Can someone suggest a good book that they read on the Mughal empire? Having read Durango’s thread, I’d like to learn more about the Mughal era.
I found lots in the library but I want to start off by reading a good one. Thanks!
ditto!
Oh a really informative book pertaining to Mughal is "The Formation of the Mughal Empire" by Douglas E. Streusand. Its a good read.
i'm amazed there hasn't been more films or dramatizations of that period. One of the few made in India was Mughal-e-Azam and it still ranks as one of the best to come out of Bollywood.
the one called The Great Moghuls by Bamber Gascoigne is excellent with lots of beautfiul photos
i had read a comic book with pictures called the great mughals it was one of the best books i had read on the subject
You may not like it. Most of them, except for Aurangzeb were pally with Hindus.
Infact Akbar the Great married a HIndu and tried to start his own religion called Deen-I-Ilahi or something. Heresy !!!
infact aurangzebs elder brother dara shikoh was a poet a sufi and he was the heir to the throne but unfortunately he was killed in the coup by aurangzeb
In a nutshell, Mughal Empire revolved around sex, deception and drinking. Watch Mughel-e-Azam. They are also the first ones to introduce Class warfare in India (Commoners vs Affluent).
The greatest King of the sub continent was Sher Shah Suri, he bested Humayun..and he created a structure which Akbar refined.
Aurenzeb was exceptionally cruel to Muslims as well as Hindus he killed thousands of Pashtuns and destroyed the Shia states of South india( he considered them non Muslims) his cruelty to the sikhs led them to take horrible revenge on Muslims and left a legacy of hatred that existed till partition. To Hindus he caused much death, and they unified under the Marhatas again demanding revenge which caused the death of many muslims...he also treated his own father with a lot of contempt and killed all his brothers.
Unfortunately the story is something the Mughals have done many a time, they were far from religious people, mostly power hungry and used religion when it suited them (best time was for taxes..taxing non Muslims to increase revenue and then say it was Islamic!)
NYA,
I think class warfare existed before the Mughal Empire in India. unless you think the caste system was introduced by Moghuls?
Any history ever written about any period of time was biased!
So I suggest, try to find a books which gives different perspectives, and let the reader make their own judgment & opinion.
Mostly those histories written in a literary (dry) fashion (unlike some fairytale) give a better picture of what really happened.
My comments are along the lines of what Zakk wrote above ...
The Formation of the Mughal Empire, by Douglas E. Streusand gives a balanced perspective, though please don't take everything written in there to be absolute!
[quote]
Originally posted by Zakk:
**The greatest King of the sub continent was Sher Shah Suri, he bested Humayun..and he created a structure which Akbar refined.
Aurenzeb was exceptionally cruel to Muslims as well as Hindus he killed thousands of Pashtuns and destroyed the Shia states of South india( he considered them non Muslims) his cruelty to the sikhs led them to take horrible revenge on Muslims and left a legacy of hatred that existed till partition. To Hindus he caused much death, and they unified under the Marhatas again demanding revenge which caused the death of many muslims...he also treated his own father with a lot of contempt and killed all his brothers.
Unfortunately the story is something the Mughals have done many a time, they were far from religious people, mostly power hungry and used religion when it suited them (best time was for taxes..taxing non Muslims to increase revenue and then say it was Islamic!)**
[/quote]
Well thats whats been happening in Pak as well!
On Auragzib he was relegious, and he didnt kill pashtuns for no reasons, there were fights for control in which pashtuns died! which is nothing new.
U can read about the early history of fights by the foundation of Mughal founder Babur, in his biography called the BaburNameh!
[This message has been edited by reza khan (edited March 15, 2002).]
encyclopedia britanica and references therein. yadunath rarkar, rc majumdar, these names come to mind, though i have not read either.
cute, but you just summarized one of the greatest muslim empires in a few disgusting words. Watch mughle Azam? lets watch border, mission kashmir in which Pakistan is thoroughly villian.
Mughal empire at its height was one of the finest empires of the time patron of arts, sciences and architecture and rivaled the ottomans. Not to mention their fair treatment of others by jehangir, akbar, humayun shahjehan etc…
Im sure NYahmadi also is an advocate of destruction of taj mahal since the vishwa shishwa and RSS claim that to be the birth place of another one of their lords. But i dont hink thats gonna happen cuz it brings some greenbacks to the govt as part of tourism revenue
Reza...I think your wrong, someone who imprisons his father, kills hir brothers, kills his own Muslims, and holds onto power till his last breath is no Muslim.
Dear Zakk, if you wanna go wit this logic, then it would be so few rulers who are true muslims. Mughals were muslims but their rule was largely secular. Lets not put the burden of being very good muslim on them. Cuz then one wil have to ask, were their any other non muslim rulers of that region who were any better?
Well, almost everybody can agree..though that it was Aurenzeib and his false piety that destroyed the Empire...
Re: Any recommended books on the Mughal empire
Sur Afghans were on the same path like Mughals. If Mughals crushed the turbulent Pashtun tribes of North-West, Sher Shah Suri and Islam Shah Suri destroyed the rebellious Ghakkar tribe of Punjab who were muslims. Lodhis were quite upright but by the times of Surs, degeneration had started among Afghans domiciled in India. In one particular incident , entire section of Sumbhal Niazis was massacred to extinction after they refused to marry their chief’s daughter to Sher Shah’s nephew who was base-born from mother side and behaved in low manners with Niazis. He attacked Sumbhal branch of Niazis for refusal of rishta, when latter retaliated , Sher Shah’s ordered his general to teach lesson to them.
Islam Shah started killing his father’s officers and nobles merely on suspicion. When he defeated the Niazi Pashtuns, he ordered their women to be paraded naked. The Pashtun women of defeated rebels were sold to prostitution/ harlots, even Mughals never stooped so low to the level of Islam Shah. After Islam Shah’s death, his 12 year old son Feroz Shah became King. But he was not fortunate like Akbar of the Mughals. His maternal uncle, Mubariz Khan (the same dude who who earlier got into conflict with Sumbhal Niazis over rishta), dragged the boy king, his sister’s son, from his tent, and slit his throat despite the cries of mercy from his sister. This wretched usurper titled himself Adil Shah and promoted a low caste hindu , hemu to the rank of Wazir and commander-in-chief. Other relatives of Sher Shah Suri, rose in rebellion and declared themselves kings. So when Humayun invaded , four Sur Sultans and Hemu were fighting for the throne. This was as much uglier as war of succession of Mughals.
Aurangzeb had his negatives but he had every right to crush the rebellions in his empire. About conquest of deccan states, it was already started during Akbar times , was accelerated by Shah Jahan and completed by Aurangzeb.
The most pious muslim ruler of India was Feroz Shah Tughlaq.
Re: Any recommended books on the Mughal empire
Sher Shah Suri was a remarkable man though, the dynasty was a different matter.
There is a reason why Aurganzeb is considered the last great Mughal, his legacy was terrible. Left the Marathas and Sikhs with a legacy of bitterness and left the emperors as feeble and weak individuals.