Explained: All About the 'Maharaj Libel Case' That Inspired Junaid Khan's Film

What was the legal battle between Karsandas and Jadunath Maharaj? Why does it hold significance in Indian history?

Aamir Khan's son Junaid Khan is all set to make his acting debut with filmmaker Siddharth P Malhotra's Maharaj, alongside Jaideep Ahlawat. The historical drama, which was earlier scheduled to premiere on Netflix on 14 June, is based on one of India's most significant legal battles, the Maharaj Libel Case of 1862.

As per reports, Junaid will portray former journalist and social reformer Karsandas Mulji in the film, and Jaideep will play Jadunath Brijratan Maharaj, head of the Vallabhacharya sect.

What was the legal battle between Karsandas and Jadunath? What is the Maharaj Libel Case? And why does it hold significance in Indian history? The Quint explains.

Who Was Karsandas Mulji?

Karsandas Mulji was a mid-19th century journalist, social reformer, and author. Born in 1832 in Bombay (now Mumbai), he published several magazines in his 39-year lifespan.

In addition to being a free thinker, Karsandas was also an active member of the Gujarati Gnanprasarak Mandalli (Gujarati society for the spread of knowledge), established by the Students’ Society of Elphinstone College. In his first stint as a journalist in 1851, Karsandas began contributing to Dadabhai Naoroji's Anglo-Gujarati newspaper, Rast Goftar.

In the same year, he participated in a literary competition and penned an essay advocating for widow remarriage, which was met with widespread criticism. A married Karsandas, who was then living with his elderly aunt, was evicted from her home following the incident.

Despite facing backlash, Karsandas continued contributing to Rast Goftar and also secured employment at Sheth Gokaldas Tejpal's charitable school.

In 1855, with the help of wealthy like-minded individuals, he launched his own magazine Satya Prakash, which critiqued societal issues and outdated traditions.

What Happened Between Karsandas & Jadunath Maharaj?

Jadunath Brijratan was a religious leader of the Vaishnavite Pushtimarg sect, whose followers were rich merchants, bankers, and farmers who migrated from Gujarat and central India to Bombay under the British rule. These followers were heavily involved in the political and cultural milieu.

• The Pushtimarg religious heads, the Maharajas, began settling in Bombay in the 19th century.

• By 1860, they had five Maharajas in the city, who sought to exert control over their devotees and castes through appointed intermediaries.

• They were generally successful in doing so against anonymous reformers and caste solidarity.

One such reformer was Karsandas Mulji, the editor of Satya Prakash, who exposed the misdeeds of Pushtimarg and the Bombay Maharajas for the reported sexual depravity of their female devotees.

In 1858, Jivanlal Maharaj, the senior-most Vaishnav priest in Bombay, was called as a witness by the Bombay High Court in a case initiated by one Dayal Motiram. Refusing to appear in court, Jivanlal attempted to silence dissent from Pushtimarg devotees by making his supporters sign a document that would censor their criticism under the threat of excommunication.

Jivanlal then sought an order from London exempting Vaishnav priests from court appearances and compelled his followers into accepting three conditions:

• No Vaishnav could ever write against the Maharaj.

• Vaishnavs could not take him to court.

• And if anyone were to sue him, the followers would have to bear the cost.

Karsandas decried Jivanlal's document as a 'slavery bond' and published a story claiming that the Pushtimarg was a heretical sect that engaged in sexual liaisons with female devotees. His article titled 'Hinduo No Asli Dharam Ane Atyar Na Pakhandi Mato' (The True Religion of the Hindus and the Present Hypocritical Opinions) also stated that the book of Gokulnath, the grandson of Vallabhacharya, endorsed immorality, further stirring up controversy.

When Jivanlal started losing followers, the Bombay Maharajas then brought in Jadunath to defend their stances. Jadunath came to Bombay to revive the sect's influence, pretending to be in favour of the reforms.

