An outstanding account of the Great Mughals, from Babur down to the end of Aurangzeb. Of course this is a tale that has been told often, and is based on the chronicles and writings of the age and some time thereafter. Most of these accounts themselves are now available to all readers through the translations of British scholars, and conveniently placed on the worldwide web. The professional historian can go further by accessing the actual letters and notings of the people concerned, in various archives; it is not clear whether the author has gone so far. Perhaps the most interesting, and enlightening, portion of the book is in the last few pages, where he sums up the futility of the last Great Mughal's life, and suggests that the only thing that saved India for the future was the taking over by the British of the decrepit local power. ( )

This is a marvellous book. I like the way in which he has written the book, as he brings the old, dead Emperors back to life. This was truly the last, in a sense, golden age of India.

What he does, is to present the emperors as people. People who lived, grew and developed in India. He does present a more nuanced few of Aurangzeb than is presented in school text books, and also analyses the demise of the Mughal Empire extremely well.

It is indeed a saga, where nothing could be taken for granted, and where accession to the throne was fraught with danger. Yet, despite Hindu fundamentalists, they left something lasting for India. This is their gift, and this is what he talks about. ( )

This book tells the stories of the emperors, their friends and their foes. It is vividly descriptive, and a thoroughly good read. This is not a book to go to for a historical understanding of the period - that is not its main purpose, and in any case the author's position is firmly pre-postcolonial and therefore very restricted.