Archeological sites around the World

Archeologists have been able to identify stories from the Panchatantra at several archeological sites in the world

Java, Tajikistan,India are countries where some of these sites can be found

 

 

 

 

Perfomances based on tales included in Panchatantra 

continue to be part of a vibrant and living tradition of storytelling. Children's thetare, dance theatre, puppet storytelling are some public perfomance genres that use the Panchatantra stories

                                                At Akbar's Court

 

The emperor took special interest in translations of this text and the Arabic Kalila wa Dimnah along with the Persian texts

Anwar-e-Suhaili were simplified for him. His court produced illustrate manusscripts of the tales and these continue to represent the syncretic culture of the mughal courts

Akbar had a committ e of scholars with cross lingual expert ise. Some of them were Naqeeb Khan, Mulla Abdul Qadir Badayuni, Mulla Sheri and Sultan Haji Thanesari.

Panchtant ra were rendered into Persian by Mulla Hussain Waiz and it was called Anwar-i-Suhaili.

Panchatantra was also translated in Persian by Maulana Husain Faizi and was named Yar-i-Danish. Abul Fazal, Vazeer of Akbar and author of Akbarnama had translated Panchat antra in persian as Anvar-i-Saadat.

His brother Faizi, one of the Navaratna had translated Nal-Damyant into Persian as Masanabi Nalaudaman.

 

 

                                                   At Anushirwan's Court

 

Ibn Husain 

 

The court of Timurid Sultan Hussain Mirza of Khusrasan where the great Persian poet  Jami and painter Bihzad were present

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spaces in the Panchatantra

The framing narrative of the Pañcatantra is set in a fictitious city called Mahilāropya, which is said to be in “the southern lands” . Each of the five embedded tantras has its own spatial setting: 

 

“Lion and bull”: also in Mahilāropya 

2. “Dove, mouse, crow, tortoise and deer”: Pramadāropya 

3. “Birds elect a king”: Pṛthvīpratiṣṭhānam 

4. “Monkey and crocodile”: on the shores of an ocean 

5. “Barber who killed the monks”: Pāṭalīputra 

 

                                             From Purnabhardra's Edition