Empire of the Moghul: Traitors in the Shadows

Empire of the Moghul #6

by Alex Rutherford

Now a major DisneyPlus Hotstar Special - THE EMPIRE is streaming nowTRAITORS IN THE SHADOWS is the sixth gripping novel in the action-packed Empire of the Moghul series by Alex Rutherford, perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow and Robyn Young. 'Totally absorbing... Authentic characters and sweeping action' Wilbur SmithA dynasty at warA new emperor, Aurangzeb, sits on India's glittering Peacock Throne - the throne he seized from his father while the old emperor still lived. He has paid for it with during the brutal civil war he hunted down and killed his brothers. Now he must return the Moghul Empire to the true path and achieve new glory. But the exercise of great power is isolating. With enemies everywhere, who should he trust? Certainly not his sons. He must rely on himself and the knowledge that there are more ways to subdue a man than on the battlefield.But as the years pass memories haunt him - memories of a father who never loved him and a mother who lies in the Taj Mahal; of murdered brothers and of sons and daughters locked in sunless prisons. He tells himself that everything he has done has been necessary - moral, even. But how will his God judge him?'A totally absorbing narrative filled with authentic historical characters and sweeping action set in an age of horrifying but magnificent savagery. The writing is as compelling as the events described and kept me eagerly leaping from one page to the next' Wilbur Smith'Rutherford's glorious, broad-sweeping adventure in the wild lands of the Moghul sees the start of a wonderful series...In Babur, he has found a real-life hero, with all the flaws, mistakes and misadventures that spark true heroism... Breathtaking stuff' Manda Scott'Alex Rutherford has set the bar high for his sequels' Daily Mail'Alex Rutherford brings the period and the history of the region alive. The characters are dynamic, and the deadly regional politics of alliances and treaties are reflected by the internal tensions at court' US Historical Novel Society

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, India, War, Mythology

370 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 9, 2015

About the author

Alex Rutherford is the pen name of Diana Preston and her husband Michael. Both studied at Oxford University reading History and English respectively. They are keen travellers and have now clocked up visits to over 140 of the world's countries.

Says Diana 'our greatest love is India where we've spent at least a year of our lives. Our research into the building of the Taj Mahal for our non-fiction book 'A Teardrop on the Cheek of Time', led us to explore the early history of the dynasty which built the Taj – the Moghuls. To help us get inside the heads of the founders of the Moghul dynasty for our fiction quintet 'Empire of the Moghul', we've read all the chronicles of the time. Over the years we've also retraced the steps of the Moghuls from the Ferghana Valley in Kyrgyzstan – home to the first Moghul emperor, the boy-king Babur – to Iran and to the blue domes and minarets of Samarkand in Uzbekistan, across the red deserts to the Oxus River, over the Hindu Kush to Kabul and Afghanistan and down through the Khyber Pass to the plains of northern India.

'In fact, apart from on one occasion when we were stranded on a remote island off the coast of Borneo and forced to hide from pirates, some of our hairiest moments when travelling have been when researching our non-fiction books. While working on our book about Captain Scott and the race for the South Pole, 'A First Rate Tragedy', the Russian research vessel on which we were sailing into Antarctica's Ross Sea was nearly lost in one of the worst storms in Antarctic history with 140 knot winds (over 240 kilometres per hour) and 20 metre high waves. The life rafts washed overboard and the superstructure iced up like the inside of an old fridge, putting us in danger of capsizing. On another occasion while researching our book on one of our favourite characters the buccaneer-naturalist William Dampier, 'A Pirate of Exquisite Mind', we set out in his footsteps to cross the Darien Isthmus in Panama with local Indian guides. We had to dodge FARC guerrillas, Colombian paramilitaries and the deadly fer de lance snake, in the latter case wading waist high in rivers – our guide claimed snakes can't bite and swim at the same time!'

Reviews

[Arun Divakar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good five generations after they first set foot in the Indian subcontinent, the Mughals were past their heyday when Aurangzeb ascended the throne. The revenues of the empire were still strong and military might was as robust as ever at the time of his coronation but at the heart of the empire there was a shift during his reign. From being a patron of arts, music and architecture the emperor shifted his focus almost completely to matters religious. Against this oppressive pall there arose a series of rebellions across the length and breadth of India and chief among the people who opposed Aurangzeb was Shivaji, the king of the Marathas. While Aurangzeb fought many a battle against the rebels, it taxed the empire a great deal in monetary terms and the imperial coffers began emptying out in a steady manner. The epithet ‘Great’ which had been a monopoly of the Mughals all this while also slipped and fell into the mud following Aurangzeb’s death.

Keeping up with their regular style of writing, the authors have dished out a mix of court intrigue, warfare and historical narratives. While the life of Aurangzeb wasn’t as dramatic as his father or grandfather had lived out, he did have a life full of action. He was still on the battlefield even past his 70’s and still as ruthless as ever. The end of Aurangzeb’s reign was the dusk of Mughal glory and that in itself makes his life a very colourful one to read about. The only challenge though was that he was the first emperor to not have his life chronicled officially and authors rely more on accounts of him than his own chronicles. All considered, this book left me a tad disappointed for the superficial way in which it treated a few characters – especially the British. As with all their previous works, the storyline is split between Aurangzeb and his sons but his sons are not in the same league as himself. They make for rather clichéd characters too.

A good attempt as a finale to the series. It certainly is a good read.

[Pam Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now that I've actually read it, I adjusted my rating. At first I gave it one star, but that reflect a problem I had with the publisher, and the author shouldn't suffer for that.
The low rating is really for the publisher, Headline Review, not for the book itself. The title page etc. are missing. The first thing after the cover is page 11, some length into chapter 1. It's an even bigger problem because in the other books in the series the first chapter is preceded by a map and a list of the major characters, which come in handy.

[Dhananjayan Jayabal · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not great

[Nishant Bhagat · Rating 3 out of 5]

The great part about this series (and authors) is that they have been very consistent. They have chosen a brand of 'pop' historical fiction without going into too many details and concentrated on keeping up the narrative pace. The writing is very simple and efficient.

They have not dwelt too much on the describing the terrain or 'setting the scene' where the various characters interact, nor do they spend much time on building the key protagonist's character. If you want to know more about Aurangzeb as a person then this books is not for you. But if you want to glean through the story of the entire Mughal dynasty then this series is highly recommended.

[Mr.Ranganath V.S.Vernekar · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was O K, compared to his earlier books which I have read except Raiders from the North and The Serpent's Tooth.I intent to read both the books in the near future as they just enrich my knowledge of Moghul era history.The book mentions the death of Shivaji as a result fever but according "SHRIMAN YOGI" written by Ranjit Dessai,Shivaji Maharaj dies of suspected poisoning through pan chewing and dies after a considerable period.The poison is supposed to have been derived from herbal plant DHATURA.The same book mentions that Sambhaji befriends Muazzam,who was ruling the Aurangabad province and even converts to Islam because he had developed sharp differences with his father on account of his involvement with a local damsel and had even housed her in another part of the fort.Actually he was evading punishment from his father.It is only when Shivaji was on the verge of dying that he personally request the presence of Sambhaji with everything forgiven in order to pass on the baton of rule to Sambhaji.It is widely agreed that historical fact do differ and one cannot expect concurring views from every writer on the same subject or same facts as it is not History in the real sense of the word,but credit goes to those who make that part of history worthy of reading and digesting with satisfaction.

[Shilpi Saha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before this book I had a different idea about the emperor Abul Muzaffar Muhi-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb...inshort Aurangzeb alamgir :)
Right from his growing up days through the death of his mother Mumtaz, his fathers favouring Dara, his fight for "takht or takhtya" and finally his iron fist rule and his last days....in this book I found a lost child, a staunch believer of God as supreme solace, guide...a very strong opinionated shrewd foresighted emperor. He had clear idea about right and wrong...but somehow he was all white or black and no grey....either a person is loyal or he is traitor...no middle ground for this emperor. He knew about British a ambassador/business and for what they were worth. He respected his sister Jahanara for having a different view, heard her, but did what he believed was according to his dharma..
This book I somehow changed my views about this last surviving product of the immense immortal love of Shahjahan and Aujumand or Mumtazmahal...
Worth its time...though it does not say much about his personal life...it tries to portray the mind of a person who cant trust anyone....and in his end days tries to understand himself and his deeds...

[Anil Swarup · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fast paced offering from Alex Rutherford. Despite sticking to historical facts and details, the author manages to narrate everything in the manner of a fiction. This is indeed quite remarkable. And he has done that so very successfully in each of his six books on the Moghul Dynasty. He also appears to handle sensitive issues in an objective manner, without any apparent bias. The character of Aurangzeb that evolves in the book is a fascinating one as is the description of the grit and patriotic fervour of the Marathas.

[Priya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read all the books in this series, the other five a while ago. This one is about the last well known emperor in a way.. Aurangzeb.
History lessons had taught me that Aurangzeb had also followed tradition and imprisoned his father and fought his brothers for the imperial throne following the principle of Takthya Taktha.. throne or coffin! I also knew that he was a lot less tolerant of those of his subjects who did not practice his own faith, Islam.
This book elaborates on that, giving a description of the emotionless way in which he cut down rebellion, believing that was what was expected of a ruler. His greatest opposition came from the Marathas led by Shivaji, who escaped imprisonment by making a fool of the emperor's guards, an insult that Aurangzeb took so personally that he launched an attack on his loyal subjects who practiced the Hindu faith in order to send a message that rebellion of any sort would not be tolerated. This despite being cautioned not to by his sister Jahanara, who rightly feared that such measures would bring about the downfall of the empire.
Indulging in some of the most bloodthirsty campaigns to prove his superiority,Aurangzeb didn't spare any of his sons leave alone those who questioned his increasing cruelty. He was also a hypocrite who severely punished his family members and subjects for indulging in pleasures, saying it was against the tenets of Islam while he didn't give up what gave him the greatest pleasure.
Portrayed as a son who felt neglected by his father, this Mughal emperor certainly does not inspire much love, in fact, quite the opposite, as he looted and plundered and all the time wondered why everyone couldn't just accept what he said and be loyal to him!

Simply one of those monarchs who was utterly despicable!

[Saad Merchant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Open Letter to the Author(s) Alex Rutherford -

"Dear Writer(s),

I've never been a big fan of Aurangzeb, him being a character that history has muddled in so much of confusion and contradiction - that it is indeed difficult to honestly make head or tail of him. You could however, call me something of a fan of this Empire of The Mughal series, it has taught me a great great great deal in a very entertaining, engaging and emotionally moving manner. However, just as with the character of Aurangzeb, i'm at odds with what I think of this last book, It is written just as engagingly as its predecessors, yet the self-evidenced BIAS that the book seems to struggle with, is rather unbecoming - in my humble opinion.

While I loved the book, I was also thoroughly disappointed by the near one-sidedness it seemed to display, by omitting honest details that argued the positive side of Aurangzeb out - deliberately, scantily mentioning them in the book's historical notes (which also suggests that anti-Aurangzeb historical accounts were more relied on), indicating the bias. I was thoroughly afraid of this while reading the Serpent's Tooth, when in passing - the famous incident where Aurangzeb dismounted and began to pray mid-battle, was coloured also with bias - stating it as reckless and endangering his men's lives...when there are contrary accounts, that this fearlessness demoralized the enemy. Quoting the Akham-E-Alamgiri -

"During this campaign Aurangzib did an act which made his fame ring throughout the Islamic
world. While the Mughal army was fighting desperately with the vast legions of Abdul Aziz
Khan, king of Bukhara, the time for the evening prayer (zuhar) arrived. Disregarding the
prohibitions of his officers, Aurangzib dismounted from his elephant, knelt down on the
ground, and deliberately and peacefully went through all the ceremonies of the prayer, in full
view of both the armies. Abdul Aziz on hearing of it cried out, 'To fight with such a man is to
court one's own ruin' and suspended the battle"

- And then with this book - with all due respect, I seem to find a link that everytime Aurangzeb did something good which was inspired by Islam - the bias seemed to jump in. If he hand-wrote the copies of the Quran or stitched caps to sell in the markets - he did it to assuage his guilt. If he re-instated the Jiziyah, there was a rush to state there was an earthquake - but no explanation of what the Jiziyah actually means, what percentage it was, also - how many other taxes Aurangzeb abolished at the peril of the Mughal Empire's depleting treasury. You state he abandoned music, but fail to state that court musicians and courtiers were removed - so that he could save Tax Money, instead of spending it on self-entertainment, unlike previous Mughal rulers (who were lacking thoroughly in such areas of character), this being an interesting contrast to Shah Jahan's project to build an incredibly expensive monument to his wife, on the back of his subjects hard-earned money - paid in taxes. Most strikingly, the book belittles or disregards Aurangzeb's attempts to humble himself and not appear like a god-like figure, as the other Mughal and other historical rulers tried. I believe these should have necessarily been dwelled upon - being unique contrasts seen in an emperor.

That being said - I agreed with book's percpective on more than several instances, i,e. Aurangzeb's apparent alienation of people, especially his Hindu subjects and his children, also the continued mistreatment of prisoners and the mutilation of the dead - which I don't think are condoned by Islamic rulings, as Aurangzeb should have known (even if all rulers at the time, regardless of religion, didn't care about this). Also the arrogance with which he is said to have dealt with Shivaji was unbecoming and again not in line with the teachings of the prophet - which again Aurangzeb should have known. The imprisonment of Zebunnissa was underwritten, she is an interesting character and the book disregards that she was Aurangzeb's favourite, who used to argue with him and who he pardoned many times, before harshly imprisoning her, who was a great and rebellious poetess. This almost surprised me as much as the disappointing omission of the famous Birbal, from Akbar's book.

Actual exciting historical incidences the book could have included to make for a grander read -

- A really witty and provocative letter, filled with sarcasm, which Shivaji wrote to Aurangzeb - the letters claims weren't entirely true, but witty and eloquent at the very least. Also, i'd love to read more of Aurangzeb's view of him.
- Aurangzeb gloriously kicking the Britishers' backside and bringing them to heel, when they tried putting their plots into place prematurely. Also, a more detailed account of how the famous pirate Henry Every - hijacked the largest ship of that time which belonged to the Mughals, which was bound for Mecca - filled with pilgrims.
-The book unfairly portrays the Mughal Empire during Aurangzeb's rule as an empire that wasn't doing very well, and while it's true Aurangzeb spent most of his times in futile wars, the book jumps the years where the Mughal Empire during his reign was probably accounted as the most powerful kingdom on earth, and most richest, and how keeping order in such a gigantic empire - was almost an inhuman task for one man to manage (despite Aurangzeb still attempting to unwisely micro-manage everything).

Finally -
I thank you for an amazing series that I enjoyed every bit of. More than anything it made me realize how contrary to my Indian belief, the Moghul's weren't Muslim conquerors as much as they were Timuri conquerors, and how Islam was secondary for them (except of course Aurangzeb). In India, it is important to understand this, as most people like to point out the Mughals as an example of Islam being spread by the sword. I would love to read a similar series by you - Alex Rutherford - of the Ottoman Empire, the period during which the sciences, arts and technology blossomed under Islamic rule and patronage, while Europe slumbered in the Dark Ages (another forgotten and misunderstood time in history).

Thank you for these books! I shall treasure them as fantastic inspirations for inspiring a more inquiring approach with history!

Keep writing.

Saad

[Shrikanth Venne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book on Moghuls to be precise 6th Moghul emperor Aurangzeb who was the last emperor before the downfall of Moghuls. 7th emperor was Muazzam popularly known as bhadur shah who ruled only 5 years of his life as Moghul emperor. Leaving the 3rd emperor that is Akbar all others have struggled to be in top. This book is about 6th Emperor Aurangzeb who was a strict Sunni Muslim and making religion as his first law which is the major reason of Moguls downfall. Aurangzeb spent his last 25 years in south trying to outdo marathas, on doing this his other rebellions from North started gathering forces against him. All six books are good making people understand how the emperor's were in their life time. overall it was a good Goodread... 😃

[Tamam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The long reign of mughal emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir comes to an end, and so does the saga of 6 great emperors. It was indeed a fascinating read. The complexities of the court politics can be confusing, but the story kept its charm throughout the whole book.

[Bobby D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This, the sixth book in the Moghul series by Diana and Michael Preston is perhaps the last in the series. Overall the 6 Empire of the Moghul books which I have read in order cover the six Moghul Emperors from Babur in 1526 to this last book in 1707 which covers the reign of Aurangzeb whose mother is buried in the Taj Mahal. A seventh book might be well worth doing as it would cover the decline and fall of the empire from 1707 to 1857.
TRAITORS IN THE SHADOWS narrates the failed reign of Aurangzeb who in book 5 we learned rebelled and imprisoned his father the then Emperor while also killing his brothers. This was all justified by Aurangzeb’s strict following of fundamentalist Islam which he took to intolerant extremes. Prior to his rule the dynasty was more secular and tolerant of religious and ethnic diversity since the Moghuls were a religious minority. Yet, against this history and the input from his older sister Aurangzeb set about many harsh measures which resulted in numerous revolts against him. He even imprisoned at one time or another all of his three sons who eventually fought each other for the “Peacock Throne” after Aurangzeb’s death.
Reading of Aurangzeb’s decisions and only using common sense you feel like yelling back in time to him… “don’t do that!” I’m not sure how the next 150 years resulted in the end of the empire but the roots of that end are all traceable to Aurangzeb intolerance and rigid fear of his god which broke the large empire into feudal states. As Aurangzeb grew older he increasingly grew concerned about how “his god” would receive him after death… after all killing your brothers, imprisoning your father, and tormenting your subjects are not strong religious values. The single unifying thing about the dynasty was that each Emperor came about by a will to succeed and by eliminating any possible heir to the throne to survive. Their legacy was the destiny of either throne or death.
I really enjoyed this series of books and feel I learned a lot about this period in the history of India and Southern Asia. The books acted as a springboard to reading more about the actual events. The Preston’s do a valuable service to the reader at the end of each book covering a recap of the actual history and where they inserted fiction as well as a chapter by chapter explanation of the actual events.

