An epic battle for the soul of India between Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb In 1658 the magnificent Mughal Empire was on the brink of a precipice. Though it was at the peak of its opulence, the escalating rivalry between Shah Jahan’s eldest son Dara Shikoh and his third son Aurangzeb over the past two decades had split the family. Dara, the pampered prince, was a poet and philosopher who had to turn a soldier to combat his bitter but battle-hardened brother, The conflict between Dara’s love of all religions and Aurangzeb’s narrow Islamic beliefs was to make the battle much more than simply one for the throne. It became a series of battles for the very soul of India. The novel recounted by a eunuch intimate with all the princes, princesses and personages of the court, takes the reader through the magnificent royal palace into the harem, to royal hunts and to the kingdoms of rival and vassal rulers. Mubarak Ali, the narrator, fights in the armies of the rival princes and describes six exciting battles. His adventures take the reader from the limpid lakes of Kashmir to the deserts of Sind and the lush forests of every part of India. He tells a tale of high adventure, reckless courage, ruthless cunning, tender romance, treacherous betrayal and heart- Wrenching tragedy in a world of incredible luxury and decadence in what was once the richest empire of the world.