The Maharaj Libel Case of 1862

In 1861, Gujrati poet Narmadshankar Lalshankar Dave challenged Jadunath to a public debate on widow remarriage. However, the Maharaj shifted to questioning the divine origin of the Hindu scriptures instead.

Poet Narmad found a supporter in Karsandas who challenged the Vaishnav priests' coercive and immoral practices through his work. This led Jadunath to file the famous libel case in the Bombay court, later known as the "greatest trial of modern times since the trial of Warren Hastings."

The Maharaj Libel Case began on 25 January 1862, drawing sizable audiences to the court.

Jadunath filed a lawsuit worth Rs 50,000 against Karsandas and the newspaper's publisher – Nanabhai Ranina. Fearing he could be in trouble if his Bhatia disciples testified in court, the Maharaj also ordered the excommunication of anyone who testified against him.

During the trial, Karsandas accused nine Bhatia leaders of conspiracy in the Bhatia Conspiracy Case, which was filed way before the libel case proceedings began.

The case accused them of preventing and intimidating witnesses to testify against Jadunath in court.

• Justice Joseph Arnould fined two leading Bhatias and seven other defendants and awarded Rs 1,000 to Karsandas as case costs, which were estimated at Rs 4,000 in total.

• The court examined 33 witnesses for the defendants and 31 witnesses for the plaintiff, including Jadunath who was brought to court.

• The court dismissed the Maharaj's defamation charges, citing morality over theological rights.

• The judge commended Karsandas and his allies for their unwavering fight against a corrupt leader and for publicly exposing their evil practices.

• The court also awarded Karsandas Rs 11,500, who bore a total expenditure of Rs 14,000 during the trial.

In their book titled Karsandas Mulji: Jeevan-nondh, authors Achyit Yajnik and Makrand Mehta noted that the case established the message that everyone, including priests, is equal under the law and rejected the state's traditional role as protectors of cows and Brahmins.

Karsandas later co-founded Streebodh, a women’s magazine, and published a monthly journal titled 'Vignanvilas' on science and industry. The journalist also documented his visits to England in a separate book.

Karsandas passed away in 1871 but is still known as the social reformer-journalist who won the historic Maharaj Libel Case.

VHP & Bajrang Dal Object to Maharaj's Release on Netflix

Days ahead of the film's release on Netflix on 14 June, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's (VHP) youth wing, represented by the Bajrang Dal, raised concerns over the film's depiction of a Hindu religious leader in a "negative light" that could potentially offend sentiments.

As per a report by ETimes, the group also sent formal letters to Netflix and Yash Raj Films (YRF), threatening to disrupt Maharaj's global premiere on the OTT platform and demanding a pre-release screening.

In their 3 June letter, Gautam Ravriya, a coordinator for VHP-Bajrang Dal, indicated that legal action will be taken against the makers and the streamer if their demands are not met.

“Seeing the poster of the film, it appears that the film depicts Hindu Dharma in a derogatory manner. We have heard that in this film, Hindu deities like Lord Krishna are mocked and insulted. This is an attempt to tarnish the image of Hindu Dharma and cause social discord among Hindus," the letter read.

According to reports, members of the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS), the frontal wing of the Sanatan Sanstha (SS), also staged a protest against the release of Maharaj in Kothrud, Pune on 12 June. Several other pro-Hindutva organisations also joined the protest.

Gujarat HC Halts Release of 'Maharaj'

Amid the protests, the Gujarat High Court halted the film's release on 14 June, after a pro-Hindutva group raised concerns about potential violence incited in the film.

The petition filed by the group claimed that Netflix's period drama could "disrupt public order and provoke violence against followers of the sect and Hinduism," according to a report by India Today.

The Quint reached out to Netflix. However, they declined to comment on the ongoing issue. As of now, there's no confirmation on whether the film's release will be delayed.

(With inputs from The Print, EPW, Frontline Magazine, and ETimes)