A Brief History of the Great Moguls: India's Most Flamboyant Rulers

by Bamber Gascoigne

Bamber Gascoigne’s classic book revisits perhaps the most fascinating period of Indian history, the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when the vast country was ruled by its most extraordinarily talented dynasty of emperors. Because of their virtually limitless power and incomparable wealth, these remarkable rulers came to be known to European travelers as “the Great Moguls.” In vital, colorful detail gleaned from meticulous research Gascoigne here presents in all their splendor the palaces of these magnificent moguls at the same time that he examines their passions, their arts, their science and religion, and above all, their sophisticated system of administration, which stabilized the greater part of India to such a successful degree that it was later adopted by the British. Acclaimed by travelers and scholars alike, and beautifully illustrated in color with 16 pages of photographs, Gascoigne’s A Brief History of the Great Moguls offers to anyone with an interest in India’s glorious past an engaging survey of a splendid culture and its singular achievements. “Entertainingly written history ... ravishingly beautiful photographs.”—The Times (London) “Extremely readable.”—Times Literary Supplement

Genres: History, Nonfiction, India, Asia, Islam, Biography, Art

304 pages, Paperback

First published October 7, 1971

About the author

Bamber Gascoigne is an Eton and Cambridge educated television presenter and author. He was for several years a drama critic for the "Spectator" and the "Observer", and has written a number of books on theatre, art and cultural history.

He came to fame as the presenter of the popular television quiz show, University Challenge (1962 - 1987) and subsequently wrote and presented a 13-part TV series, "The Christians" (1977), from which he also wrote a bestselling book. Gascoigne has remained a well-known figure for his television presenting and his books on history.

Reviews

[zed · Rating 3 out of 5]

My reading knowledge of Indian history is limited to A History of India, Vol. One by Romila Thapar, which I had read just recently.
My review. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I had previously read an excellent William Dalrymple travel book called The Age of Kali.
My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

After those 2 books, the reading of this "a Brief History" is an attempt to read further on the subject of India and an attempt to understand this behemoth of a nation. There are 3 millennia of history to cover, and so far I have touched but the tip of an iceberg. There is going to be no rhyme or reason how I go about this, as I will mix in Indian themed novels as well.

The Impressionist by Hari Kunzru can be added to recently read Indian themed books. As I said, no rhyme or reason.
My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

If I have a little bit of criticism of the book, it tends to struggle to cover the entire Great Moghuls. Six only, but then the author seems to think they are the only 6 worth covering. If a brief history, a short page or two on the less great may have been worthwhile, though a few get a mention in a very short epilogue.

The Moghuls covered are as follows and in order of their reigns:

Barbur. Gascoigne writes that his credentials as an oriental conqueror "...could hardly be improved upon…” Along with his ability to conquer, he was a keen gardener. He is presently buried in Kabul and his burial gardens are a well visited destination.

Hamayun. It was said that his father Babur’s last words were “Do naught against your brothers, even though they may deserve it” Gascoigne writes that it was “…fatal advice…” for a man of "…childish…” qualities.

Akbar. Enthroned as a 13 year old was Akbar the greatest of the Great Moghuls? Gascoigne writes as such. A tolerant ruler towards many religions including Hindus, Jains, Zoroastrians and even Jesuits to the point they were included in his religious discussions.

Jahanghir. Though considered as being “…debauched, spineless and susceptible to women…” by many historians, Gascoigne has sympathies towards his perceptions of science, nature and art and an obsessive desire to analyse and record what he saw.

Shah Jahan. Famous for the magnificent Taj Mahal, the mausoleum built for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Architecture was his joy and he was active in many projects from as young as 15 years old.

Aurangzeb. A brutal religious fundamentalist, who overthrew his father, had his brothers ruthlessly eliminated. In his time, any simmering sectarianism in the empire began to rear its ugly head.



Another good read in the "A Brief History" series, though in this review's opinion, it probably lacks a certain seamlessness in delivery of each of the selected emperor's essay like biographies. I am never keen on comments by figures far into the future, such as using a Kissinger comment about the Vietnam War as a comparison to events in Aurangzeb time, for example.

A full biography of all the emperors would be worthwhile to anyone that wishes to immerse themselves in the Moghuls. The notes and sources are of great use in this area.

Recommended as a good primer to those that know little to nothing on the Great Moghuls.

[Kalliope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Decided to re-read it given my trip to Delhi in a couple of weeks and how much I liked it the first time.

