By Alex Rutherford
So far, I've managed to find only one bookshop with a decent collection of English books (esp. Fiction) in Copenhagen. Surprisingly, I found quite a handful of books written by Indian authors. I was looking for a historical fiction this time. When I saw the word 'Moghul', I decided that was the book for me. The catchphrase India 1556, keep your enemies close and your sons closer was too good to ignore.
This is the third book of the Empire of the Moghul series—the other two being, Raiders from the North and Brothers at War. The books are written by a husband and wife duo under the pen name, Alex Rutherford. The authors were inspired by the beauty of the Taj Mahal to write about the Moghul empire.
The book narrates the lives and times of Akbar the Great. For the most part, the story was in Akbar's perspective and later in Salim's. It starts with the struggles and confusions of Akbar as a young Emperor. The court ways, war times and hunting expeditions are explained in great detail. The defeat of the Hindu King, Hemu, the expulsion of the general Bairam Khan and betrayal of his milk-brother Adham Khan and his milk-mother Maham Anga are the important aspects of Akbar's early life.
Then come the famous concubines and harems of the Moghul time. Akbar's marriage with the Hindu Princess, Hirabai is portrayed as a bumpy one with Hirabai persistently hating the foreign ways of the Moghul traditions. The royal palaces and lush gardens of the Moghul times are vividly expressed throughout the book.
The later part of Akbar's life revolves around his religious epiphany, opinion differences with Salim and Abul Fazl's association. At this point, we follow Salim's narration of how he struggles to gain positive attention from his father. There is no strong reason in the book for Akbar's disappointment with Salim—it can only be attributed to Abul Fazl's influence.
Salim is described as pragmatic—though he struggles with his opium addiction and womanizing notoriety, they are only short lived. His youngest son Khurram is taken by Akbar to be raised in his own palace as Khurram was born on an auspicious day similar to Timur's birthday. Khurram soon becomes his favourite—he openly tells his sons that he prefers his grandson to his three sons. Salim, disappointed with his father, tries to parent his other sons, Khusrau and Parvez differently.
Salim's involvement with Akbar's favorite concubine Anarkali gets him expelled from the court. He lives in Kabul for a while befriending Ghiyas Beg, the treasurer of Kabul. He falls in love with Mehrunissa, Ghiyas Beg's daughter. This further degrades Akbar's opinion on him as Mehrunissa was already engaged to a Bengal General. The rest of the novel tells the family's reconciliation, Khusrau's hopes for the throne and Salim's coronation.
The book had everything that I was looking for in The Third Prince. The simple style and the fast paced plot let me finish the book in a very short time. The book was informative as well as interesting. This book has impressed me and I might buy the two other books of the series as well.
If you like historical fiction, this is a must read.
