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Empire of the Moghul #1
Raiders from the North
This is the story of the charismatic Babur, warrior and ruler of Ferghana, a kingdom north of Afghanistan. Determined to emulate his warrior ancestors, Babur's hunger for an empire leads him to attempt to re-establish Timur's legacy around the fabled city of Samarkand, accompanied by his loyal army of followers.
434 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
493 people are currently reading
5971 people want to read
About the author
Alex Rutherford
20 books315 followersAlex Rutherford is the pen name of Diana Preston and her husband Michael. Both studied at Oxford University reading History and English respectively. They are keen travellers and have now clocked up visits to over 140 of the world's countries.
Says Diana 'our greatest love is India where we've spent at least a year of our lives. Our research into the building of the Taj Mahal for our non-fiction book 'A Teardrop on the Cheek of Time', led us to explore the early history of the dynasty which built the Taj – the Moghuls. To help us get inside the heads of the founders of the Moghul dynasty for our fiction quintet 'Empire of the Moghul', we've read all the chronicles of the time. Over the years we've also retraced the steps of the Moghuls from the Ferghana Valley in Kyrgyzstan – home to the first Moghul emperor, the boy-king Babur – to Iran and to the blue domes and minarets of Samarkand in Uzbekistan, across the red deserts to the Oxus River, over the Hindu Kush to Kabul and Afghanistan and down through the Khyber Pass to the plains of northern India.
'In fact, apart from on one occasion when we were stranded on a remote island off the coast of Borneo and forced to hide from pirates, some of our hairiest moments when travelling have been when researching our non-fiction books. While working on our book about Captain Scott and the race for the South Pole, 'A First Rate Tragedy', the Russian research vessel on which we were sailing into Antarctica's Ross Sea was nearly lost in one of the worst storms in Antarctic history with 140 knot winds (over 240 kilometres per hour) and 20 metre high waves. The life rafts washed overboard and the superstructure iced up like the inside of an old fridge, putting us in danger of capsizing. On another occasion while researching our book on one of our favourite characters the buccaneer-naturalist William Dampier, 'A Pirate of Exquisite Mind', we set out in his footsteps to cross the Darien Isthmus in Panama with local Indian guides. We had to dodge FARC guerrillas, Colombian paramilitaries and the deadly fer de lance snake, in the latter case wading waist high in rivers – our guide claimed snakes can't bite and swim at the same time!'
Says Diana 'our greatest love is India where we've spent at least a year of our lives. Our research into the building of the Taj Mahal for our non-fiction book 'A Teardrop on the Cheek of Time', led us to explore the early history of the dynasty which built the Taj – the Moghuls. To help us get inside the heads of the founders of the Moghul dynasty for our fiction quintet 'Empire of the Moghul', we've read all the chronicles of the time. Over the years we've also retraced the steps of the Moghuls from the Ferghana Valley in Kyrgyzstan – home to the first Moghul emperor, the boy-king Babur – to Iran and to the blue domes and minarets of Samarkand in Uzbekistan, across the red deserts to the Oxus River, over the Hindu Kush to Kabul and Afghanistan and down through the Khyber Pass to the plains of northern India.
'In fact, apart from on one occasion when we were stranded on a remote island off the coast of Borneo and forced to hide from pirates, some of our hairiest moments when travelling have been when researching our non-fiction books. While working on our book about Captain Scott and the race for the South Pole, 'A First Rate Tragedy', the Russian research vessel on which we were sailing into Antarctica's Ross Sea was nearly lost in one of the worst storms in Antarctic history with 140 knot winds (over 240 kilometres per hour) and 20 metre high waves. The life rafts washed overboard and the superstructure iced up like the inside of an old fridge, putting us in danger of capsizing. On another occasion while researching our book on one of our favourite characters the buccaneer-naturalist William Dampier, 'A Pirate of Exquisite Mind', we set out in his footsteps to cross the Darien Isthmus in Panama with local Indian guides. We had to dodge FARC guerrillas, Colombian paramilitaries and the deadly fer de lance snake, in the latter case wading waist high in rivers – our guide claimed snakes can't bite and swim at the same time!'
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 454 reviews
January 29, 2013
What an absolutely A.M.A.Z.I.N.G book!!