[AC · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely marvelous book – five-stars without any hesitation – and maybe even six… (my usual grade-inflation fully in play here, I guess… ;-)). In other words, I loved it…!

In reading Robert Kaplan’s wonderful Monsoon last month, I came to realize that there was one *really* giant hole in my understanding of world history – that while I knew something about the Mediterranean and Asia…, and now, about the Indian Ocean littoral -- the land bridge between was a veritable blank. And yet, until the opening up of the littoral trade routes in the 16th cen, it was precisely this overland route that linked Europe to the broader world. In other worlds, what I didn’t understand (even remotely) was the Mughal Empire.

The Mughals were descended from the Mongol-Turks – Bambur and his sons were, in fact, direct descendants of Ghengis Kahn and Tamerlaine. That sat astride the caravan routes from China through the Uzbek Samarkand and into Europe – and brought India into the early modern world, blending Islam and Hindu into a brilliant original synthesis that – until it fell apart under the austere Cromwellian, Aurangzeb… which is what laid the groundwork for the partition of the Subcontinent in the 1940’s (anacoluthon intended…)

This book presents a history of the Mughals – both a narrative history of the Emperors, their personalities and grand vicissitudes, and also a quite detailed cultural history of this most brilliant of dynasties. The personalities revealed are as great as any known from Rome or from the 19th century – Babur, Akbar, Jahangir…, Shah Jahan… even the doomed and severe Aurangzeb… what a cast of characters…! and Gascoigne draws their portraits with sympathy, insight, brilliance, and pathos.

Gascoigne is not an academic historian – and writes with energy and imagination – and I dare say that this is one of those books where the amateur comes off better than the professional. Indeed, this book will not only interest history buffs, but arts buffs – it’s well illustrated (in large format), and Gascoigne has some wonderful pages on Mughal art and architecture – but even more, anyone interested in the pathos of the human drama – as the destiny of these several Mughals presents a story of sad grandeur that Gascoigne knows how to milk.

I think the reason so little is known about the Mughals is that they were an inland empire – and of course it is also because Europe essentially did an end run around them to open up Asia. But as Kaplan shows, if the 21st century is going to reopen, once again, the Indian littoral – and have any hopes of moving, as Kaplan believes is possible, towards the development of a modern, enlightened, cosmopolitan, non-Arabic ISLAMIC Indian littoral, then the Mughals offer one of the most remarkable and models for them to follow. And even if it fails, the Mughals will still be the backstory of this important region of the future, even as the fairs and towns of medieval Europe (to summon the memory of Pirenne or Fernand Braudel) were the backstories for the great ages of the West (1500-2000).. now approaching, alas, their end…


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamber_G...

[Azimah Othman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives a brief history and the politics of the first six emperors of the Moghul Empire namely Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb. My initial interest is to read Babur, Akbar and Aurangzeb.

1. Babur (1483-1530)

I thought it would be an easy read but I was wrong. How could you fit all of Babur in 37 pages when the stage is huge? I actually ended up with a quick revision of Temur and then the history of the Delhi Sultanate.

Babur is 5 generations after Temur ( 1336-1405 ) which makes him Temur's great-great-great-grandson...the bloodline being Temur, Miranshah (4th son), Sultan Mohammed, Abu Said and Omar Shaykh. The book take pains in picturing life and the politics in the steppes during the period. Temur was of Barlas Turk tribe thought to have been originally Mongol who had adopted the Turki language which was indeed the language spoken and written by Babur. Barlas Turk was also a subdivision of Chaghatai Turks. Temur had wanted to be thought of closely connected with the Mongols. When Husayn, a friend turned foe was assassinated, Temur married his widow who was a princess descended from Genghis.

After the break up of the Mongol Empire some Turks have moved west and became civilised early. 10 years after the death of Temur, folks preferred to be known as Turks. Mongols to the north and east of Transoxiana have become synonymous with barbarism compared to the highly cultured courts created by Temur's descendants in areas now known as Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. It would take another 100 years for Moghul would become fashionable again.

Umar Shaikh was ruler of Fergana, east of Samarkand. He was short , stout and portly. He fell while attending to his pigeons and died making Babur (born 14/2/1483) the new ruler at the age of 11. He found himself among many petty rulers of a conglomerate of provices governed by his uncles and cousin, descendants of Temur . He had always wanted Samarkand though and waited his time. He was to gain and lost both Samarkand and Fergana in the process while he was still a teenager.

Throneless life as a freebooter followed. He regained Fergana from his younger brother at the age of 16. A wife was arranged. By the age of 18 Babur had lost Samarkand twice whence he decided to leave it to Shahbani Khan, the Uzbek and find his fortune elsewhere. His leadership style won him many men. When Kabul became available for his picking, a more stable life ensued.

Babur was a naturalist. He built gardens , cultivated fruits, encouraged learning, craftsmanship, arts, poetry etc.In fact, Herat which was ruled by his son, Shah Rukh, was even better than Kabul in terms of the arts. Unfortunately, it too fell to Shaibani, the Uzbek in 1507.

The story of Babur and Humayun would not be complete without the episodes of the Safavid's assistance in the recapture of Samarkand at both times with the condition that the Temurids embrace Shiaism.

Shaibani met the wrath of the Safavid Emperor of Persia, Shah Ismail who defeated him and had his body dismembered and sent to various parts of Persia. Babur's sister, Khanzada now a widow, was saved and returned to Babur. I recall Khanzada the pillar of strength during Humayun's dark days.

After losing Samarkand for the 4th and final time, Babur returned to Kabul to plan his territorial expansion into Hindustan laying claim of Temur's conquest of 1399.

Delhi was then ruled by the 5th Sultanate of the Lodi Dynasty ( 1451-1526) of Afghan (Pashtun) origin. The first 4 had been of Turkic origin. Babur, together with his 17 years old son Humayun made 5 expeditions into Hindustan when it had become fragile. Sultan Ibrahim Lodi was defeated at Panipat. Some of the war tactics have been subjects of study.

Alas, Babur had fallen ill very often, more so when in Hindustan.....a result of alcohol and drug ediction. This seemed to run in the family......

Much of his memoirs were lost but I know Humayun had referred to them and just as well he shared an almost similar life to that of his father ... territories lost and gained....

2. Akbar (1542-1605)

Akbar was born when Humayun and his followers were in flight from Sher Shah, a Pashtun from Bengal. No thanks to Humayun’s half brothers Kamran and Askari who simply added to his miseries. Hindal had instead run away when Humayun had fallen for Hamida, later to become Akbar’s mum. Sher Shah had then established the Suri Dynasty which ruled Hindustan for 15 years.

Baby Akbar, his wet nurse/foster mother Maham Anga and foster brother, Adham Khan, were at one time held hostages by Akbar’s uncle, Kamran. They were later saved and returned to Humayun by Hindal. Perhaps it was more for Hamida’s sake ………… Hindal left again only to return dead killed by his own brother, Askari, said to be by mistake.

It took Humayun 9 years to prepare for his return to Hindustan. During that time he had eliminated the problems of his half brothers. After the death of Sher Shah’s son, Islam Shah, the Suri Dynasty became weaken by rival princes Adil Shah and Sikandar. Delhi became an easy picking for Humayun.

Young Akbar had accompanied his father to battles since an early age of 10. He loved sports and physical activities. Marvelled at polo. However, his unsettled childhood - a life frequently on the move - took him away from books and as such he did not learn to read…….

Humayun tripped and fell from his steep observatory/library stairs in Delhi palace when. Akbar was then at a campaign in Punjab against Sikandar. He was only 14. He had a guardian and mentor, Bairam Beg, who had been in Babur’s service since the age of 16. Bairam and Tardi Beg were the last of Humayun’s companions during his throneless days in the wilderness . They later became Khans. However, the true danger to the Moghuls was in fact a Hindu Chief Minister of Adil Shah. He had captured Delhi with 300 elephants in a surprise tactic that caused panic to Tardi Beg ‘s forces. Then, he decided that he wanted to be king – Raja Hemu Vikramadthtya.

Bairam was appointed regent over the young monach and he continued to expand the Moghul Empire.
The 2nd Battle of Panipat (1556) was perhaps one of the earliest significant battle fought during Akbar’s monarchy. The battle between his forces and Hemu’s. The Moghuls won when Hemu was struck in the eye by a chance arrow. Delhi was again recaptured by the Moghuls and Tardi Beg was executed for cowardice.

Maham Anga, Akbar’s foster mother became shrewd and ambitious for her son, Adham who was fierce and cruel. They became greedy and jealous of Bairam Khan and plotted his dismissal. When Bairam was on his way to the port for a trip to Mecca, he was killed. Adham was later dealt with after a failed assassination attempt . He faced the Moghul retribution - thrown over the parapet twice till he died. Anga died soon after. Babur was then 19 and finally he was “free”.

The book extols Akbar’s policies of religious tolerance and reforms. He banned the suttee and introduced many tax reforms. Akbar, himself married to a Rajput Hindu princess (later became mother of Jahangir), encouraged pluralism. His Hindu wives were allowed to retain their religion and were allowed to practice it within the walls of the royal harem. Rajput was reknown for its warriors for they went into war drugged with opium! For a minority to be ruling the majority of Hindus, Akbar found these decisions pragmatic. However, his religious attitude did not go down well with the conservatives.

Akbar was always troubled in the east (Bihar and Bengal) and in the west (Kabul). While he may be having just one possible pretender to the throne i.e. half brother Hakim, his cousins Suleiman amd Shahrukh were also troubling him. He also tried giving his sons responsibilities at an early age, two of them, Murad and Danyal died of alcohol. His oldest son Salim (Jahangir) was always rebelling. A reconciliation was reached in 1603 and two years later Akbar died of an illness.

The book did well to explain Akbar’s failure with his sons and provide a positive prospect that Jahangir would not end up too badly after all.

3. Aurangzeb (1618 - 1707)

Shah Jahan had mourned for his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal for two years before he became active again in the business of the empire. Meanwhile, the empire had stagnated and sectarian hostilities had been on the rise. Western power viz the Portuguese had begun to trouble. While Shah Jahan had sent his sons to lead many campaigns, Dara, his eldest, had remained beside him. This had caused rivalry between Dara and his three other siblings, Shah Suja, Aurangzeb and Murad.

The book dwells on how better leaders could be honed – they need to be out on the fields. Aurangzeb appeared to be getting better result but Shah Jahan appeared to be giving more favour to Dara. Wars of succession ensued.

Aurangzeb succeeded in keeping Shah Jahan to his quarters in his harem. He also tricked and triumphed over Murad when he was drunk with alcohol and sent him into confinement on an island. That done, Aurangzeb proclaimed himself Emperor (1658) in a brief ceremony. He was soon back on the road in pursuit of Dara and Shah Suja, Dara first as he was the more dangerous of the two. Dara’s flight was reminiscent of Humayun’s. Aurangzeb was master of deceptions and underarm politics. (Fake news/emails of today would seem pale beside them).

History be told that it would take another Akbar to hold the empire but Aurangzeb was no Akbar. His strict religious conviction once again released hostilities between the different sects. Arts and culture were ignored and music was banned. Painting was allowed, strange as it may seem. He had little interest beyond the sacred texts. Nevertheless, many court artists left and sought patronage elsewhwre.

While alliance with the Rajputs have been maintained since the time of Akbar and many Rajputs have entered the services of the Moghul, Aurangzeb chose to pick a quarrel with Rajasthan and invaded it in 1676. This became disastrous to Aurangzeb.

There were problems in the Deccan too. The Maratha chieftain, Shivaji , was able to unite the various clans into a political and military unit. It was able to create perpetual turmoil amongst three powerful neighbours - Bijapur, Golconda and Mogul- through guerilla tactics and shifting alliances.

A state of never ending issues in the empire. I became so tired even reading about them but Aurangzeb soldiered on until he was in his 80s. He went through appalling hardship due to the Deccan landscape. His long absence from Hindustan slackened authority in the north …. So too at the centre of the empire at Agra. Corruption increased, Moghul caravans plundered and even Akbar’s tomb was ransacked off it’s gold and silver plates and splendid carpets. By the end of his reign, large portions of the treasures of Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan had been brought south to sink without trace!

Aurangzeb lamented the frailty of human affairs – for the lack of friends and shortage of good officers -. However, his failures were perceived as being his own fault – an obsessive mistrust and refusal to deligate. In comparison, during the times of Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan, even women made their achievements in the history of the empire. Whereas Aurangzeb treated his children like naughty children well into their 50s and 60s. Midway through Aurangzeb’s reign, only he stood out.

Aurangzeb fell ill in 1705. Unlike most fathers who would called their children to their deathbed, Aurangzeb sent his away. All knew there would be chaos after his death. He died on 20 Feb 1707 after Friday prayer as he had hoped for. His grave, a simplest sort … reflective of the legacy he left of his empire.

