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The Mughal Emperors: And the Islamic Dynasties of India, Iran, and Central Asia
A detailed history of the long line of Mughal rulers from 1206 to1925, illustrated with exquisite paintings, manuscripts, and architecture.
In the West "mogul" refers to a person of great power and influence. The word derives from the Persian "Mughal" or Mongol, the people who, initially under Genghis Khan, had an enormous impact as they set out to conquer the world.
This book describes the rulers from the thirteenth to the twentieth centuries whose reigns and lands were affected by Mongol/Mughal power and who all shared the Muslim high civilization that flourished from Iran and Central Asia through Afghanistan to north and central India. Among the prominent leaders were Timur, or Tamerlane, who lived a life of remorseless conquest; Shah Abbas the Great, who brought the achievement of early modern Iran to its peak at Isfahan; Akbar the Great, who fostered an idea of inclusive government for India; and Shah Jahan, who gave India its finest monument, the Taj Mahal.
In lively biographical portraits, illuminated by vivid quotations from contemporary chroniclers, these great men come back to life. We see them as administrators trying to meet the challenge of building strong central governments, as military leaders engaged in bloody and fratricidal struggles for succession, and as enlightened patrons of the arts and sciences. Women also play a prominent part in events, from court politics and artistic patronage to occasionally ruling. 260 illustrations, 140 in color.
In the West "mogul" refers to a person of great power and influence. The word derives from the Persian "Mughal" or Mongol, the people who, initially under Genghis Khan, had an enormous impact as they set out to conquer the world.
This book describes the rulers from the thirteenth to the twentieth centuries whose reigns and lands were affected by Mongol/Mughal power and who all shared the Muslim high civilization that flourished from Iran and Central Asia through Afghanistan to north and central India. Among the prominent leaders were Timur, or Tamerlane, who lived a life of remorseless conquest; Shah Abbas the Great, who brought the achievement of early modern Iran to its peak at Isfahan; Akbar the Great, who fostered an idea of inclusive government for India; and Shah Jahan, who gave India its finest monument, the Taj Mahal.
In lively biographical portraits, illuminated by vivid quotations from contemporary chroniclers, these great men come back to life. We see them as administrators trying to meet the challenge of building strong central governments, as military leaders engaged in bloody and fratricidal struggles for succession, and as enlightened patrons of the arts and sciences. Women also play a prominent part in events, from court politics and artistic patronage to occasionally ruling. 260 illustrations, 140 in color.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 6, 2018
This book is for curious readers. It is a teaser - short on substance, long on gossip. Robinson is anything but thorough, so nearly every chapter leaves the reader with wanting more information. It does not help that the format is that of a coffee table book with lengthy captions and side bars that distract from the main narratives. Apart from these short-comings, Robinson does offer readers an insight into the mysterious world of the early modern Muslim dynasties of South Asia.
The book is a cross between a coffee table book and a reference book. The dynasties are arranged roughly chronologically with a break down of each ruler. Robinson does focus more on the rulers' weaknesses than their strengths. After reading this book, readers may wonder if not every ruler in South Asia was an opium addict and alcoholic. Robinson also focuses on the violence and horror of the era whenever there was a change in rulers. The death of a ruler did far more harm to an empire with civil war than an group of invaders.
The cover emphasizes India and the Mughals. However, they cover less than one-third of the book. The sub title is a more apt description. The book begins with the Mongol conquest of Persia (Iran) in the 1250s. This is far away from the Mughals. Readers will meet Babur and his amazing conquest of Delhi about half way through the book. Robinson has a little more to say on the Great Mughals than he does for the Muzzafarids or lesser-known dynasties. But these expanded entries are comparable to other famous leaders such as Shah Abbas and Nadir Shah.
Robinson may have written such a fleeting study of dynasties to allow for easy comparisons. Every great dynasty relied on the force of a single personality. That lone individual usually had to find balance and accommodation with many different interest groups. The rise of factionalism led to an inevitable breakdown in the balance with ensuing outrages and revenge. The spiral of collapse progressed with the assistance of outside groups. In this regard Robinson often confuses his readers who do not have a background in the subject. The most obvious example are the Marathas, the long-time rivals of the Mughals. Robinson is unclear who they were, where they came from, or how they managed to constantly evade the Mughal armies.
