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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
### 4.5 Stars ###
"In reclaiming the past, and the lives of these Mughal women so scalded by beauty, we enrich our present with knowledge and grace so that we may temper our tomorrow"
This line from the book summarizes all you need to know about it.
Definitely worth a read if you like history and want to know more about a part of the Mughal Empire that isn't normally found in widely available accounts - about the watchful but voiceless guardians of an empire that defines recent Indian history.
Very well researched book that has been painstakingly put together.
"In reclaiming the past, and the lives of these Mughal women so scalded by beauty, we enrich our present with knowledge and grace so that we may temper our tomorrow"
This line from the book summarizes all you need to know about it.
Definitely worth a read if you like history and want to know more about a part of the Mughal Empire that isn't normally found in widely available accounts - about the watchful but voiceless guardians of an empire that defines recent Indian history.
Very well researched book that has been painstakingly put together.
Mukhoty attempts to chronicle, as she admits, the lives of some exemplary Mughal women who built the empire. She particularly insists upon showing the readers the truth of Mughal zenana, contradicting the portrayals of a dull captive and lifeless zenana by travellers and chroniclers of that time. She holds to us, so expressive her words are, a spirited and flourishing Mughal household. The women are ambitious and confident; they are least dependant. Their education began from childhood and they are likely the most educated amongst their sisters from other muslim empires of the time.
The women, continuously chained by customs in a patriarchal society, hold immense independence in their own right. They trade in foreign markets, build cities, take charge of their finance, command cavalries or issue farmans; all from within the zenana. These women manage the immensely huge imperial household; arrange weddings, bring up children (biological and adoptive), stop wars between brothers with their remarkable diplomatic skills or raise their righteous voices in the court from behind jaalis.
Mukhoty writes how these women build and shape the empire. They introduce new cuisines and clothes, build gardens mosques and mausoleums, bring with them their religion and culture from their homeland; these influences our lives of today as well. With time, the zenana transforms from Turkic to Hindustani to Persian influences. The Mughals move constantly from time to time and as Mukhoty writes, the women are the Timurid homeland.
The sun has sets in the Mughal Empire, but these daughters shall be remembered for their contributions.
If you don't have prior knowledge of Mughal history, this might be a tricky read but we have Google to help, don't we?
The women, continuously chained by customs in a patriarchal society, hold immense independence in their own right. They trade in foreign markets, build cities, take charge of their finance, command cavalries or issue farmans; all from within the zenana. These women manage the immensely huge imperial household; arrange weddings, bring up children (biological and adoptive), stop wars between brothers with their remarkable diplomatic skills or raise their righteous voices in the court from behind jaalis.
Mukhoty writes how these women build and shape the empire. They introduce new cuisines and clothes, build gardens mosques and mausoleums, bring with them their religion and culture from their homeland; these influences our lives of today as well. With time, the zenana transforms from Turkic to Hindustani to Persian influences. The Mughals move constantly from time to time and as Mukhoty writes, the women are the Timurid homeland.
The sun has sets in the Mughal Empire, but these daughters shall be remembered for their contributions.
If you don't have prior knowledge of Mughal history, this might be a tricky read but we have Google to help, don't we?
informative
inspiring
reflective
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Liked the various Mughal women who held power in wealth and influence. Specially liked Jahanara's story during Shah Jahan's reign.
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Learning about Indian history is very interesting to me. And the beginning of the book was what I expected and wanted. The last half of the book, to me, strayed from the path set and increasingly focused on the sultans rather than the begums.
This is a beautiful book. That's the only word, coming to me at this moment.
It reads like a novel. And might be one of the most accessible History books I have read in a year. The book however is no way a pure academic work, and can rather be brandished in the 'Popular History' genre.
But what a startling job it does retelling history in a touching manner. No way exhaustive in its approach, Ira Mukhoty writes a very leisurely paced book chronicling the Mughal Empire through its glorious women. Sure it takes a dip in the second half, failing to portray the more in-depth personalised accounts like that of the earlier Timurid women. But that is more on the lack of first person accounts, rather than being the author's shortcoming.
I usually don't cap these off saying 'Highly Recommended'. But I'll be breaking the chain this time around. For the lay readers who claim History's inability to be anything but a dry concrete pool, as well as, for the ones who are passionate about this quaint yet beautiful subject - Highly Recommended. :)
It reads like a novel. And might be one of the most accessible History books I have read in a year. The book however is no way a pure academic work, and can rather be brandished in the 'Popular History' genre.
But what a startling job it does retelling history in a touching manner. No way exhaustive in its approach, Ira Mukhoty writes a very leisurely paced book chronicling the Mughal Empire through its glorious women. Sure it takes a dip in the second half, failing to portray the more in-depth personalised accounts like that of the earlier Timurid women. But that is more on the lack of first person accounts, rather than being the author's shortcoming.
I usually don't cap these off saying 'Highly Recommended'. But I'll be breaking the chain this time around. For the lay readers who claim History's inability to be anything but a dry concrete pool, as well as, for the ones who are passionate about this quaint yet beautiful subject - Highly Recommended. :)
### 4.5 Stars ###
"In reclaiming the past, and the lives of these Mughal women so scalded by beauty, we enrich our present with knowledge and grace so that we may temper our tomorrow"
This line from the book summarizes all you need to know about it.
Definitely worth a read if you like history and want to know more about a part of the Mughal Empire that isn't normally found in widely available accounts - about the watchful but voiceless guardians of an empire that defines recent Indian history.
Very well researched book that has been painstakingly put together.
"In reclaiming the past, and the lives of these Mughal women so scalded by beauty, we enrich our present with knowledge and grace so that we may temper our tomorrow"
This line from the book summarizes all you need to know about it.
Definitely worth a read if you like history and want to know more about a part of the Mughal Empire that isn't normally found in widely available accounts - about the watchful but voiceless guardians of an empire that defines recent Indian history.
Very well researched book that has been painstakingly put together.
I cannot believe I went through my life not knowing any of this. The women of the Mughal dynasty were not only patrons of incredible art, but also carried out most of Indian trade, built gardens, mosques and markets and had a big role in the king’s decision making.
We see our history through the eyes of the British who burned libraries and manuscripts, destroyed buildings built by these women and tried to annihilate anything left of the Mughal legacy to retain control over our country and its people. It is crucial to reclaim our history, to look into older records to find out what India truly was before colonialism changed the way we saw ourselves forever.
I have so much respect for these women, and for Ira Mukhoty, who discovered these stories and shared it with the world.
We see our history through the eyes of the British who burned libraries and manuscripts, destroyed buildings built by these women and tried to annihilate anything left of the Mughal legacy to retain control over our country and its people. It is crucial to reclaim our history, to look into older records to find out what India truly was before colonialism changed the way we saw ourselves forever.
I have so much respect for these women, and for Ira Mukhoty, who discovered these stories and shared it with the world.
informative
medium-paced