A comic strip by Pakistani-American doctors is creating a new interest in the country's last dynasty
The superheroes are inspired from the Mughal era
When you think of the Mughals, the name that first comes to mind is Emperor Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad alias Akbar. Some remember him for his able and tolerant leadership and others, for his epic romance, often glorified by popular culture. But, it's his monumental battles that changed the course of his empire.
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Four years ago, two Pakistani-American doctors, Khurram Mehtabdin (30) and Omar Mirza (32) found Akbar and his successors' heroic conquests as great material to create South Asia's first Mughal superheroes. Three issues down, the armet and shield-wielding Zain and Timur have become a staple at the New York Comic Con, inspiring a new generation of Westerners to see Indian Mughal history in a completely different light. Their fourth book in the series is set for release this October.
Titled, Zindan, Mehtabdin and Mirza's superhero comic series revolves around two orphaned brothers Zain and Timur, who live during the Mughal rule, and are taken in by The Ansaars, a secret order of noble individuals who devote their lives to guarding the world's worst prison, Zindan. "In terms of powers Zain and Timur don't have any super abilities. Instead, they are exceptionally skilled in martial arts, science, and linguistics, which serve them more in the setting of our story than would the ability to fly or be invincible. We felt this made them more relatable, but also idealised versions of what we might hope for ourselves," says Mirza, a New York-based psychiatrist, in an email interview.
(Clockwise from top left) Writers Omar Mirza and Khurram Mehtabdin, and illustrators Adelso Corona and Sajad Shah
The idea of creating Mughal superheroes came about when Mehtabdin, now a practising nephrologist, met Mirza at medical school (Touro College of Medicine in NYC). Among many other things, the duo bonded over comics. "He [Mirza] had always wanted to write his own comic book while combining our shared heritage of South Asia in it. This is when we put our heads together and came up with an idea to write a story about regular people living during the Mughal sultanate," says Mehtabdin.
What the duo was most certain about was having "brown superheroes". "Why does being a superhero have to be monopolised by a certain skin tone or country?" asks Mehtabdin.
But, writing a story set in a crucial time period also meant ensuring that facts weren't tampered with. "Khurram was a critical leader in this regard. He has a large foundational knowledge about history and was able to guide the historical accuracy," says Mirza of his friend, who has two bachelor's degrees in political science and international relations. "I visited old Islamic arts museums in Turkey, Malaysia and Pakistan, and collated about 5,000 pictures of old outfits, armor and weaponry. We wanted to stay true to these details," Mehtabdin added.
The doctors then roped in pencil artist Sajad Shah to sketch their drawings and Adelso Corona, to ink them. The result is a work that has captivated the imagination of many comic fans in New York. "I feel that the West is ready to embrace South Asian superheroes," says Mirza, adding, that most of their fans at the NY Comic Con are usually not "desi". "To see a romanticised version of Indian history mixed in with a fictional superhero tale is something I believe is in great demand among other people of colour. The history of the subcontinent is beautiful, and it's a story that needs to be told. We don't need to recreate a Western tale for an Eastern audience," Mehtabdin adds.
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