The Mughal World: India's Tainted Paradise - Hardcover

Eraly, Abraham

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0297852094 ISBN 13: 9780297852094

Publisher: Orion Publishing, 2007

Synopsis

The Mughal emperors were larger-than-life figures, men written on a supra-human scale who exercised absolute power. The three centuries of their rule mark one of the most crucial and fascinating periods of Indian history. This exploration looks beyond the story of the empire's rise and fall—an exotic growth that was transplanted to India from Islamic Persia—to bring the world of the Mughal ruler and Hindu subject vividly into focus. Blending contemporary sources and detailed description, an India full of strangeness and contrast is introduced: sacred harems and suttee rites, brutal war and cultural and artistic refinement, staggering opulence, deviant indulgences, and abject poverty. From bizarre religious cults to the Mughal fondness for formal gardening, from murderous female bandits to the sex lives of the nobles, almost every angle of life is examined, making this a comprehensive and absorbing introduction to India's last Golden Age.

About this title

About the Author:

Abraham Eralyhas taught Indian history in Madras and the United States. His previous books include Gem in the Lotus and The Mughal Throne.

Review:

"A sound, stolid survey by a sound, stolid historian who has the edge on many of his contemporaries writing about Indian history."  —Literary Review

"His lucid narrative style is wonderfully readable."  —The Good Book Guide

“The story of Mughal India is intensely dramatic and colourful and Eraly’s lively text does justice to its subject . . . exciting reading.”  —Daily Telegraph

“A richly readable account of one of the most crucial and misrepresented periods of Indian history.”  —Sunday Times

“Eraly traces the dynasty’s rise and fall with authority and panache.”  —Independent

About this edition

• Publisher: Orion Publishing
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0297852094
• ISBN 13: 9780297852094
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 420