The Moghul

by Thomas Hoover

Reviewers called it the best novel on India since Kipling. An immediate European bestseller, optioned by Indian/German producers who commissioned a six-hour mini-series, then Canadian producers with BBC.

Based on real people (ca. 1620), THE MOGHUL begins in a rip-roaring sea battle north of Bombay in which the vastly out-gunned adventurer, Brian Hawksworth, ship's captain and emissary of King James, blows away a flotilla of Portuguese galleons to gain access to an Indian port. He's come to open trade for “barbaric” England and squeeze out the Portuguese, who try to kill him at every turn. But once on land, he’s captive: the beauty and romance of the exquisite Moghul Empire seduce him from his material goals to a new quest – of supreme sensuality in music, visions, and sacred lovemaking.

India, ruled by the son of great Akbar, is about to pass to one of his sons. Hawksworth must choose sides, but will he choose right? The future of England, and of India, depend on it. Assailed by intrigue and assassination, tormented by a forbidden love, enthralled by a mystic poet, Hawksworth engages war elephants, tiger hunts, the harem of the Red Fort of Agra, the Rajput warriors at Udaipur, becomes intimate champion to Shah Jahan, (builder of the Taj Mahal), and, in his supreme test, plays the sitar with a touch that elicits from the great Shah – “Finally, my English friend – you understand.”

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, India, Historical, Thriller, Adventure, Ebooks

473 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1983

About the author

Thomas Hoover has a doctorate in oceanography and served as senior vice president of an architect-engineering firm in New York, where he has lived for several decades. His vices include being an avid sailor and a recognized collector of the classical music of India. He began his writing career with two classic non-fiction books on Far Eastern art and religion and then moved into fiction writing with two critically acclaimed novels about English sailors in the early Seventeenth century.

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read. To the person at Goodreads who just called me "silly", you need another job Your comment took away the pleasure I generally feel when writing a review of a book that I really enjoyed reading. Mr. Hoover deserves praise for a job well done. Before you write a disturbing message to a reader, you need to think about the author too.

[Tariq Mahmood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tonight we are many, but in battle the many are nothing. In battle there is only the one. Each of you is that one.' Shah Jehan. Thomas has done a masterly job of bringing alive a lost era of splendour and glory of the Muslim power in 16th century India. A time of absolute Moghul power which both the Portuguese and the English fighting sought after. They never dreamed of taking over India. All they were after was trading rights. Thomas has demonstrated great cultural insight of the time. Read and enjoy the game of chauker, savour the treat Moghul cuisine, lust at Indian love making, and engross yourself with palace intrigues. I found it impossible to disengage from this page turner.
One strand of the story has the protagonist desperately seeking some miraculous piece of knowledge which could make it easier on the Europeans come to parity with the Muslim world. Reminds me of myself now trying to do the same in the Europe, deep down there is a desire for making a signs any discovery to get the underdeveloped Muslims upto par with the mighty West. What a contrast of fortunes.

The book does a great job of presenting India as an independent and resplendent culture with able leaders. I particularly liked the very confident and astute Moghul leadership was portrayed in the book, as well as equally able Rajputs and Persians as powerful power brokers of the era.

A most wonderful tale indeed.

I emailed the author to ask him why he choose to re-name the great Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jehan in this tale, to which the answer was:

'I renamed them because I made up stuff enough that it was not a true biography. I didn't want to publish things I made up as though it were the true. In historical novels things just have to come out the way they did. You can be creative about how they got there. I know Shah Jahan got the idea for the Taj from the Udaipur lake palace but I made up how or why he did it. I don't think anybody alive now knows. I stole the concept from Shogun. Not many readers are like you and know or care. I'm pretty sure there wasn't an Englishman there playing the sitar. (Which I have played myself.)' Thomas Hoover (9-9-13).

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contrary to a lot of other readers, I loved this book. I've loved reading about India every since I read The Far Pavilions decades ago. I can see how some may not like it. Brian Hawksworth is sent by the East India Company to go through Portuguese controlled waters and ports of India, to locate the Indian Moghul and establish trade. What the Company doesn't know is that Hawksworth also carries a letter from King James to the Moghul. Luck or karma was with Hawksworth as he was able to land in India after much difficulty. He found the land and people intriguing and beautiful. As he shuffled from dignitary to dignitary, he learned about the history of India with the Persians and Portuguese. He also learned of the Hindu, Moslem, and Christians religions. All were pulling for power within India. He learns of the harems and concubines. He learns to play a sitar and yet share his own Engish music with those he meets. Everyone seems to like him, but are they just using him? Does he get the trade agreement or is he sent back to England empty handed? Many twists and turns as only the people of the eastern nationalities can make. A beautifully detailed novel on India based on some historical events but with fictional characters. Definitely rated R for sexual content, so not for my students but for adults who love the subect.