[Wai Zin · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the book title says, it was a brief history. Just a brief introduction into Indian history.

2.5 stars.

[Simran · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Great Moghuls by Bamber Gascoigne is a nearly complete summary of the Mughal rule in India. Starting from the description of how the Mughals came to India, to the end of their rule and the slow process of their overthrowing by the East India Company. The book is divided into chapters under the name of each of the Great Moghuls. How, why and when each one took over the throne, what were they like, their achievements, their daily routine, the drawbacks of their rule, everything has been precisely mentioned with dates . The book also includes some images of forts, tombs and paintings, which adds to the wonderful spell under which you are while reading the book .
There are quotes directly from reliable sources like the the Biographies of the rulers (sources of which have been given at the end of the book). This adds to the charm of the book and makes it an enjoyable read .
One thing I did not really like about it was the structure of sentences. At most places, the sentences are unusually long and it gets irritating . The content and storyline of the book is commendable though .
Also, I was expecting something on the love life of each of the emperor. Specially Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal . But not much of a description has been given about it. The names of their favourite wives are mentioned for most of them though.

If you are passionate about History and are looking for a perfect summary of the Mughal era, this is the book for you!

[Zafer Bozkaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about Mughals.

[Aruna Arriane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for history lovers!

[Boyke Rahardian · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to forge an empire and keep it intact for at least a century? Ask the Moghuls, they’ve done it. They are warriors for sure, decendent of Timur Lenk. But they are also innovative builders, effective administrators, inspired painters, worldly philosophers and art patrons. This is a story of 6 generations of Moghul emperors who succeeded in uniting India sub continent under one control and at one point made India the wealthiest country in the world.

Babur and Humayun were the empire builders, carved it by slowly conquering the many Indian kingdoms. Akbar and Jahangir cemented the Moghul’s place in history by consolidating the powers and left behind beautiful buildings and paintings. Ironically it was during Shah Jahan’s time the Moghuls started losing its grip in India. He who left us with Taj Mahal, also took the power from his father Jahangir by force and on his way to the top eliminating his siblings, which had never been the case during previous power transitions. His son, Aurangzeb, saw it as a legitimate way to achieve his ambition and follow his father’s recipe to get the throne.

While it’s during Aurangzeb’s rule the Moghul achieved its greatest territorial extend, it was also the time when the empire started to crumble, let a slow 100 years long sigh before reached its end at the hand of another great empire: the British.

Several factors identified as reasons behind the empire’s decline (1) no clear consensus on succession rule, hence turmoil always follow transition of power (2) Aurangzeb in particular was a bigot who showed low tolerance on Hindu’s practices, sowing the seed of religious conflict which perhaps lead to partition of India and Pakistan in modern time (3) classic case of being a very large and diverse empire consolidated by force: stretched administratively and required strong military to keep everyone in line.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book that only manages to be interesting in fits and starts, unfortunately. It lightly covers the lives of six of India's great Moghul emperors (there were at least 14), descended from Timur and Genghis Khan and ruling with varying degrees of ability over the course of two centuries. Some of them raised architecture, literature, and civil tranquility to unimagined heights. Others destroyed the empire through their megalomania, greed, or incompetence and destroyed themselves with addictions. If I've made that sound exciting it's because I've just spoiled all the best parts. Sorry. There are some very nice pictures of beautiful buildings and some mediocre pictures of beautiful buildings. If you're completely obsessed with India you could read this book, although I would assume if you're obsessed you'd know about better ones. If you're just vaguely intrigued by Indian history ask a librarian for recommendations. Life is too short to spend it forcing yourself through dull books.

[Muhammad Zeeshan Adil]

A well written book. Gives a nice little summary of the empire without going through volumes of books. However, the author seems to have a bias towards Islam and Quran. He seems to be slapping statements apparently taken from Quran. This was without giving a proper context of those points from Quran. Most of them were incomplete and lead the reader to assume whether the Quran is full of narrow minded commandments, which of course is not true. Someone who has read Quran would immediately feel this bias. Moreover the author seems to look down upon Aurangzeb, the last of the great Moghals. He is particularly allergic to him being a devout muslim.
Apart from these two observations, the book is well written. It takes you back in time. The descriptive text helps you imagine vivid scenes. He could add a bit more images of some of the things he mentioned, such as gardens in Afghanistan, mosques, temples etc. A good read overall.