The book also has a problem with basic editing. There are occasional grammar and mechanical errors. However, more problematic are content errors that leave the reader guessing what happened. One example is the very last image on page 231. The caption discusses the British consideration of replacing the youthful shah or a distant relative serving in the armed forces (whose armed forces?). After meeting with the prince (who?) The British decided against replacing the shah. Who is depicted in the photo? Instances such as these are not common in the book; but there are enough of them to vex readers.
Ultimately, I have more criticisms than praises for this book. I learned a lot about the region and its history. I wish Robinson had spent more effort explaining the key people in each epoch, along with the different factions. Instead readers are left with a vague history that is as much gossip and scandal as it is history.
The book is a cross between a coffee table book and a reference book. The dynasties are arranged roughly chronologically with a break down of each ruler. Robinson does focus more on the rulers' weaknesses than their strengths. After reading this book, readers may wonder if not every ruler in South Asia was an opium addict and alcoholic. Robinson also focuses on the violence and horror of the era whenever there was a change in rulers. The death of a ruler did far more harm to an empire with civil war than an group of invaders.
The cover emphasizes India and the Mughals. However, they cover less than one-third of the book. The sub title is a more apt description. The book begins with the Mongol conquest of Persia (Iran) in the 1250s. This is far away from the Mughals. Readers will meet Babur and his amazing conquest of Delhi about half way through the book. Robinson has a little more to say on the Great Mughals than he does for the Muzzafarids or lesser-known dynasties. But these expanded entries are comparable to other famous leaders such as Shah Abbas and Nadir Shah.
Robinson may have written such a fleeting study of dynasties to allow for easy comparisons. Every great dynasty relied on the force of a single personality. That lone individual usually had to find balance and accommodation with many different interest groups. The rise of factionalism led to an inevitable breakdown in the balance with ensuing outrages and revenge. The spiral of collapse progressed with the assistance of outside groups. In this regard Robinson often confuses his readers who do not have a background in the subject. The most obvious example are the Marathas, the long-time rivals of the Mughals. Robinson is unclear who they were, where they came from, or how they managed to constantly evade the Mughal armies.
The book also has a problem with basic editing. There are occasional grammar and mechanical errors. However, more problematic are content errors that leave the reader guessing what happened. One example is the very last image on page 231. The caption discusses the British consideration of replacing the youthful shah or a distant relative serving in the armed forces (whose armed forces?). After meeting with the prince (who?) The British decided against replacing the shah. Who is depicted in the photo? Instances such as these are not common in the book; but there are enough of them to vex readers.
Ultimately, I have more criticisms than praises for this book. I learned a lot about the region and its history. I wish Robinson had spent more effort explaining the key people in each epoch, along with the different factions. Instead readers are left with a vague history that is as much gossip and scandal as it is history.
July 6, 2014
I received this book as a birthday gift this year and I have finally finished reading it. I have been very interested learning about the Mughals and Mongolians and this is helpful in that regard.
June 7, 2017
Francis Robinson has done a very good job with this book. While it is an expansive coffee table type of book at one level (lots of short articles and summaries, lots of photos etc.), the book provides a nice glimpse into the rich history and impacts of the Mughals, through often unintentional actions... This is a good and relatively easy read for someone who wants to familiarize with the subject and anyone who is interested in learning more... I read this a few years ago on my first visit to Pakistan and South Asia. I also re-read it a couple years later after I had been to Inner Mongolia and encountered the ancient heartland of the Mughals/Moguls/Mongols: Mongolia! It was fascinating for me as I began to get a much fuller grasp of the history, scope and scale of the influences of the Mongolians and the many, often unintended, consequences of their descendants ...including the interaction and eventual 'marriage' with Islam especially in Iran/Persia and other countries and territories in the in the Central Asia and South Asia regions.
November 25, 2014
A coffee-table book of sorts. Full of illustrations, with long essays on the few outstanding rulers in the 600+ years covered. However, since most of these rulers were incompetent, drunkards and/or opium addicts, pathological torturers, killers or their families and their subjects, and generally thoroughly unpleasant lunatics, the book is mostly made up of short essays!
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July 30, 2011A really great book on the Islamic dynasties of Central Asia,Iran and India.I took this book with me to Qutub Minar as well as Fatehpur Sikri and found it useful
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews