If you remember this film, you’re a true fan of ’90s Bollywood. “Daulat Ki Jung” might have been a box-office disaster, but there’s one bizarre plot, among many others, that takes us 500 years back to Jamaica, where Christopher Columbus found himself stranded.
Daulat Ki Jung is a 1992 Hindi action-adventure romance flick that hit the screens with Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla as leads supported by Paresh Rawal, Dalip Tahil, Kiran Kumar, and the ever-iconic Kader Khan.
Aamir Khan’s character is no ordinary Joe. He’s got a photographic memory, of course. He swallows a treasure map to safeguard himself and his love interest from two rival gangs hot on the trail of riches. And thus begins a wild journey.
This is one of those rare ‘gems’ of a film where Kader Khan takes a ride in a coffin pulled by a donkey. Despite its star-studded cast and “adrenaline-pumping” storyline, or at least what the makers thought, “Daulat Ki Jung” didn’t quite hit the mark at the box office.
But we are here to find magic in the mundane. Let’s dive into one of the most memorable scenes where our hero, with his treasure-hunting group, is held captive by a tribal group in a jungle. Just when things seem dire, Khan pulls off a cunning escape plan. How, you ask?
He pulls off the ultimate trick by convincing the tribal folks that he has the almighty power to control the God of Moon during a lunar eclipse! Of course, he needed Juhi Chawla to dance to buy some time. Talk about pulling a rabbit out of a hat!
Now, this same trick wasn’t just Bollywood’s original. Nope, it goes way back. Way, way back. It’s been a go-to move in a handful of other movies and books. That’s because it’s a classic move, tried and tested, dating back centuries.
Even in the Tintin comics, if you remember, our favorite intrepid reporter pulls off a similar stunt in “Prisoners of the Sun”. Tintin, in a bid to save the day, convinces the Inca tribes that he’s the master of the Sun during an eclipse.
So when was this first used? Who was the inventor? Let’s hit the rewind button again, this time back to 1504. Christopher Columbus, stranded in Jamaica, facing a not-so-friendly indigenous population.
During his fourth and final voyage, Columbus finds himself stranded and low on supplies suddenly. Six months of hospitality suddenly turns cold as the locals cut off the food supply. He has to find a way to save his people from starving to death.
Columbus, armed with an almanac and a sprinkle of wit, sees an opportunity in the stars. Consulting his trusty almanac containing astronomical tables, Columbus devises a brilliant plan. He spots an opportunity—a lunar eclipse expected on March 1st, 1504.
The astronomical tables were believed to have been created by Regiomontanus (1436-1476), who was not only a prominent mathematician but also an accomplished astronomer. His work, including the Kalendarium, became a widely-used reference in the field of astronomy.
Columbus met with the local leader and spun a tale straight out of a Hollywood script, claiming that God was miffed at how they were treating him and his crew. “God’s wrath is upon us,” he warned, “and the Moon will turn red with fury!” Sounds familiar?
Lo and behold, on March 1, 1504, the Moon played its part perfectly, slipping into Earth’s shadow and casting a crimson hue across the night sky. The locals, understandably freaked out, rushed to appease the heavens.
And Columbus? Well, he was in his cabin, flipping his hourglass, waiting for the magic to unfold. Sure enough, as the eclipse passed, Columbus emerged, playing the role of divine messenger, delivering forgiveness. The people of island breathed a collective sigh of relief.
His crew was fed. His son described – “with great howling and lamentation they came running from every direction to the ships, laden with provisions, praying the Admiral to intercede by all means with God on their behalf; that he might not visit his wrath upon them.”
Despite being documented in numerous books and records, the events of March 1, 1504, remain shrouded in uncertainty. While Columbus was certainly aware of the upcoming eclipse, whether he truly managed to deceive the indigenous people, we don’t know for sure.
ut, the story spread far and wide, adding to the legend of the notorious Columbus. Because a good story never gets old. Astronomy is used as a tool of imperialism & deceiving innocents. Science itself is neutral. What really matters is how people choose to use it.
Sources:
Columbus and the night of the bloody moon, The Guardian,
theguardian.com/science/1999/j
Authors: Rigge, W. F., The Columbus eclipse, SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS) adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1923PA…
Frank J. Swetz, Mathematical Treasure: Kalendarium of Regiomontanus, maa.org/press/periodic
Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons
