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Akbar of Hindustan
AKBAR THE GREAT is a familiar figure to most Indians. Hailed as a brilliant warrior, a great administrator and a visionary ruler whose ideas of pluralism and tolerance sought to unify India with all its diversity of peoples and religions, he is also an increasingly contested figure in the national discourse. And familiar though he might be, Akbar is a mystery too, locked in his own a man to admire but difficult to know.
With revealing insights into Akbar’s complex and magnetic personality, this biography is also the story of how Akbar’s ideas and ideals of kingship evolved through his reign; of how he came to concentrate in himself both political and religious authority; of his instances of megalomania, his doubts and his yearning for justice. Rich in detail, and with a cast of unforgettable characters, it sparkles with humour and drama too, as it vividly evokes the world he lived in.
Deeply researched and beautifully written, Parvati Sharma’s portrait of Akbar the Great brings alive as never before a man imperfect and extraordinary, who ruled for nearly fifty years and has lived in the Indian imagination for close to half a millennium.
With revealing insights into Akbar’s complex and magnetic personality, this biography is also the story of how Akbar’s ideas and ideals of kingship evolved through his reign; of how he came to concentrate in himself both political and religious authority; of his instances of megalomania, his doubts and his yearning for justice. Rich in detail, and with a cast of unforgettable characters, it sparkles with humour and drama too, as it vividly evokes the world he lived in.
Deeply researched and beautifully written, Parvati Sharma’s portrait of Akbar the Great brings alive as never before a man imperfect and extraordinary, who ruled for nearly fifty years and has lived in the Indian imagination for close to half a millennium.
516 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 28, 2022
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July 5, 2022
Why yet another biography of the most pre-eminent and written-about Moghul emperor is a question that would arise in the mind of a prospective reader. So was it in my case too. But once having decided to read it, I found Parvati Sharma's version of Akbar's story absorbing and refreshing.
What remains of all historical characters through the ages is what biographers and historians tell us about them and the manner in which they choose to narrate their stories. More prominent the figure, more is the attention he or she receives, iteratively. Akbar, arguably, ranks along with Buddha, Ashoka, and Gandhi as the foremost amongst all Indians in whom there remains an abiding interest, not only in the minds of academics and scholars but also the ordinary reader.
These are fraught times seeking and indeed achieving a measure of success in re-evaluating India's past. A historian's job is to not just narrate a tale but also choose with care the primary and secondary sources she selects to draw from; and then try and figure out what to tell and what not to. She also has to ensure her narrative is coherent and persuasive, all the more so if the subject is as prolifically written about as indeed is in the case of Akbar. In this Parvati Sharma succeeds admirably. She does not necessarily endorse what Abul Fazal or Badauni have written but draws from divergent sources. These include Akbar's contemporaries like for instance Father Monserrate, the Jesuit visiting his court and other historians, Indians and Europeans alike.
To me the most striking feature in Sharma's narrative is the uncertainty, the "kashmaksh" if you like, that seems to play out time and again in Akbar's persona. This makes him far more human than by the exalted place generally assigned to him in popular imagination. The two most significant areas of his statecraft concerned, firstly, with the manner in which he dealt with the Hindus, who were by far the majority community of his realm, and secondly, in the way he laid the foundation for an administration, which yielded reliable streams of revenue from the provinces directly ruled and those he left for the local rajas-turned-tributaries to govern.
The flip-flops he made in his treatment of the Hindus, including first the withdrawal, then reimposition and finally again doing away with the jazia, and his treatment of the local civilian populations after defeating a regional power go on to show what he like any other ruler in his place would continue to remain - an imperialist, first and foremost. During the first two decades of his reign he even had to frequently quell the resistance coming from the more traditional and begotten elements from amongst the Turkic and Afghan nobility, when he tried to win over and employ the Rajputs in his army and its imperial service. But he had a plan and the ability to implement it in the attainment of his ambitions.
Unfortunately, he and in fact none of his successors seem to have spared a thought to the role science and technology must have played in bringing the Europeans to India's shores. This led to what became a tragedy of monumental proportions, subjugating to their will the entire sub-continent, and ironically also the last of the Moghuls.
What I would have expected, but missed finding, was a more detailed and nuanced interpretation of Akbar's state-craft, which has continued to influence successor regimes, especially the British who fashioned many of their administrative arrangements by following his design.
One doesn't necessarily have to agree with a historian's interpretation of the past. What is important is to be able to appreciate new perspectives to learn, evaluate and be informed by. From this standpoint Akbar of Hindustan is an eminently readable addition to the existing literature on the great Moghul.
What remains of all historical characters through the ages is what biographers and historians tell us about them and the manner in which they choose to narrate their stories. More prominent the figure, more is the attention he or she receives, iteratively. Akbar, arguably, ranks along with Buddha, Ashoka, and Gandhi as the foremost amongst all Indians in whom there remains an abiding interest, not only in the minds of academics and scholars but also the ordinary reader.
These are fraught times seeking and indeed achieving a measure of success in re-evaluating India's past. A historian's job is to not just narrate a tale but also choose with care the primary and secondary sources she selects to draw from; and then try and figure out what to tell and what not to. She also has to ensure her narrative is coherent and persuasive, all the more so if the subject is as prolifically written about as indeed is in the case of Akbar. In this Parvati Sharma succeeds admirably. She does not necessarily endorse what Abul Fazal or Badauni have written but draws from divergent sources. These include Akbar's contemporaries like for instance Father Monserrate, the Jesuit visiting his court and other historians, Indians and Europeans alike.
To me the most striking feature in Sharma's narrative is the uncertainty, the "kashmaksh" if you like, that seems to play out time and again in Akbar's persona. This makes him far more human than by the exalted place generally assigned to him in popular imagination. The two most significant areas of his statecraft concerned, firstly, with the manner in which he dealt with the Hindus, who were by far the majority community of his realm, and secondly, in the way he laid the foundation for an administration, which yielded reliable streams of revenue from the provinces directly ruled and those he left for the local rajas-turned-tributaries to govern.
The flip-flops he made in his treatment of the Hindus, including first the withdrawal, then reimposition and finally again doing away with the jazia, and his treatment of the local civilian populations after defeating a regional power go on to show what he like any other ruler in his place would continue to remain - an imperialist, first and foremost. During the first two decades of his reign he even had to frequently quell the resistance coming from the more traditional and begotten elements from amongst the Turkic and Afghan nobility, when he tried to win over and employ the Rajputs in his army and its imperial service. But he had a plan and the ability to implement it in the attainment of his ambitions.
Unfortunately, he and in fact none of his successors seem to have spared a thought to the role science and technology must have played in bringing the Europeans to India's shores. This led to what became a tragedy of monumental proportions, subjugating to their will the entire sub-continent, and ironically also the last of the Moghuls.
What I would have expected, but missed finding, was a more detailed and nuanced interpretation of Akbar's state-craft, which has continued to influence successor regimes, especially the British who fashioned many of their administrative arrangements by following his design.
One doesn't necessarily have to agree with a historian's interpretation of the past. What is important is to be able to appreciate new perspectives to learn, evaluate and be informed by. From this standpoint Akbar of Hindustan is an eminently readable addition to the existing literature on the great Moghul.
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June 14, 2022Akbar of Hindustan
Author: Parvati Sharma
Published by Juggernaut Books
Genre: Historical Biography
MRP: RS. 799/-
Thank you @juggernaut.in for a media copy.
Akbar was the third mughal emperor. Probably doesn't need an introduction to anyone reading this. We’ve read about him in our school textbooks, watched various versions of him in popular culture, which begs the question, why another biography on Akbar? Arent’t their enough already? This book offers the unique perspective of the author which takes the views of several historians, and writes down what she believes might have actually happened. Abul Fazl, the author of the infamous Akbar Nama (which was the official biography of the emperor which he commissioned himself and can also be considered the primary source material for various books on the emperor) used to write as if the emperor had no flaw , was born of light, and was none other than the reincarnation of Niru’un. One who could do no wrong and was basically a superhero. Badauni on the other hand was one of the harshest critics of the emperor. The author compares the events written by both of these historians (among others like Nizammudin but majorly these two). The book flows in form of a story and it is excellently written. One that you cannot put down.
There’s a big cast of characters at the beginning of the book with all the people who impacted Akbar’s life, good or bad. Trust me you’re gonna need that list for keeping track of people.The book starts YEARS before Akbar was born.In fact the first two chapters are primarily not even about him. Its about the last few years of the life of Humayun, Akbar’s father.Having lost a large chunk of his kingdom to different rulers he goes back to invade Kabul, which was inherited by Kamran, his step-brother. These chapters majorly focus on Humayun and Kamran’s relationships and the events that take place, along with Humayun marring Hamida and the birth of Akbar.Humayun dies after basically slipping and falling of the stairs after hearing the call for the azaan.(Not to sound too much like a conspiracy theorist, but i call bullshit, but thats for another day.).
Akbar was barely a teenager when he became the emperor . Still under the metaphorical “Veil”, it was basically Bairam Khan (Humayun’s and later Akbar’s loyal employee) and then later Maham Anaka who ran the show, until he became capable enough to run (and expand) the empire. Akbar himself wasnt shy about his hunger for territory. “A monarch should be ever intent on conquest, otherwise his neighnours rise in arms against him”, he would say, passing lightly over the fact that the aggressive neighbour was quite often him. The author does point out several of Akbar’s flaws. Like Homophobia, he gave Ali Quli Shaibani,an Uzbek who was a Humayun Loyalist, a very hard time for being in love with a man, when the fact is his own Grandfather, Babur did infact, love a man(also mentioned in the book with proper citations) and other issues at the period of time like the case of Pir Muhammad , who was Bairam Khan right hand man who beheaded Hemu’s (Hemu was one of the rival kings of Akbar at the time) father for refusing to convert to Islam. Then thier was the merciless phase of Akbar, he ordered massacres like the one in Chittorgarh recorded by James Tod, when Akbar issued an aggressive Fathnama , a proclamation of victory, afterwards,’full of intolerant professions and sentiments’,declaring the ‘fall of Chittor…as the victory of Islam over infidels’. Abul Fazl does not breathe a word of this fathinama. Instead he removesthe sting of sectarian slaughter from the tale by turning Chittorgarh’s civilian population into a battle force. From Abul Fazl and Badauni onwards, Akbar's biographers have tended to be of two broad types: those who write with breathless awe, and those who
wite with scorn.
*Abul Fazl finds in Akbar a perfection of human attributes, a colonial
historian called GB. Malleson admires the unifying imperative that guided
Akbar's policies. If Badauni railed against Akbar's religious experiments,
Vincent A. Smith is provoked by his appetite for conquest. *
Badauni’s works were not entirely credible either. He was appointed by Akbar to translate Arabic and Sanskrit works such as Mahabharata into Persian. But he grew to be a hostile critic of Akbar, envious Fazl and dissatisfied with Akbar for his free thinking and eclectic religious views, administrative reforms and for his patronage of non Muslims.Being an orthodox man, Badauni did not endorse many of Akbar’s liberal policies and was severely critical of many of his actions.
The author comments of various other issues at large not just pertaining to Akbar, such as the sort of “casteism” between Timurids and others and Shia’s and sunnis. Its like reading a book on Akbar’s times rather than just being a biography on Akbar. Which in my opinion is not a bad thing.
It is fairly known that Akbar was quite liberal with his religious thoughts when compared to the other Mughal emperors especially Aurangazeb. He had abolished the jizya introduced in the fifteenth century. (It is a more complicated issue, i encourage you do more research on the subject), He encouraged translations of religious works of non-Islamic religions for him and for Muslims to read Appointed Hindus’s at higher positions in his administration. Had strog alliances with the Rajput’s and many other things.
Overall i can confidently say that Parvati Sharma is a MASTER Storyteller and i enjoyed reading the book very much even though i disagree with quite a lot of the things and politics that have been written.
Author: Parvati Sharma
Published by Juggernaut Books
Genre: Historical Biography
MRP: RS. 799/-
Thank you @juggernaut.in for a media copy.
Akbar was the third mughal emperor. Probably doesn't need an introduction to anyone reading this. We’ve read about him in our school textbooks, watched various versions of him in popular culture, which begs the question, why another biography on Akbar? Arent’t their enough already? This book offers the unique perspective of the author which takes the views of several historians, and writes down what she believes might have actually happened. Abul Fazl, the author of the infamous Akbar Nama (which was the official biography of the emperor which he commissioned himself and can also be considered the primary source material for various books on the emperor) used to write as if the emperor had no flaw , was born of light, and was none other than the reincarnation of Niru’un. One who could do no wrong and was basically a superhero. Badauni on the other hand was one of the harshest critics of the emperor. The author compares the events written by both of these historians (among others like Nizammudin but majorly these two). The book flows in form of a story and it is excellently written. One that you cannot put down.
There’s a big cast of characters at the beginning of the book with all the people who impacted Akbar’s life, good or bad. Trust me you’re gonna need that list for keeping track of people.The book starts YEARS before Akbar was born.In fact the first two chapters are primarily not even about him. Its about the last few years of the life of Humayun, Akbar’s father.Having lost a large chunk of his kingdom to different rulers he goes back to invade Kabul, which was inherited by Kamran, his step-brother. These chapters majorly focus on Humayun and Kamran’s relationships and the events that take place, along with Humayun marring Hamida and the birth of Akbar.Humayun dies after basically slipping and falling of the stairs after hearing the call for the azaan.(Not to sound too much like a conspiracy theorist, but i call bullshit, but thats for another day.).
Akbar was barely a teenager when he became the emperor . Still under the metaphorical “Veil”, it was basically Bairam Khan (Humayun’s and later Akbar’s loyal employee) and then later Maham Anaka who ran the show, until he became capable enough to run (and expand) the empire. Akbar himself wasnt shy about his hunger for territory. “A monarch should be ever intent on conquest, otherwise his neighnours rise in arms against him”, he would say, passing lightly over the fact that the aggressive neighbour was quite often him. The author does point out several of Akbar’s flaws. Like Homophobia, he gave Ali Quli Shaibani,an Uzbek who was a Humayun Loyalist, a very hard time for being in love with a man, when the fact is his own Grandfather, Babur did infact, love a man(also mentioned in the book with proper citations) and other issues at the period of time like the case of Pir Muhammad , who was Bairam Khan right hand man who beheaded Hemu’s (Hemu was one of the rival kings of Akbar at the time) father for refusing to convert to Islam. Then thier was the merciless phase of Akbar, he ordered massacres like the one in Chittorgarh recorded by James Tod, when Akbar issued an aggressive Fathnama , a proclamation of victory, afterwards,’full of intolerant professions and sentiments’,declaring the ‘fall of Chittor…as the victory of Islam over infidels’. Abul Fazl does not breathe a word of this fathinama. Instead he removesthe sting of sectarian slaughter from the tale by turning Chittorgarh’s civilian population into a battle force. From Abul Fazl and Badauni onwards, Akbar's biographers have tended to be of two broad types: those who write with breathless awe, and those who
wite with scorn.
*Abul Fazl finds in Akbar a perfection of human attributes, a colonial
historian called GB. Malleson admires the unifying imperative that guided
Akbar's policies. If Badauni railed against Akbar's religious experiments,
Vincent A. Smith is provoked by his appetite for conquest. *
Badauni’s works were not entirely credible either. He was appointed by Akbar to translate Arabic and Sanskrit works such as Mahabharata into Persian. But he grew to be a hostile critic of Akbar, envious Fazl and dissatisfied with Akbar for his free thinking and eclectic religious views, administrative reforms and for his patronage of non Muslims.Being an orthodox man, Badauni did not endorse many of Akbar’s liberal policies and was severely critical of many of his actions.
The author comments of various other issues at large not just pertaining to Akbar, such as the sort of “casteism” between Timurids and others and Shia’s and sunnis. Its like reading a book on Akbar’s times rather than just being a biography on Akbar. Which in my opinion is not a bad thing.
It is fairly known that Akbar was quite liberal with his religious thoughts when compared to the other Mughal emperors especially Aurangazeb. He had abolished the jizya introduced in the fifteenth century. (It is a more complicated issue, i encourage you do more research on the subject), He encouraged translations of religious works of non-Islamic religions for him and for Muslims to read Appointed Hindus’s at higher positions in his administration. Had strog alliances with the Rajput’s and many other things.
Overall i can confidently say that Parvati Sharma is a MASTER Storyteller and i enjoyed reading the book very much even though i disagree with quite a lot of the things and politics that have been written.
December 7, 2025
There are very many number of books on Akbar in vogue. This book is the latest in the series. I slightly wondered what new things this author has in her oeuvre to tell us that we have not heard before and prepared a blank sheet in my mind to note down such things. What came of it I will describe at the end of this review. And I also failed to categorize this work into any literary genre. Obviously the author wanted some parts to shine out as a novel, some parts as story, still others as historical fiction and the whole of it perhaps as history. Unfortunately, it has turned out to be a chimera of fact and fiction. The Mughal period of Indian history is now increasingly subjected to critical review by scholars who want to eliminate the hyperbole, false accounts and misleading analyses put together by Left-Islamist historians earlier. This book is a feeble attempt to drive a wedge in the popular narrative by inventing – or at least unearthing from hitherto unheard of texts – incidents in which historical characters who are popular in today’s India have acted in ways that defy modern morality. Thus we read about Tulsidas regretting that the Shudras imparting knowledge to non-Brahmins and Birbal arranging the demolition of a temple. Akbar’s reign was marked by a pattern of steady, unrelenting expansion of the realm, a clear focus on the generation of wealth and an equally resolute suppression of any opposition to the emperor. This is clearly catalogued in the book. Parvati Sharma lives in New Delhi where she studied English literature and Indian history. She writes novels and children’s books. Her debut work was known for its depictions of love and sexuality in urban India.
The book is not tightly organized around a defining layout and completely lacks a structure. The emperor’s sayings and deeds constitute the bulk of the narrative. While reading through it, one cannot help wonder at the part played by chance in the crucial battle at Panipat (the second). Akbar’s forces met Hemchandra Vikramaditya (Hemu) who was the vizier of Adil Shah Suri, the last of the Suri clan. Hemu did not wear a helmet while riding an elephant in the battle. Suddenly, an arrow pierced his eye, but he bravely pulled the arrow out and with it the eye out of the socket which he wrapped in his handkerchief. But after some time, he slumped unconscious. The elephant was caught and the grievously injured Hemu brought before Akbar who was only fourteen years old. His regent Bairam Khan wanted Akbar to behead him as ‘a blow for empire and Islam’. Akbar meekly obeyed. The Mughals did not leave Hemu’s eighty-year old father also. They captured him and offered him his life in return for converting to Islam. He protested that ‘after eight decades of having worshipped my god according to my religion, why should I change it at this time merely from fear of my life and without understanding it come into your way of worship?’. The fanatical Mughals were not diverted by such theological niceties. The old man was summarily executed like his son. These incidents show how bloodthirsty and devoid of compassion the Mughals acted. But remember, they were the most benevolent under Akbar!
It is true that Akbar’s attitude changed during the latter half of his reign and other religions received some royal patronage but never equal status with Islam. Akbar established the Ibadat Khana as a debating platform for various Muslim sects to argue among themselves. But religion is best believed in its entirety rather than subjecting it to rational arguments by the opponents. Akbar saw through its hollowness and was disillusioned. Then he invited other heterodox sects and even other religions. In the end, he decided to start a cult of his own called din-e-Ilahi. Surprisingly, the author makes very few remarks about the new sect on which historian Abraham Eraly heaps his praise as “for a brief, shining moment, a new and brilliant star blazed over Fatehpur Sikri. Then the moment passed. And the night closed in again”. Sharma consistently tries to gloss over temple destruction and forced conversion which was commonplace. In one instance, she talks about Birbal, Akbar’s Hindu minister, sacking and desecrating a temple in Nagarkot and concludes rhetorically that ‘a Shia commander, running a bloody campaign for a Brahmin courtier by assaulting a shrine is not the usual template of bigotry’ (p.175). It is construed as ‘changing affiliations and antagonisms that propelled Akbar’s world’. This is a typical trait of the Left-Islamist cabal. They would arraign any number of reasons or provocations for an act which they cannot openly support with modern morality, but would never pinpoint religious bigotry of the invaders as the prime cause.
It is really amusing to observe Parvati Sharma bringing up a retrospective justification for ‘love jihad’ which is a serious problem now faced by Indian society with the story of a couple engaging in inter-religious love. In her story, a Sayyid nobleman falls in love with a Hindu married woman in Agra. Musa and Mohini, as they are called, secretly united twice but forcibly separated each time by the woman’s relatives. Musa dies of heartburn at the ‘injustice’ of Hindus not letting a married woman into his harem. At this, Mohini duly converts to Islam and commits suicide. The author then seethes at the fact that the couple would have met the same fate in twenty-first century Agra. She is probably right. Today’s Agra, or Uttar Pradesh or even India for that matter, has not reached the stage already arrived at in Pakistan where Hindu women are simply kidnapped, declared to have embraced Islam and her relatives then lose any legal right to reclaim her. Is this the model she wants to establish in India? Now we go back to Mughal times for a moment to examine love as a noble emotion that transcends religion. If such was the case, then why is it that not a single case is known where a Mughal princess married a Hindu nobleman who were said to be aplenty in the Mughal court? After all, love is blind, but the author is not. And she knows how to sound the right notes to appear secular in today’s India. Akbar commissioned many translation projects of Hindu religious texts in Sanskrit to Persian. But behind his back, the Persian scholars reproached the books proclaiming polytheism. Badauni termed the Mahabharata ‘a collection of puerile absurdities’ (p.196). Further details of the reluctance of Persian scholars literally to touch Indian epics with their hands can be seen in my review of Audrey Truschke’s book, ‘Culture of Encounters – Sanskrit at the Mughal Court’ earlier in this blog.
