hear me!"

The crowd hesitated, their shouts fading into murmurs.

"You call my husband a kafir," Ayesha continued, her voice ringing with conviction. "But who has built your schools? Who has fed your children? Who has defended your homes from the British?"

A man in the crowd shouted, "He consorts with Jews! He defies the ulema!"

Ayesha's gaze hardened. "And who told you this? The same men who poison your minds while they plot with the British? The same men who would see Bengal burn for their own gain?"

The crowd stirred, uncertain.

Maulana Tariq pushed his way to the front, his face twisted with rage. "Do not listen to her! She is his puppet, his whore!"

The mob roared again, their anger reignited.

Ayesha stepped back, her heart pounding. It's not enough. They won't listen.

Scene 8: Siraj's Last Stand

Hazarduari Palace – Outer Courtyard

Siraj fought like a man possessed, his scimitar cutting through the rioters like a scythe through wheat. But even he could not hold back the tide forever.

"Fall back!" he shouted to his men. "To the inner gates!"

As they retreated, a rock struck Siraj's temple, sending him sprawling. The mob surged forward, their faces twisted with hate.

"Kafir!" they screamed.

Before they could reach him, a group of palace guards intervened, dragging Siraj to safety.

Scene 9: Karim's Return

Hazarduari Palace – Secret Passage

Karim slipped into the palace through a hidden tunnel, his satchel clutched tightly to his chest. He found Saifullah in the council chamber, surrounded by his advisors.

"Huzoor," Karim gasped, out of breath. "I found these in Eli Cohen's warehouse."

He spilled the letters onto the table. Saifullah's eyes scanned them, his expression darkening with each word.

"Maulana Tariq… Nihar Roy… even Cohen," he murmured. "They've all betrayed us."

Ayesha picked up one of the letters, her hands trembling. "This is proof. Proof of their conspiracy."

Saifullah's jaw tightened. "We must act quickly. If the people see this, they will know the truth."

Scene 10: The Nawab's Resolve

Hazarduari Palace – Council Chamber

Saifullah stood before his advisors, his voice steady but his eyes burning with determination.

"We will not cower before this storm," he declared. "We will face it head-on. Karim, prepare copies of these letters. Distribute them throughout the city. Ayesha, gather the scholars who still support us. We will hold a public assembly at dawn."

Mirza hesitated. "And the mob, Huzoor? What if they do not listen?"

Saifullah's gaze hardened. "Then we will show them the cost of their folly. Siraj, prepare the cannons."

Siraj grinned, his bloodied face lighting up. "At last, some action."

Scene 11: The Dawn of Truth

Hazarduari Palace – Courtyard at Dawn

The first light of dawn broke over Murshidabad, casting a golden glow over the smoldering ruins of the city. The mob, exhausted but still seething with anger, gathered in the palace courtyard, their torches replaced by the cold light of morning.

Saifullah stood on the balcony, his figure silhouetted against the rising sun. Beside him stood Ayesha, her face pale but resolute. Below, the crowd murmured, their eyes fixed on the Nawab.

"People of Bengal," Saifullah began, his voice carrying across the courtyard. "You call me a kafir. You accuse me of betraying our faith. But I ask you this: Who has truly betrayed you?"

He held up a letter, its seal broken and its contents visible to all.

"This is a letter from Maulana Tariq to Robert Clive. In it, he promises to incite riots in exchange for British gold. This"—he held up another—"is a receipt for poison, signed by Nihar Roy. And this"—he raised a third—"is a map of our defenses, marked in Hebrew by Eli Cohen."

The crowd gasped, their anger shifting to shock.

"These men," Saifullah continued, his voice rising, "have conspired with our enemies. They have poisoned your minds and your leaders. They have turned you against me—not for the sake of Allah, but for their own greed."

Maulana Tariq, standing at the edge of the crowd, tried to flee, but the mob turned on him, their fury reignited.

"Traitor!" they screamed, dragging him to the center of the courtyard.

Scene 13: The Aftermath

Hazarduari Palace – Council Chamber

The unrest had been quelled, but the city was in ruins. Saifullah sat in the council chamber, his advisors gathered around him.

"We cannot let this happen again," he said, his voice heavy with exhaustion. "We must root out the corruption that festers in our midst."

Ayesha nodded. "We need a permanent spy network—one that can uncover plots before they begin."

Saifullah turned to Karim. "You have proven your worth. Will you lead this network?"

Karim hesitated, then nodded. "I will, Huzoor."

"Good," Saifullah said. "From this day forward, you will be my eyes and ears. No one will conspire against Bengal without our knowledge."

Fatima's Education – A Separate Madrasa for Girls

Zenana Quarters of Hazarduari Palace – Morning

In the secluded courtyards of the palace's zenana (women's quarters), where men beyond the mahram were forbidden, Queen Ayesha Begum oversaw the newly established Madrasat-un-Nisa—a school exclusively for girls. The walls were adorned with calligraphy of Quranic verses, and the air buzzed with the recitation of Surah Al-Alaq: "Read! In the name of your Lord who created…"

Fatima, her face veiled except for her eyes, sat among daughters of nobles and orphans alike, her slate filled with equations. Ayesha herself taught fiqh (jurisprudence), emphasizing the rights of women in Islam: inheritance, consent in marriage, and the duty to seek knowledge.

"Allah commands justice," Ayesha recited, her voice firm. "The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Seeking knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim.' Not just men. Every Muslim."

Fatima raised her hand. "Begum Saheb, can women be engineers? Like the ones building the canals?"

Ayesha smiled. "Ayesha (رضي الله عنها) led armies. Fatima al-Fihri founded the world's first university. Why not engineers?"

The girls scribbled notes, their ambitions no longer confined to the household.

Saifullah's Decree – Gender Segregation in Public Life

Hazarduari Palace – Council Chamber

Saifullah issued a farman (royal decree) read across Bengal:

"By the grace of Allah, the Most Merciful, let it be known:

1. No woman shall be compelled to appear before non-mahram men.

2. Girls' madrasas shall be established in every district, overseen by female scholars.

3. Men and women shall work separately in factories and fields, as per the commands of Allah."

The decree sparked debates among the ulema. Conservative scholars praised its adherence to hijab, while progressives grumbled about the cost. But none dared challenge its Quranic foundation:

"And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their chastity, and not to reveal their adornments except what normally appears. Let them draw their veils over their chests…" (Quran 24:31)

Justice for Traitors – Quranic Punishment

Murshidabad Public Square – Afternoon

The traitors' families—women and children—were spared execution, as per Islamic law. Instead:

Women: Veiled and placed under house arrest in the zenana, their upkeep provided by the state.

Men: Publicly flogged for treason (hirabah), as ordained by Quranic hudud:

"The punishment for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive to spread corruption in the land is execution, crucifixion, the cutting off of hands and feet on opposite sides, or exile…" (Quran 5:33)

Saifullah chose exile for the men, their foreheads branded with "غدار" (traitor) to warn others. Their wealth was confiscated and redistributed as zakat to orphans and widows.

The Spy Network – Islamic Ethics of Surveillance

Hazarduari Palace – Secret Chamber

Karim's new agency, Al-Haras al-Khas (The Special Guard), operated under strict rules:

Agents: Only pious men and women (the latter operating within the zenana).

Methods: Forbidden to lie, bribe, or entrap, as deceit (khuda'a) is haram unless in war.

Punishment: Spies who violated Islamic ethics were dismissed, not executed.

"Huzoor, the British plot in Calcutta," Karim reported, his face veiled to protect his identity. "But we cannot infiltrate their brothels or taverns—it would require haram acts."

Saifullah nodded. "Allah will reward our patience. We fight with purity, not their filth." But yes if any work thats must be done let those hindus do that . anyway they will do anything for money . Also makesure those jewish get the treatment of slave in this land . just give them money to do work .

Ayesha's Diplomacy – Women Leading Without Compromise

Zenana Courtyard – Evening

Ayesha hosted the wives of Maratha and Afghan allies, negotiations conducted through latticed screens to maintain hijab.

"Tell your husbands," Ayesha said, her voice carrying authority, "Bengal will not tolerate opium trade or brothels. Our alliance is for justice, not greed."

The Maratha queen smirked. "And if they refuse?"

Ayesha's gaze sharpened. "Allah says: 'Cooperate in righteousness and piety, not in sin and aggression.' (Quran 5:2) We will find allies who fear Him."

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