[Ken Consaul · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give another half star if I could. Liked it but had some issues
Like many reviewers, I started reading The Moghul and thought, Shogun. Unwelcome foreigner embraces a foreign culture and becomes involved in the polticial intrigue of the country. Good storyline but the author, at least in my view, wandered away too often and too long in exploring the culture and Hindu and Islamic theology. It seemed like page after page went on about ragas and sitars and conversations comparing the merits of English v Indian music. I don't mind learning a little bit but I found myself skipping ahead to get back to the story.

Chapter 18, for my money, could have been left on the editor's desk. OK, I guess I'm being a little harsh and perhaps needlessly, as the areas I have criticized are simply areas I have little interest in. All in all it was a decent story and well researched and I learned something about a time and place I had little acquaintance with. Hoover has some talents and I hope he can find an editor that will keep his work on the straight and narrow.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in India, this book follows the appearance of the first English trader to establish a foothold there.
Based to a degree on historical personages that become quite real and entertaining. It is the historical setting; politically, culturally, and the like, that carry the book.
The detail is magical when seen as deftly placed portions of the authors larger, multi-facited canvas.
My attention was rapt, with minor exceptions where we kind of wandered the countryside (not too bad, that, by itself), but it is a very long presentation, well over 650 odd pages, and riding the 4th class train crowded with its multitude of characters has its drawbacks.
Great effort, still, by any measure, and certainly a great peek at period Indian life as well as budding English colonialism in the making.
Read it and enjoy.
(By the way, free on Kindle)

[Karunakaran N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Moghul by Thomas Hoover.... Fiction in reality... The author has created fictitious characters like Akman, Arangbar, Nadir Sharif, Shirin, Queen Janahara and Prince Jadar having semblance to the real characters of Akbar, Jahangir, Nur Jahan and Shah Jehan. The English Brian Hawksworth in reality is Willam Hawkins. Though some would not relish the book but the authors effort to define the richness and prosperity of India is at its best. For some one who had been on the trail of the historic places mentioned in the book, it effuses enthusiasm & belligerence. The author has gone into the very minute details of defining the cultural symbolism that defines India as an enchanting mysterious land. The style of living by the Rajputs and the Moguls when at peace and war is brought alive by the words in the book. A great read for the Year....

[Cathy]

I'm at the very outset -- so far this is reading like a Shogun carbon-copy, but in 1600's India instead of Japan. Once again, those wily Portuguese got there first!

Finished -- yep, it's Shogun, but with a less-interesting protagonist, weaker characters, and lots of didactic dialogue. Also tantric sex, black plague, and people being executed by elephant. It was still fun to read, but a bit on the trashy side.

[Catherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stopped reading with about 70% completed when I realized I was just skimming page after page. I thought this would be like Shogun in India, but the story never drew me in, the characters never came alive, and I saw next to nothing of India itself beyond the political maneuvering of the Moghul's court. I was sadly disappointed by this one.

[Frank Shedd · Rating 5 out of 5]

reminded me of Shogun
thats good
but different as India is different from Japan

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remarkably evocative ... I actually felt I was in 17th century India.

[DOUGLAS J BERRY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great historical accuracy.

Refer to the glossary often. Was made into a documentary? A complex story that must be read carefully. We forget now how advanced india was when the European s first arrived.

[Jim Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read.

One of the best books I've read in recent years. I was captivated by the storyline and the characters. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in historical fiction.

[Vojzola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction to the first traders of the East India Company.

An interesting introduction to the people and customs of India at the time of England’s trade expansion to the Indies and the clash with the Portuguese empire.

[Jefrois · Rating 1 out of 5]

.
This got into “sex,” which was really stoopid, and unnecessary, and I skipped entire pages and pages and pages but it just went on and on and on and on and on, so I quit reading and gave the book back.

I thought his book was boring and silly anyway.
.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read 38% of the book, but it was unable to hold my interest. It moved much too slowly for me. I really wanted to like it. I have too many other books to read and have wasted too much time on it. It was OK, but not the adventure story I had anticipated.

[Lyle Garford · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to get interested in this book, which is usually never a good sign. However, in the end I did enjoy this. His novel Caribbee is a superior effort than this.

