The Mughal World

THE MUGHAL WORLD: The Mughal emperors were larger-than-life figures, men written on a supra-human scale who exercised absolute power. The three centuries of their rule mark one of the most crucial and fascinating periods of Indian history. This study looks beyond the story of the empire's rise and fall—an exotic growth that was transplanted to India from Islamic Persia—to bring the world of the Mughal ruler and Hindu subject vividly into focus. Blending contemporary sources and detailed description, an India full of strangeness and contrast is introduced: sacred harems and suttee rites, brutal war and cultural and artistic refinement, staggering opulence, deviant indulgences, and abject poverty. The bizarre religious cults, the Mughal fondness for formal gardening, the murderous female bandits, the sex lives of the nobles, and beyond—almost every aspect of life is examined, making this a comprehensive and absorbing introduction to India's Last Golden Age platform. ABOUT AUTHOR: Author Abraham Eraly has taught Indian history in Madras and the United States. His previous books include Gem in the Lotus and The Mughal Throne. He was born in Kerala and educated there and in Chennai, Early has taught Indian history in college in India and the United States and was the editor of current affairs magazines for some years. He now lives in Chennai and is working on a study of classical Indian civilization. Mughal Library