[Lirya Rigel · Rating 3 out of 5]

As interesting as a book like this one may be, I wouldn't recommend it to someone who has never approached Indian History. Every chapter feels a bit like a grocery list (he did this and then this and then this and then this), and personally I like history books that try to be a bit more captivating, especially considering how interesting the Moghul Empire was. I cannot really remember who did what, and I feel that to be a shortcoming of the author.

[Deeya Nathani · Rating 1 out of 5]

SUPER BORINGGGG

[lia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light and informative reading of none other than The Great Moghuls from Babur to Aurangzeb.
For a beginner reader, like me, of India's history and Moghuls in particular, this book is really helpful to get a grip on what this dynasty is all about and its legacy to India's history.

It begins with Babur, a Timurid prince that experienced extreme highs and lows in his colorful life. The first Timurid prince who left his mark in India and started a dynasty in his ancestor's name.
The second is his son Humayun whose legacy is only that he managed to sire Akbar.
Akbar, the greatest one, the aesthetic and the promoter of religious tolerance among his people. Continued with Jahangir, who is more or less a good Emperor, and continued Akbar's reign. Shah Jahan who is famous for the Taj Mahal and was able to consolidate Moghuls' area of influence to areas like Deccan.

Lastly, Aurangzeb, the pious, the cunning won the throne from his bother Dara Shukoh. It is said that India's history could go a different path if Dara Shukhoh won instead of Aurangzeb. Perhaps, the tolerance of the Mughals could be extended and even could somehow prevent the massacres of Partition more than 200 years later.

But for better and for worse, Aurangzeb won. And He is in truth, though not in fact, the last of the Great Mughals. The emperors after him were only shadows of the former Mughal emperors until the last of them, Bahadur Shah II, was exiled by the British in 1857 after the Indian Mutiny.

[nismah iqbal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about reading history from an outsider voice. On one hand, i think books like these are less likely to be biased, absent of patriotic sentiment that may dominate works written from an insider. On the other hand, I’m not sure you can fully understand a culture, its complexities and intricacies unless you’re from it. With that being said, at the end of the day, I prefer insider voices a lot more.

This book walks us through the reign of the first six emperors of the Mughal empire. We learn how they differed and the conflict between different families. The book was apolitical, but also very dry. I wasn’t very absorbed by this read, and I was honestly just rolling my eyes reading about a bunch of different men fighting over land. As someone with very little historical knowledge about the Mughal empire, I did learn quite a bit about the different emperors, how they came to power, and how they differed in their politics. This book didn’t really discuss the influence of the Mughal empire as a whole. Rather, it focuses on the different emperors individually.

If you want to learn more about the Mughal empire, I’d honestly opt for another source, because this one is just meh imo.

[A. Sacit · Rating 4 out of 5]

An astonishing story of Turco-Mongols (Moguls), descendants of Timur (1336-1405), who moved south into India in the 16th century from their ancestral homeland to the north in Central Asia, and established an empire in which great architecture, art and literature, and wealth were its hallmarks. The book is about the first six Great Mogul Emperors: Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, and Aurangzeb. The author was overly gracious to Aurangzeb in including him among the Greats, since he was anything but, other than the size of the empire during his reign. Aurangzeb comes through as a bigoted religious fanatic who caused destruction of many Hindu temples. He was deceptive and overly cruel to his family members and opponents, had little appreciation for arts and literature in contrast to his ancestors, was a very poor administrator, and firmly planted the seeds of destruction of the empire in the following centuries. A very enjoyable read overall.

[Hamizah Salleh · Rating 3 out of 5]

My most impressive emperor is Aurangzeb. I used to read about him during childhood as the most righteous and pious leader. Reading this history and legacy very briefly (reminding myself), he was as ruthless and notorious as his predecessors. He might be strived to be religious and follow the Quran and Islamic teaching but he might not survived the power struggle if he decide to practice his devotion outwardly.

Story of power struggle (fuel by love of power or the sense of spreading justice) will almost always has the same ending- failure of their descendants/successors to uphold their forefathers legacy and give up their authority (unknowingly) to other foreign invaders. It is a nature of kingdoms and civilization to decline and vanished to be replaced by others.

What is it takes to remain victorious? Who's going to admit it is theirs?

[Marc Menz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! What a surprisingly fun little history book. The colour, art and vivid detail of this reign was fascinating. The extent of what I knew about The Moghuls was they were barbarians but built the Taj Mahal - however after reading this history, a giant void of knowledge has been cleared up with beautiful detail.