[Mr Roy Davidson · Rating 1 out of 5]

568 pages

[Donald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read about a little known era. Well researched & enough action to be interesting. Well developed characters as well as the plot.

[MIiftheqhar · Rating 5 out of 5]

....

[steve whelan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mogul

Really good book,you know you’re enjoying it when,you don’t want it to end,bit of insight to a culture we don’t know much about,recommend it.

[Dharmachari Amalavajra · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an Indiaphile, I loved this well-researched novel about a Jacobean adventurer falling in love with the cultural and sensory sophistication of Mogul life.

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe because it's been a while since I started it, but it took far too long to figure out when this was set. I did enjoy the portrayal of the Moghul and royal life at that time though. Knowing that Shah Jahan (historical counterpart to Jadar) built the Taj Mahal and opened India to English trade made reading it that much deeper for me. I could see the influences in later histories that I've read, even though the characters weren't strictly real. Sometimes there was a bit much description, but I can understand it all the same. India, or so I hear, is a rich land filled with beauty, so the author did a good job filling my imagination with enough detail to be accurate, though I've never been to India.

[Joel Borden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read. Well developed characters and a plausible story. The opening battle is well done and hooked me.

I am currently reading Shogun by Clavell. Several people who reviewed this book suggested that Moghul was simply a redux of Shogun. At this point I have to say that I seriously doubt those who said that have actually read either book. Besides being enjoyable, well conceived works, they are nothing alike.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

c1983: FWFTB: India, 1620, India, Portuguese, sea battles. In truth, this was a re-read and it was just as enjoyable as I remember it. I went through a phase of hefty historical books (actually, I am probably still in it) and Hoover wrote of distant land and the history of the place that I was not terribly aware of. There is a lot of descriptive writing - nicely done - but does slow the pacing down a bit. Recommended to the normal crew. " His entire body would perceptibly tense as the drummer began a cycle, then it would pulse and relax the instant the cycle thudded to a resolution. Hawksworth was struck by the sensuality inherent in the music, the almost sexual sense of tension and release."

[Cindy Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

I took my time reading this fact filled book. It is so interesting I found it hard to put down over the last few days until I finished. I've never read a historical novel set entirely in India prior to this, and now my interest is genuinely peaked.
There were times I found it a bit hard to follow the author's writing and had to reread various passages, but overall it has well described characters based on real people at the time and some actual events.
I would recommend this book, not so much as a romance novel but more for the historical aspect. I found the romance was more about the land, cultures and its people than a man and a woman's relationship.

[Teejaybee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book although it was a long read and I don't have as much time as I'd like to sit down and read for long periods, so it took me a while to get through it. When I read a historical novel like this, I always wonder how close to fact the details are. I liked the explanation at the end of the story describing where certain characters and events were sourced from. All in all a good read despite the usual "lone hero comes good despite all the odds " predictibility. Historical narrative and detail were really interesting.

[Val Wilkerson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time with the names in this book, keeping track of who was
what. Otherwise its a tale of when England went to India to trade with them
in the 1600's, they had to fight the Portugese to get into India. Then Hawksworth,
the main character ended up staying in India when his ships returned to England.
I loved the part of the story describing those days in India, when wars were fought
on elephants, the leaders had up to 100 wives, the dress, the jewels, the smells,
the architecture, all very interesting.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book except the lack of organization where the story was concerned. That vagueness extended even to the relationships between the hero and the people around him as well as the timeline the hero was in Mogul India. Good story, though; a better writer could whip the fuzziness out of it. I had questions over the course of the book as to why some characters were involved in the story as they served no useful purpose. Ah, well-it is a part of the world that still intrigues me!.

[Divyaroop Bhatnagar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hoover tries to capture the grand scale of Moghul India and almost pulls it off. Brian Hawksworth is an unlikely hero but I guess it's more about the smart English pulling the wool over the wily Portuguese. It could have been an early Henty novel from that point of view. The descriptions tend to be be over detailed but in a sense they add to the richness of the setting. The sensuality can be a bit embarrassing. Maybe Hoover got caught up in the whole oriental seduction stuff. He does sound a bit starry eyed himself! Overall though a good rollicking read.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is like James Clavell's Shogun only in India. Hoover paints a picture with words, describing scenery and lavish palaces of the aristocracy. The story is based on actual historical events like Far Pavilions, with name-changes to maintain fiction status. My only concern were the spelling and grammatical errors that were not caught by Spellcheck. One example is "cap" where it should have read "cup" or periods where there should have been a comma. Other than that, I enjoyed the trip back in time to India before English Occupation.