[Partha · Rating 5 out of 5]

এই সিরিজের শেষ বই।আমি দুই বছর সময় লাগিয়ে অল্প অল্প করে ৬ টা বই পড়েছি।
এই বই শুরু হয়েছে ৫ম বই এর রেশ থেকেই।পুরো গল্প টা একজন নিঃসঙ্গ সম্রাটের। পুরো প্রায় ৫০ বছরের রাজত্ব কালে নিজের ভাবাদর্শে ছিলেন অটুত।তার থেকে চুল পরিমাণ বিচ্যুতি ঘটে নি তার।
সম্ভবত নিজের বাবা আর ভাই দের প্রতি করা বিভিন্ন কর্মকান্ড তাকে কখনো শান্তি দেয় নি।একই সাথে তার পুত্র দের থেকেও তিনি ছিলেন সর্বদা সাবধান। কিন্তু তার পর ও তার দুই পুত্র তার প্রতি সরাসরি বিদ্রোহে লিপ্ত হয়।
পুরো মুঘল সাম্রাজ্য তিনি এক নীতি অনুসরণ করে চালিয়েছেন যা তার ভিন্ন ধর্ম মতের প্রজাদের করেছে ক্ষিপ্ত যার ফলশ্রুতিতে হয়েছে অসংখ্য বিদ্রোহ।পুরো ৫০ বছরের রাজত্ব কালে তিনি অজস্র বিদ্রোহ দমন করেছেন বজ্রহস্তে।কিন্তু তার মতো এরূপ রণকৌশল, রাষ্ট্রপরিচালনার দক্ষতা তার অন্য কোন উওরাধিকারীর ছিল না। তাছাড়া তাদের বয়স ও হয়েছিল যেখানে ৬ষ্ঠ সম্রাট নিজে দীর্ঘ জীবনের অধিকারী ছিলেন।
লেখক এখানে ৩য় বই এর মতো দীর্ঘ রাজত্ব কালের ক্ষুদ্রাতিক্ষুদ্র অংশের উপর আলোকপাত করেছেন।তা পরিশেষে লেখকদ্বয় স্বীকার ও করেছেন।
তবে এই সারাংশ এর মতো বৃত্তান্ত কিন্তু উপন্যাসে লেখক আপ্রাণ চেষ্টা করেছেন সাগরের মতো বিশাল সাম্রাজ্যের একচ্ছত্র অধিকারীকে বুঝার জন্য।হয়তো তিনি কিছু ক্ষেত্রে সফল হননি।তবে সেটা না হওয়াটাই স্বাভাবিক।

[Nile · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final installment of the saga by Alex Rutherford. author tried to build real persons out of historical characters and tried to answer many questions. Like the previous books of the series this one is very articulate and detailed in the life of the last Great Moghul. The aspiration of an emperor, the expectations from his children, the treachery, the ruthless vengeance and the beginning of the end of a great empire. The book is indeed captivating and I would recommend it only after you have read all the previous books in the series. That is not because this one is not good as a stand alone but I felt it was a single story told in six books through generations. You can feel that only after you have read all the books in the series and can sense the end coming nearer.

[Aravind · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the sixth Moghul emperor Aurangzeb is fast moving and is in line with the known historical facts. While the book is quite an enjoyable read, the depth which could have made this engrossing feels missing, which is the case with almost all other books on the series except the ones on Babur and Humayun.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me almost 8 years but I've completed Alex Rutherford's Moghul historical fiction series. The writing is mediocre, but Rutherford keeps the story entertaining, and she does a good job with characters and their motivations.

[মুন মুন · Rating 4 out of 5]

খুবই হতাশাজনক...! এতবড় একটা সাম্রাজ্য এভাবে ধ্বংস হয়ে গেল,.. শুধুমাত্র একজন সম্রাটের গোয়ার্তুমির কারণে...!