The book offers nothing new and is just a run-of-the-mill product that satisfies nobody. It starts with an intimidating cast of characters that gives 106 names with their relationship noted in a small paragraph. Needless to say, this is a pure wastage of time as the readers won’t be able to remember even half of them. And some of them are mentioned only once in the main text, so this exercise appears pointless. The requirement of referring to the names after reading the book does not arise either. The author should have provided a caveat informing the readers that they stand to lose nothing if they skipped the section. The book also includes many irrelevant side issues like Akbar’s hatred of homosexuality among his high-ranked officers and the detailed handling of such an affair involving an Uzbek warlord in his service. What is most repugnant about the book is its thinly veiled attempt at cheap political criticism aimed at current nationalist parties. Historians – I am not sure if the author can be called one – should stick to their topics rather than dabble in contemporary political drama and make a mess of what they should have done.
In the beginning, I mentioned about a blank sheet in my mind. At the end of the reading, I had yet to scribble anything there apart from some remarks about the jarring political tone of the book. This book is useless as regards information or entertainment and hence not recommended.
The book is not tightly organized around a defining layout and completely lacks a structure. The emperor’s sayings and deeds constitute the bulk of the narrative. While reading through it, one cannot help wonder at the part played by chance in the crucial battle at Panipat (the second). Akbar’s forces met Hemchandra Vikramaditya (Hemu) who was the vizier of Adil Shah Suri, the last of the Suri clan. Hemu did not wear a helmet while riding an elephant in the battle. Suddenly, an arrow pierced his eye, but he bravely pulled the arrow out and with it the eye out of the socket which he wrapped in his handkerchief. But after some time, he slumped unconscious. The elephant was caught and the grievously injured Hemu brought before Akbar who was only fourteen years old. His regent Bairam Khan wanted Akbar to behead him as ‘a blow for empire and Islam’. Akbar meekly obeyed. The Mughals did not leave Hemu’s eighty-year old father also. They captured him and offered him his life in return for converting to Islam. He protested that ‘after eight decades of having worshipped my god according to my religion, why should I change it at this time merely from fear of my life and without understanding it come into your way of worship?’. The fanatical Mughals were not diverted by such theological niceties. The old man was summarily executed like his son. These incidents show how bloodthirsty and devoid of compassion the Mughals acted. But remember, they were the most benevolent under Akbar!
It is true that Akbar’s attitude changed during the latter half of his reign and other religions received some royal patronage but never equal status with Islam. Akbar established the Ibadat Khana as a debating platform for various Muslim sects to argue among themselves. But religion is best believed in its entirety rather than subjecting it to rational arguments by the opponents. Akbar saw through its hollowness and was disillusioned. Then he invited other heterodox sects and even other religions. In the end, he decided to start a cult of his own called din-e-Ilahi. Surprisingly, the author makes very few remarks about the new sect on which historian Abraham Eraly heaps his praise as “for a brief, shining moment, a new and brilliant star blazed over Fatehpur Sikri. Then the moment passed. And the night closed in again”. Sharma consistently tries to gloss over temple destruction and forced conversion which was commonplace. In one instance, she talks about Birbal, Akbar’s Hindu minister, sacking and desecrating a temple in Nagarkot and concludes rhetorically that ‘a Shia commander, running a bloody campaign for a Brahmin courtier by assaulting a shrine is not the usual template of bigotry’ (p.175). It is construed as ‘changing affiliations and antagonisms that propelled Akbar’s world’. This is a typical trait of the Left-Islamist cabal. They would arraign any number of reasons or provocations for an act which they cannot openly support with modern morality, but would never pinpoint religious bigotry of the invaders as the prime cause.