No matter whether you swear by historical fiction, or have not ever tried the genre, you MUST read this book if you enjoy good adventure stories, which move along at breakneck speeds.Trust me, there is not a single dull page in the novel.
The book chronicles the life of Babur, a Central Asian king of both Timur and Genghis Khan's lineage, who later goes on to establish the Mughal Empire in India. (The Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world was created by a future Mughal ruler: Shah Jahan.) Of course, it is a romanticized version of Babur, but who cares! It was a damn good read. I don't mind if my historical fictions are peppered with a little of the author's imagination, and some extra fictional characters. After all, all accounts are unreliable to some extant, no matter how stringently noted.
I must say that the husband-wife duo writing under the pen name of Alex Rutherford have got me hooked. I plan to buy and soon read up all the other books in the series. Maybe I feel an additional urge to read it because this period in Indian History always interested me as a child. The Mughals were a colourful lot: forever building gardens, mausoleums, and beautiful orchards. Also they were honest, just and much loved kings unlike the Britishers.
Anyway, even if you have no idea about them, do read this book. You won't regret it!
No matter whether you swear by historical fiction, or have not ever tried the genre, you MUST read this book if you enjoy good adventure stories, which move along at breakneck speeds.Trust me, there is not a single dull page in the novel.
The book chronicles the life of Babur, a Central Asian king of both Timur and Genghis Khan's lineage, who later goes on to establish the Mughal Empire in India. (The Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world was created by a future Mughal ruler: Shah Jahan.) Of course, it is a romanticized version of Babur, but who cares! It was a damn good read. I don't mind if my historical fictions are peppered with a little of the author's imagination, and some extra fictional characters. After all, all accounts are unreliable to some extant, no matter how stringently noted.
I must say that the husband-wife duo writing under the pen name of Alex Rutherford have got me hooked. I plan to buy and soon read up all the other books in the series. Maybe I feel an additional urge to read it because this period in Indian History always interested me as a child. The Mughals were a colourful lot: forever building gardens, mausoleums, and beautiful orchards. Also they were honest, just and much loved kings unlike the Britishers.
Anyway, even if you have no idea about them, do read this book. You won't regret it!
October 18, 2012
I have outright enjoyed Raiders from the North and the other three books in the Empire of the Moghul quintet. I read the lot at one go, one after the other, without pause.
There is so little Indian history fiction that it’s a real treat to get any at all, let alone something on the charismatic Moghul rulers. I have so often been to the tombs and monuments they left behind but after reading this book really want to go back and see whatever I can with a new perspective.
I know that many may criticize this series for being too pulped. But as long as it didn’t detract from the main events that did happen, I didn’t have a problem with that. If we want history, read a history book. I fully expected to be reading a fictionalization and that’s what I got. So many books have been written, in the same vein, on the kings and queens of England – and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed those as well, always keeping in mind that history may have not quite been as depicted. But it never is no matter who writes and in what style.
All through this book and the sequels, I kept going online to look up places, events and people and was amaed and fascinated at all the things that were true. In comparison, my history books from school were so very sparse and dry! I didn’t even know Babur became king at the age of 12 or 13 and that he had to grow up in a big hurry to tackle all the enemies around him.
I there’s one thing that annoyed me deeply about this set of books is the repetition of peculiar phrases like milk bother and the name of Timurlane’s sword (probably fictional) and at least fifty other phrases and concepts that repeated to the point of distraction. Drove me nuts.
But I can’t wait for the final book, the fifth in the series. May 2013 as I’ve heard it’s to be, is way too far away.
There is so little Indian history fiction that it’s a real treat to get any at all, let alone something on the charismatic Moghul rulers. I have so often been to the tombs and monuments they left behind but after reading this book really want to go back and see whatever I can with a new perspective.
I know that many may criticize this series for being too pulped. But as long as it didn’t detract from the main events that did happen, I didn’t have a problem with that. If we want history, read a history book. I fully expected to be reading a fictionalization and that’s what I got. So many books have been written, in the same vein, on the kings and queens of England – and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed those as well, always keeping in mind that history may have not quite been as depicted. But it never is no matter who writes and in what style.