[Shihab Azhar · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a stand alone book, this is quite decent. It also serves well as a conclusion to a series, and at least is significantly better than its last two predecessors. That said, it suffers from the same problems as many of the installments that preceded it.

Primarily, the author seems to have no idea what to do when faced with multiple protagonists, especially in terms of character development. This is a bone I have picked multiple times throughout the series, primarily because as it has progressed, the characters and motivations of the sons of the emperor have become most important, in terms of explaining to the reader why they did what they did. In this volume, the author does delve somewhat into Akbar's mindset and thinking, but others are completely ignored. Azam spends most of the book removed from the setting, seemingly engaged in revelry, without any explanation of why he is still in command when others who have been suspected of drinking or other illicit activities have been punished. Muazzam shows up suddenly during an attack and then disappears back into the background just as quickly. Jahanara spent the last two books futilely trying to keep together crumbling families but got nowhere. Roshanara's character is odd, seeming to crave attention whenever possible. Gauharara was born, died, and showed up on a few balconies in the middle. Mohammad Sultan spent the entire book in prison. Thus the entire book seems unsettlingly centered around Aurangzeb alone, but his character also does not evolve much from beginning till the very end, when suddenly he seems to have gotten a serious case of old-age regret.

It is difficult to understand therefore what the author wanted to focus on during the series. What have we learned besides the fact that Mughal emperors should not have had more than one son? It is not about Mughal war tactics - the consistently successful strategy seems to be to besiege a fort or snipe at enemies from a higher vantage point. It isn't about court intrigue as there must have been a lot of it, but only a few times does it actually appear. It could be argued that it is about leadership and embracing instead of isolating diversity, but that is only this book and perhaps the first, but not the volumes in between.

Overall then it seems like this series has been an attempt to capture some of the most interesting periods of history in the subcontinent, but in the hands of the author it has been neutered significantly.

[Mohiuddin Mohammad Zunaid (মহিউদ্দিন মোহাম্মাদ যুনাইদ) · Rating 3 out of 5]

শুরু করেছিলাম বাবরের কাহিনী দিয়ে, শেষ করলাম আওরঙ্গজেবের কাহিনী দিয়ে। বাবরের কাহিনী পড়তে গিয়ে এলেক্স রাদারফোর্ডের এই সিরিজের প্রতি প্রচন্ড আগ্রহ পেয়েছিলাম। আর শেষ করলাম আওরঙ্গজেবের কাহিনীটা দিয়ে, যেটা ছিল খুবই আকর্ষণীয়। ‌ মোগল সম্রাটদের মধ্যে সবচেয়ে দৃঢ়চছতা এবং প্রচন্ড শক্তিশালী মানসিক শক্তির অধিকারী ছিলেন বাবর এবং তারপরেই সবচেয়ে শক্তিশালী বাদশাহ ছিলেন আসলে আওরঙ্গজেব। প্রায় ৫০ বছরের উপরে উনি সম্ভবত মুঘল সাম্রাজ্যের বাদশা ছিলেন। উনার প্রতি বিশেষ একটা গোষ্ঠীর ঘৃণার একটা কারণ এই বইটা পড়ার পরে উদ্ধার করা গেল। মোগল বাদশাহদের মধ্যে সম্ভবত উনিই সবচেয়ে নিয়মতান্ত্রিক ও সূক্ষ্ম বুদ্ধির মাধ্যমে স্থানীয় মারাঠা, গোলকুণ্ডা ও অন্যান্য বিদ্রোহীদের নির্মমভাবে দমন করেছিলেন। স্থানীয় প্রত্যেকটা রাজা উনাকে যমের মতন ভয় পেত এবং কখনই উনার বিরুদ্ধে ষড়যন্ত্র করে এরা কেউ কিছু করতে পারেনি। ‌এক এক করে প্রত্যেককে উনি নির্মূল করেছেন এবং মোগল সাম্রাজ্যকে সুসংগঠিত করেছেন। এমনভাবে দমন করেছেন যে এরা পরবর্তীতে আর কখনো বিদ্রোহ করতে সাহস পায়নি।
মোগল বাদশাহদের মধ্যে উনি হচ্ছে একমাত্র চরিত্রবান ব্যক্তি যিনি কখনো মদ স্পর্শ করতেন না, পরোনারীতে আসক্তি করতেন না, কোনরকম অন্যায় কাজকে প্রশ্রয় দিতেন না। এমনকি উনার অধীনস্থদের কাউকেও কোন হারাম কাজ করতে দিতেন না। ‌ব্যক্তিগত জীবনে উনি ইসলামকে কঠোরভাবে মেনে চলতেন। সম্ভবত এটাই উনার প্রতি এত তীব্র বিদ্বেষের কারণ। ঠিক এর বিপরীত কারণে আকবর স্থানীয়দের মধ্যে খুবই জনপ্রিয় একজন মোগল বাদশাহ ছিলেন।
অনুবাদ প্রথম দিকে বেশ কিছু জায়গায় পড়তে খারাপ লাগলেও ধীরে ধীরে লেখাটা শেষের দিকে ভালো হয়ে এসেছে।
এই সিরিজের প্রায় সবগুলো বইতেই সম্ভবত নতুন অনুবাদককে নিয়োগ দেওয়া হয়েছিল। যার কারণে অনুবাদগুলো পুরো সিরিজেই খারাপ হয়েছে।
মূল লেখক এলেক্স রাদারফোর্ডের বাদশা আওরঙ্গজেবের প্রতি কিছুটা বিদ্বেষ ছিল। এটা এই বই পড়ার সময় বুঝা যায়।‌ ইচ্ছাকৃতভাবেই এই বাদশাহর ভালো ভালো গুণগুলোকে উনি এড়িয়ে গিয়েছেন এবং উনার বিপরীতে যারা সন্ত্রাসী পর্যায়ে ছিল তাদেরকে উনি ভালো চরিত্র হিসেবে ফুটিয়ে তুলতে চেয়েছেন। ‌শুধুমাত্র একটা বই পড়ে ইতিহাসের আসল সত্য পুরোপুরি কখনো জানা যায় না।