It is really amusing to observe Parvati Sharma bringing up a retrospective justification for ‘love jihad’ which is a serious problem now faced by Indian society with the story of a couple engaging in inter-religious love. In her story, a Sayyid nobleman falls in love with a Hindu married woman in Agra. Musa and Mohini, as they are called, secretly united twice but forcibly separated each time by the woman’s relatives. Musa dies of heartburn at the ‘injustice’ of Hindus not letting a married woman into his harem. At this, Mohini duly converts to Islam and commits suicide. The author then seethes at the fact that the couple would have met the same fate in twenty-first century Agra. She is probably right. Today’s Agra, or Uttar Pradesh or even India for that matter, has not reached the stage already arrived at in Pakistan where Hindu women are simply kidnapped, declared to have embraced Islam and her relatives then lose any legal right to reclaim her. Is this the model she wants to establish in India? Now we go back to Mughal times for a moment to examine love as a noble emotion that transcends religion. If such was the case, then why is it that not a single case is known where a Mughal princess married a Hindu nobleman who were said to be aplenty in the Mughal court? After all, love is blind, but the author is not. And she knows how to sound the right notes to appear secular in today’s India. Akbar commissioned many translation projects of Hindu religious texts in Sanskrit to Persian. But behind his back, the Persian scholars reproached the books proclaiming polytheism. Badauni termed the Mahabharata ‘a collection of puerile absurdities’ (p.196). Further details of the reluctance of Persian scholars literally to touch Indian epics with their hands can be seen in my review of Audrey Truschke’s book, ‘Culture of Encounters – Sanskrit at the Mughal Court’ earlier in this blog.
The book offers nothing new and is just a run-of-the-mill product that satisfies nobody. It starts with an intimidating cast of characters that gives 106 names with their relationship noted in a small paragraph. Needless to say, this is a pure wastage of time as the readers won’t be able to remember even half of them. And some of them are mentioned only once in the main text, so this exercise appears pointless. The requirement of referring to the names after reading the book does not arise either. The author should have provided a caveat informing the readers that they stand to lose nothing if they skipped the section. The book also includes many irrelevant side issues like Akbar’s hatred of homosexuality among his high-ranked officers and the detailed handling of such an affair involving an Uzbek warlord in his service. What is most repugnant about the book is its thinly veiled attempt at cheap political criticism aimed at current nationalist parties. Historians – I am not sure if the author can be called one – should stick to their topics rather than dabble in contemporary political drama and make a mess of what they should have done.
In the beginning, I mentioned about a blank sheet in my mind. At the end of the reading, I had yet to scribble anything there apart from some remarks about the jarring political tone of the book. This book is useless as regards information or entertainment and hence not recommended.
June 28, 2022
‘The vulgar believe in miracles, but the wise man accepts nothing without adequate proof.’ – Akbar, Happy Sayings, Ain-i-Akbari
This book, by Parvati Sharma narrates the accounts of Akbars life so beautifully that one cannot help but draw parallels to the modern world. It is Akbar who was the king of many firsts, a ruler who ruled with great apt for knowledge and learning and also wanting a literate empire he admired people and intellectuals.
His spiritual beliefs are so deep and ever changing that it is unfair not to credit him the courage he had to explore the cultures and religions of the whole subcontinent, despite many of his own clergymen strictly against this.
In a time when history and its reality is questioned again and again, this book offers a no leaf unturned explanation of some of the life events of this great Mughal.
It is he, who really conceptualised the idea of “UNITY IN DIVERSITY” that still binds our beautiful nation today.
This book, by Parvati Sharma narrates the accounts of Akbars life so beautifully that one cannot help but draw parallels to the modern world. It is Akbar who was the king of many firsts, a ruler who ruled with great apt for knowledge and learning and also wanting a literate empire he admired people and intellectuals.
His spiritual beliefs are so deep and ever changing that it is unfair not to credit him the courage he had to explore the cultures and religions of the whole subcontinent, despite many of his own clergymen strictly against this.
In a time when history and its reality is questioned again and again, this book offers a no leaf unturned explanation of some of the life events of this great Mughal.
It is he, who really conceptualised the idea of “UNITY IN DIVERSITY” that still binds our beautiful nation today.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2022
Following up from her excellent book on Jahangir, Sharma delivers yet another well researched and fluently written biography of a titanic and immensely complex figure of Indian history. The diversity in the writings of the "official" biographers contrasted with other commentators are well analysed, and add depth in interpretation.
July 17, 2025
A very enjoyable read!
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