All through this book and the sequels, I kept going online to look up places, events and people and was amaed and fascinated at all the things that were true. In comparison, my history books from school were so very sparse and dry! I didn’t even know Babur became king at the age of 12 or 13 and that he had to grow up in a big hurry to tackle all the enemies around him.
I there’s one thing that annoyed me deeply about this set of books is the repetition of peculiar phrases like milk bother and the name of Timurlane’s sword (probably fictional) and at least fifty other phrases and concepts that repeated to the point of distraction. Drove me nuts.
But I can’t wait for the final book, the fifth in the series. May 2013 as I’ve heard it’s to be, is way too far away.
May 1, 2014
This will be one of those reviews where I don't really have much to say. I am at a complete loss with Raiders of the North, but I will try and loop some words together into what I would say is less of a review and more of a 'view'.
From time to time I want to push myself out of my comfort zone and try something I would not normally read and this book was one of those times. There are certain periods of history and cultures/countries from history that hold very little interest for me.
Rome and Romans for example.
I have more misses than hits when reading historical fiction based on them, because I have little interest in the era (from a fictional standpoint, I am much better with non fiction on them).
Sometimes it works out when I push myself to read in these eras. I have found some good books by doing it. But sometimes it does not work out...Enter stage right, Raiders from the North.
Sadly for Raiders from the North (and I am sad about it as I think for anybody who is not me, this could be a very good read) I pushed myself out of my comfort zone at the wrong time in my life.
It's Autumn, the sun is shining, the garden is having its last growth spurt before winter. Birds are nesting, singing, darting about. Forget winter wonderlands, here is an Autumnal wonderland. And I'd much rather be in it, enjoying the last of the seasons sunshine, getting my hands dirty in the soil and going for long walks in the hills, than shut away indoors reading a fiction story set in a period of history I have no interest in.
I think I have realised that if I am going to force myself to read books in a least favourite era, I should save it for Winter when the outdoors are not calling me away. Or perhaps even during the scorching heat of Summer, when I seek escape behind closed doors, in an airconditioned room.
I know I have not given this book its due. Another time, another place, another day, another Season and this may have been a very different review full of robust commentary.
As for rating it, I can only give it 2 stars and attach this 'view' to it. Hopefully this will fully explain why it is that this book got those miserable 2 stars. I do not really think it is a 2 star book, if that makes sense to you. I think the book is probably a 3 star or even maybe a 4 star. The writing is good, the story seemed intelligently done.
I can only rate based on my experience and while I think the book deserves more stars, my personal experience with it, dictates that I give it only 2.
From time to time I want to push myself out of my comfort zone and try something I would not normally read and this book was one of those times. There are certain periods of history and cultures/countries from history that hold very little interest for me.
Rome and Romans for example.
I have more misses than hits when reading historical fiction based on them, because I have little interest in the era (from a fictional standpoint, I am much better with non fiction on them).
Sometimes it works out when I push myself to read in these eras. I have found some good books by doing it. But sometimes it does not work out...Enter stage right, Raiders from the North.
Sadly for Raiders from the North (and I am sad about it as I think for anybody who is not me, this could be a very good read) I pushed myself out of my comfort zone at the wrong time in my life.
It's Autumn, the sun is shining, the garden is having its last growth spurt before winter. Birds are nesting, singing, darting about. Forget winter wonderlands, here is an Autumnal wonderland. And I'd much rather be in it, enjoying the last of the seasons sunshine, getting my hands dirty in the soil and going for long walks in the hills, than shut away indoors reading a fiction story set in a period of history I have no interest in.
I think I have realised that if I am going to force myself to read books in a least favourite era, I should save it for Winter when the outdoors are not calling me away. Or perhaps even during the scorching heat of Summer, when I seek escape behind closed doors, in an airconditioned room.
I know I have not given this book its due. Another time, another place, another day, another Season and this may have been a very different review full of robust commentary.
As for rating it, I can only give it 2 stars and attach this 'view' to it. Hopefully this will fully explain why it is that this book got those miserable 2 stars. I do not really think it is a 2 star book, if that makes sense to you. I think the book is probably a 3 star or even maybe a 4 star. The writing is good, the story seemed intelligently done.
I can only rate based on my experience and while I think the book deserves more stars, my personal experience with it, dictates that I give it only 2.