[Zainy Hassan Ziya · Rating 4 out of 5]

The War of the Succession is an epic finale to the "Empire of the Moghul" series, and let me tell you, it's a wild ride! This book dives into the reign of Aurangzeb, Shah Jahan's son, who’s basically the ultimate power player.

Aurangzeb's story is all about his ruthless quest to become the top dog, and trust me, the guy stops at nothing. We're talking sibling rivalries taken to the extreme, like Game of Thrones-level drama here. Rutherford does an awesome job of showing Aurangzeb's intense religious side and how he expanded the empire like crazy. But, it's not all sunshine and roses—his strict rule kinda starts the empire's downfall.

The way Rutherford brings out Aurangzeb's personality is just so on point. You get to see his hardcore discipline and the political mess he deals with. It's like watching a historical drama unfold, full of twists and turns. The detail in this book is off the charts, and you can really feel the weight of Aurangzeb's ambitions and the heavy price he pays for them.

Honestly, this book is a perfect end to the series. It's packed with intrigue, power struggles, and a whole lot of intensity. If you’ve been following the series, you won’t wanna miss this one. It ties everything together in a way that’s super satisfying, and it'll keep you hooked till the last page and, as i write this i’m in deep sadness that I’ve reached the end of the series and by it the end of the great moghul empire.

Can’t wait to go visit all them edifices built by these great men

[Avinash Veeraraghav · Rating 5 out of 5]

I should begin by saying that Rutherford does acknowledge how Muhiuddin Muhammad Aurangazeb (Alamgir) does have redeeming qualities, and did employ more Hindus than even the famously tolerant Akbar. That is not present in this book, likely for the purpose of creative storytelling, so for the purpose of this review, I am not going to touch on that for the most controversial of the Mughal Emperors.

Aurangazeb is the only Mughal Emperor who we can view as the villain of his own book. He is very, very powerful and a strong tactician, but is a ruthless leader who lacks human compassion. As a result, the reader sympathizes more with his rebellious sons than him. Along the way, we are introduced to Shivaji, a rising force for the Mughals to reckon with. Aurangazeb's poor treatment of the warrior is a partial contributor to the rise of the Marathas. Yet, Shivaji's son, Sambaji, lacks the competence that his father has. Taktya Takhta is on full display in this novel when the sons openly try to overthrow the father, with his son Akbar allying with Sambaji. Aurangazeb's callous nature can be viewed as partially contributing to the downfall of the Mughal Empire. The reader leaves this book acknowledging that the golden age of the Mughal Empire is over, and what is to come for the empire will only be despair, finally culminating in its capitulation in 1857.

