Pineapple: A Mughal delight!

Did you know that Christopher Columbus not only discovered India but he also discovered Pineapple? Pineapple, the exotic tropical fruit was initially grown in Brazil. Which then reached India through the Portuguese invaders. Owing to its unique sweet and sour taste it was attracted by the royal families of India during the 16th century.

The Pineapple Motif in Qutub Shahi Architecture; source: Map academy

It’s a hot, scorching summer day… sweat and perspiration making you tired and uncomfortable, suddenly someone brings you an ice cool Pineapple-Mint Mojito Mocktail. Oh! What a relief. Fruits give us relief in many ways.

Fruits form an important part of a nutritional diet as they are a rich source of fiber, water, and vitamin C. Did you know India is the 2nd largest fruit producer in the world? With different climatic conditions ranging from the coldest Himalayas to the tropical areas of the south, India produces a variety of fruits.

Some fruits are popular and some are not so popular. The fruits that grow in the tropical region are called tropical fruits. Pineapple is one of them.

Pineapple has a fascinating history. It bears a close connection with Christopher Columbus. It is said that in the year 1493, Christopher Columbus discovered pineapple growing in Brazil. It was their local fruit and was grown in large.

Columbus first introduced this fruit to Spain's Royal court. It was brought to India by the Portuguese when Goa was first colonized by the Portuguese around 1550.

About 500 years ago around the 16th century, the pineapple became a powerful symbol of Globalisation. At the end of the 16th century, pineapples started to grow in most of the tropical regions of the world.

In India, Goa having a tropical climate was an ideal place for growing pineapples. The Mughal elites used to grow as well as import exotic fruits like melons and pineapples. They also encouraged the same to their noblemen.

Not only for the Mughals, the pineapple became the symbol of wealth and good health for the elites of Deccan also. The pineapple became the favourite fruit for the aristocrats and it also gained its place in the architecture of monuments and tombs during that period.

The Mausoleum of Muhammad Adil Shah called the Gol Gumbaz, in Bijapur Sultanate, has traces of pineapple in its design. It is often compared to the Taj Mahal and is the world’s largest unsupported dome. Moving to the Deccan, was the Golconda Sultanate. During The Qutub Shahi period, there were several Qutub Shahi tombs for the Royal family members and other important members of their court, situated in Hyderabad. One such tomb of Abdullah Qutub Shah has intricate pineapple embellishments on the doorway and the balustrades. We can see the pineapple stucco work that beautifully decorates the Paigah Tombs in Hyderabad, which belongs to a family of Nizam loyalists.

Not only monuments, but the writings of many eminent historians also hold descriptions of this exotic fruit. K T Acharya’s work on “The Historial Companion to Indian Food” has its descriptions on it. We also can get a glimpse of the fruit in ‘Ain I Akbari’, which is a 16th-century document that has details of the administration of Emperor Akhbar. If we look at the details of the accounts during the Mughal Emperor Jahangir’s time, we will know how precious the pineapples were. It shows, 1pineapple is equivalent to 10 mangoes.

Globalization did not only affect the design of the monuments but also had an effect on the textile designs. The kalamkari textile print also had the repeating pineapple motifs printed on the lace. That shows the fruit has found its place all over the culture and art of India.

Pineapples, along with being the Mughal delight also became a symbol of wealth, prosperity, and health contributing to globalization during the 16th century.