Saturday 20 April 2019

#BookReview ; Jahangir by Parvati Sharma



Jahangir was the fourth of the six Great Mughals - great grandson of Babur and grandfather of Aurangzeb - and the least known among them. His father, Akbar, transformed the Mughal kingdom into an empire, and his reign is often considered an epoch in itself. Jahangir's son Shahjahan built the tomb that Tagore famously described as a 'teardrop on the cheek of time', and was sometimes upheld as Akbar's true heir. Jahangir, on the other hand, has the reputation of a weak man, at best: an alcoholic with an eye for art and greed for pleasure, controlled by a powerful wife. But far from being a disinterested prince and insignificant ruler, Jahangir showed tremendous ambition and strength throughout his life. When his succession was threatened, Jahangir set up a rebel court in the face of the mighty Akbar himself. While he made no conquests to match his father's, Jahangir was the first Mughal to win the allegiance of the fearsome Ranas of Mewar. And, for all his reputed frivolity, Jahangir was the emperor who won his dynasty its glorious association with things of beauty and splendour - and who wrote one of the most perceptive and entertaining imperial memoirs of all time. The man who is most often defined by his relationships is here presented holistically as a canny ruler and conscientious administrator, an astute observer of human society and a connoisseur with wide-ranging interests. In this marvellous work of popular history, Parvati Sharma tells a compelling story of one of the most fascinating and undervalued rulers of India.


Jahangir is a non-fiction historical novel written by Parvati Sharma. Parvati Sharma's debut, The Dead Camel and Other Stories of Love, earned her a cult following for its depictions of love and sexuality in urban India. Her novella, Close to Home, was acclaimed as 'tender, acute and pulsing with real Indian life'. She has also written a book for children, The Story of Babur. Sharma has worked as a travel writer, editor and journalist.

The Mughal period has been taught since a long time but the focus has been mostly on Akbar, Babar or even Shahjahan but Jahangir is probably the most ignored Mughal ruler. This book explores the life of the ruler who ruled India for a span of 22 years, his interests like that of writing or in art & the state of affairs he dealt with. We also come to know about an interesting person from his life, his wife Nur Jahan & how she used her wit to influence the ruler to take some decisions as per her will. Do get this book here,
Non-fiction historical novels are a bit tricky to write about since there is a huge chance that it might get boring or lose its pace but as I started to read this book, I can assure you that you won’t face this problem atleast. The book is divided into 7 chapters starting with his accession to the throne to the rest of his life. As we read further, we get to know about the kind of ruler he was & what kind of legacy he left, this gives us an insider view than that of what we just hear. Another fascinating thing to read about was the kind of amicable relationship he had with his wife Nur Jahan. All these stories will keep you engrossed with this book till the end. The language used is extremely simple & the cover is simply beautiful. Surely a must read.


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