[Ankit Shukla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Final book (book number 6) in the Empire of The Moghul series by Alex Rutherford. This book describes the historical events occurred in the reign of Aurangzeb (the last dominant ruler of Moghul dynasty). Aurangzeb indeed was an ardent believer of Islam and to ensure that Islam prevails in his entire kingdom, he repealed Jizya. Jizya was a tax to be paid by non-Islamic people in Aurangzeb reign. This act and other of his strong bigoted steps disturbed Moghul’s long term Rajput allies and an unrest started to develop. Aurangzeb in his reign majorly was involved in fighting back the Maratha revolt ignited by Shivaji. Later in the last years of his rule, Aurangzeb faced revolt by Sikhs & Jats as well. Author has aptly covered the incidences from history and portrayed them crisply. There are certain events in the book which highlights the barbarity of Aurangzeb. The troubles of Moghul dynasty followed Aurangzeb as well where he too faced revolt & treachery from his own sons & daughter (Akbar, Muhammad Sultan, Zeburnissa), which eventually weakened the empire. Alex Rutherford has magnificently covered the entire dominant era of Moghul dynasty from Babur to Aurangzeb and al the volumes are recommendable to any history lover.

[Balaji]

Sixth book of the series - it is having its share of action and war scenes - but beyond a point it gets boring. The narrative goes downhill post a few chapters with little twists and more of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's various campaigns. The human aspect of him is touched more lucidly only towards the end of the book where the emperor feels and repents his past actions of atrocities he has committed on his family. Probably as in the previous books, the author could have delved a little deeper into the relationship angle between the emperor and his family and touched finer aspects of Aurangzeb the person apart from the points that he was a religious fanatic. Still enjoyable for most parts and a must read for anyone who has read the previous 5 books of the series

[Tabish Nawaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hurriedly written ! The series could have been much better compared to the first two books which were outstanding. The last par looks like that they wanted to finish the novel as soon as possible. I wish few things were more detailed.
1. There are very few scenes of the court and how it worked.
2. I understand the author's point of the view that they wanted their storyline to move on a specific manner hence wrote accordingly. Still I believe that there could have fewer scenes of war when Aurangzeb did not participate in real life.
3. We do not have a single dialogue between Aurangzeb's and their mothers. It's disheartening to read and not find any connection of humanism between the characters. And also there are very few scenes between Aurangzeb and his wives.

[Rohan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aurangazeb was the last "Great" Mughal. Although I don't believe he deserves the epithet.

I loved the way this book handled his character. Indeed before buying this book I was wondering how this series would conclude especially since he would be the final emperor to have a book written about him. But, he was shown as a complex character, not as one dimensional as many people believe yet it doesn't feel revisionist in the least.

His religious zealotry is showcased as one of his fatal flaws. How he hurt his family and his subject multiple times is discussed. But here's the addition I didn't expect, he feels guilt here. I don't know whether he truly did feel guilt , doubt and regret but this book definitely made me see him as a a person rather than a one dimensional villain.

[Zaib Rizvi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sixth and the last book in the series about the Great Mughal Empire is based on Emperor Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb, also known as Alamgir, is considered the last effective Mughal Emperor. He ruled over the entire sub-continent. The book starts interesting with Aurangzeb ascend to power after he usurp the throne and imprisoned his father. However, the book gets a bit boring in the middle as it is details about one war after another. In fairness, Aurangzeb rule was mainly dominated by wars and rebellions. The last few chapters are an interesting read and a sad ending for such a powerful and strong ruler.

[Karunakaran N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Traitors in the Shadows (Empire of the Moghul, #6) by Alex Rutherford... The last (probably) in the Moghul series by the Author. Its Aurangzeb's tyrant rule, the divide between the various religions by his policies towards them is still rattling the Indian subcontinent. His ancestors were tolerant and even let the blood line mix with the Rajputs, led a rule to greatness. It's the sixth Emperor who sowed the seeds of decline for the Moghuls. Quite a descriptive note on all the events of the tyrant rule of Aurangzeb.

[Mark Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

The weakest and least compelling of the series. Despite a lot happening in the book it seems a bit rushed compared to the others.... a bit like the last series of Game of Thrones. Having said that it did fill in many of the gaps in my knowledge of the Moghuls... and I would have valued books that took their history up to the period of the empires fall to the British. Good book but not the best of the series.

[Ajitabh Pandey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The life of Aurangzeb, the last effective Mughal ruler of India. Rebellion after rebellion in the entire empire shows that even though Aurangzeb was a strong and ruthless ruler, the Mughal grip on the empire was weakening.

[Vani Kalra · Rating 3 out of 5]

meh!