I enjoy reading history, but it's rare to find a book that is so colourful and descriptive yet being under 400 pages. It's just enough to get an understanding of the topic, and probably get you hooked on this period of history. The art, poetry, mysticism and barbarity of The Moghuls is simply fascinating. Would highly recommend.

[Khubaib Huda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I pick this book randomly from a bookstore as it have discount on it. I enjoyed it to the last page. I like how it provide maps, illustrations and an index for each events at the end of the book. Every chapter sufficiently covers theological, economical and military aspect of each rulers throughout their reign. One part that I personally felt lack accurate explanations is the discussion of muta marriage between Sunni and Shia. Overall a great read, the author did not overdramatize or romanticize any part of the events (like some did with Shah Jahan's grief over Mumtaz Mahal). I did not have time to crosscheck the historical accuracy in this book so I will just apply true until proven wrong.

[Hrishikesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A "brief history" this is. This collection of character studies of the first 6 Mughal emperors - who are typically known as the "Great Mughals" - the empire having declined after them - has very short, occasionally insightful, biographical accounts. In some places Gascoigne asserts statements that go against conventionally known facts, and sometimes he backs them with evidence and at other times just opinion.

Abraham Eraly's works are a better source if you want to go deeper into this subject as a whole.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certainly a solid potted history of the Great Moghuls. I found it a bit dry in places though and lacking in maps to help with context. The one map at the front was missing some referenced place-names and left me unsure of whether these were brief or major journeys being described.
I did appreciate the occasional tangential reference which meant he assumed a certain basic knowledge from the reader though. My very own “starter for 10”...

[Mushfique Mallick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty decent summary of the first six emperors. I would have preferred more focus on the military aspects; there were many pages dedicated to art, architecture, and the harem but at the end of the day the Mughals were the largest empire in India's history and conquest played a big role in that. Aurangzeb and Babur aside, this aspect was largely ignored. But if you want a summary of the Mughals at their peak, this book is a good starting point

[Sarthak Ahuja · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read. Got heavy sometimes, though largely like a factual account of lives of six Mughals. Nothing more, nothing less. Deals in political, socio-cultural aspects of Mughals and their immediate family, few easter egg gossips of sexual lives here and there. A very factual and balanced account with no odor of any attempt to set a narrative, descriptive rather argumentative in nature.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and beautifully illustrated summary of the Persian Muslim dynasty which ruled much of India for several centuries until finally supplanted by the East India Company. The dynasty was fabulously wealthy but as well known for bloody battles over succession. It was also known for artistic excellence and, at least for some of the time, religious tolerance.
The book is well written and scholarly and although now more than half a century old has stood the test of time.

[Amit Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my opinion it is the best book written on mughals, brief and crisp, still more vivid and detailed than many other books I have read. Author somehow perfectly knows which parts to avoid, and which parts should be more focused upon. He tells in details about various wars and strategies, and even artworks, in very beautiful and easily understandable language. Trust me on this, if You want to read only one book about mughals then this is the one.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It verges on too-much-information (positively overwhelming), and in spite of a valiant effort at an introduction, a passing familiarity with the region and the time period does help in the reading of this book. That said, there is no denying that it is a useful & informative volume, and the author does his best to maintain a light, breezy writing style.

[Khalid · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book in Leiden two days ago, and the cover page artwork of Jahangir enthroned - preferring the company of a mullah to that of the Sultan of Turkey or James I of England, to be most interesting. It is after all only a brief history, and I for one would recommend reading the autobiographies written by Babur and Jahangir instead.

[Priyam Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tbh this was a pretty good read. I was skeptical at first given that the author is a white man writing about a culture he cannot fully resonate with - but I was pleasantly surprised that the book didn't have any of the normal tropes associated with that: eurocentrism, misguided opinions etc. Overall, a fun and engaging read about the Mughal empire.

[Zahra Rose Duxbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

And a greater mogul even then the Timurids…added to her list of imperial dignities the title Indiae Imperatix. Like each of her predecessors she struck coins in her new name, but she refrained from reading the khutba.

A perfect book for what it is. Only lacking in five star detail. Wow!!

[Faisal Bukhari · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good short history of Moghul rule.
Writing style is not very good, as is typical with history books.
It is a good book to start reading about Indo-Pak history.
Again recommended for those who are interested in history,especially Indo-Pak history.