December 1, 2020
Boring. I didn't connect to any character. I find it too melodramatic, poor narrative flow, forced and unrealistic dialogue and weak characters. To be honest i bought this book in 2015. I regretted it. I just read it to get over with it. I don't like to see books in "to read" shelf for too long.
Avoid it. Not recommended.
Avoid it. Not recommended.
May 2, 2013
The book had all the elements to become a blockbuster , a prince who is crowned king at the age of 12 loses his kingdom when he is attacking another kingdom and becomes a king without a kingdom and luckily fortune smiles at him and he is given another big kingdom but still realizes he is not content and decides to invade India and succeeds and creates one of the longest surviving dynasty in India,The Mughul Dynasty But the writing is so dull and there are no characters to like and follow.Its more like a boring history book which goes on and on about how Babur conquered and killed other kings. The one part which I found interesting was the how Babur was able to sell the concept of Jihad to his soilders,by asking them to fight and tell them they will go to Paradise according to the holy book and asking them to quit drinking wine,later we come to know Babur was actually least worried abt his Jihad and had actually continued to drink wine and hashish....I've actually already brought the second book in this series and really regret it..becoz I really cant sit and read about another rant abt Humayun-Babur's first son fight with his step-brothere to keep his crown....again should be a great read if not for the boring writing...
November 8, 2013
A nice read, but became bored by the time it was over. It included quite a few details, but since my only other Historical Fiction reading has been that of James Michener's, I ended up comparing, only for the sake of understanding which writer do I truly enjoy more. And Yes, although the Moghul era does interest me, I wish this would have been written by Mr. Michener. However, much is well put forth, with the Rutherford's research and travels. I am sure it must have been painstaking. The action scenes have been provided with fine details, although I personally tend to not enjoy action much. The style of writing did not bore me, but since in that era, most of the action took place with wars and capturing land, it became monotonous, which got me bored by the end of the book. I will certainly read the next book in the series after a few months.
February 8, 2016
ঐ সময়টা নিয়ে জানবার আগ্রহ ছিল কিন্তু খুব হালকা কিছু জানতাম। পাঠ্যে খুব ভালোকিছু কখনোই ছিল না।
জানবার দরকার ছিল দেখে পড়া শুরু করেছিলাম। পরে দেখি পড়ার মতই একটা বই... অনুবাদ বেশ ভালো ছিল। প্রত্যাশার চেয়ে ভালো। যদিও কিছু শব্দ বেশ হাস্যকর ছিল।
হিন্দুকুশ রেঞ্জের উত্তরের অঞ্চল নিয়ে কিছুই কখনো পড়ি নাই। এটাও পড়া হয়ে গেল। লেখিকা ফারগানা, সমরকন্দ আর কাবুল ঘুরে দেখেছেন। খাইবার পাস দিয়ে গিয়েছেন... ভ্রমণ করেছেন হিন্দুকুশ! অনুভব করতে পেরেছেন সবকিছু। বোঝা যায় পড়ে... শক্তিশালী বর্ণনা। চোখের সামনে চলে আসে বারবার।
সব ঐতিহাসিক উপন্যাসের মত এটাও বেশ প্রভাবিত কোন সন্দেহ ছাড়া। বাবরকে বেশ খানিকটা মহিমান্বিত করা হয়েছে বলে আমার ধারণা। প্রসঙ্গক্রমে তৈমুরকেও... সেই সময়ে (বোধয় এই সময়েও) রাজ্য দখল করা কোন সাধারণ ব্যাপার ছিল না। প্রচন্ড রক্তপাত, খুনোখুনি, বিশ্বাসঘাতকতা। বাবর নিশ্চয়ই এর বাইরে ছিলেন না... কে জানে!
বাকি পাঁচটাও পড়ে ফেলতে হবে যত তাড়াতাড়ি সম্ভব! চার তারকা পেতেই পারে...
জানবার দরকার ছিল দেখে পড়া শুরু করেছিলাম। পরে দেখি পড়ার মতই একটা বই... অনুবাদ বেশ ভালো ছিল। প্রত্যাশার চেয়ে ভালো। যদিও কিছু শব্দ বেশ হাস্যকর ছিল।
হিন্দুকুশ রেঞ্জের উত্তরের অঞ্চল নিয়ে কিছুই কখনো পড়ি নাই। এটাও পড়া হয়ে গেল। লেখিকা ফারগানা, সমরকন্দ আর কাবুল ঘুরে দেখেছেন। খাইবার পাস দিয়ে গিয়েছেন... ভ্রমণ করেছেন হিন্দুকুশ! অনুভব করতে পেরেছেন সবকিছু। বোঝা যায় পড়ে... শক্তিশালী বর্ণনা। চোখের সামনে চলে আসে বারবার।
সব ঐতিহাসিক উপন্যাসের মত এটাও বেশ প্রভাবিত কোন সন্দেহ ছাড়া। বাবরকে বেশ খানিকটা মহিমান্বিত করা হয়েছে বলে আমার ধারণা। প্রসঙ্গক্রমে তৈমুরকেও... সেই সময়ে (বোধয় এই সময়েও) রাজ্য দখল করা কোন সাধারণ ব্যাপার ছিল না। প্রচন্ড রক্তপাত, খুনোখুনি, বিশ্বাসঘাতকতা। বাবর নিশ্চয়ই এর বাইরে ছিলেন না... কে জানে!
বাকি পাঁচটাও পড়ে ফেলতে হবে যত তাড়াতাড়ি সম্ভব! চার তারকা পেতেই পারে...
September 28, 2021
One of the best books I have read in this year💜💜
Khanjada, this woman has made a brave decision and I will always respect her for this
Khanjada, this woman has made a brave decision and I will always respect her for this
November 19, 2013
I'd hoped for much more from this book.
I took a chance on this book as a step outside reading historical fiction based around periods of history I already had some kind of background knowledge of.
All that I knew of the Moghuls were that they were descended from Ghengis Khan; beyond that I knew nothing.
The best way to describe what I discovered between the covers would be to say all filler, no real killer.
There's nothing to endear you to the lead character, Babur - whose name means 'tiger', possibly the least apt name possible as he seems to spend most of the book moping, sulking or generally harrumphing rather than giving you any reason to actually particularly care what happens to him. Add in to that mix the fact that he loses his much vaunted inheritance at least five times means that he's far from a hero or someone you feel sorry for.
The approach to the narrative feels very segmented with a strange fondness for skipping over the interesting battle scenes, if they're mentioned at all, in favour of the postulating and, if this were a film, no doubt gazing wistfully into the middle distance. It jumps forward every so often for no real reason other than seemingly not wanting to bore the reader with the human details which only serves to alienate you more from the characters.
There's little depth to any of the characters once you progress past the first chapter and it becomes an endless repetition of certain individuals having tokenistic routines to play in the story without any real gravity to anything they do. This all leads to you not really caring what happens to any of the characters.
I could go on but frankly I'd only be picking apart an already pretty threadbare novel. Reading this book more often than not involves treading water till either something interesting happens or the book ends, whichever comes first.
I took a chance on this book as a step outside reading historical fiction based around periods of history I already had some kind of background knowledge of.
All that I knew of the Moghuls were that they were descended from Ghengis Khan; beyond that I knew nothing.
The best way to describe what I discovered between the covers would be to say all filler, no real killer.
There's nothing to endear you to the lead character, Babur - whose name means 'tiger', possibly the least apt name possible as he seems to spend most of the book moping, sulking or generally harrumphing rather than giving you any reason to actually particularly care what happens to him. Add in to that mix the fact that he loses his much vaunted inheritance at least five times means that he's far from a hero or someone you feel sorry for.
The approach to the narrative feels very segmented with a strange fondness for skipping over the interesting battle scenes, if they're mentioned at all, in favour of the postulating and, if this were a film, no doubt gazing wistfully into the middle distance. It jumps forward every so often for no real reason other than seemingly not wanting to bore the reader with the human details which only serves to alienate you more from the characters.
There's little depth to any of the characters once you progress past the first chapter and it becomes an endless repetition of certain individuals having tokenistic routines to play in the story without any real gravity to anything they do. This all leads to you not really caring what happens to any of the characters.
I could go on but frankly I'd only be picking apart an already pretty threadbare novel. Reading this book more often than not involves treading water till either something interesting happens or the book ends, whichever comes first.
November 27, 2023
I took a long time to finish this book but that was mostly due to the fact that I read more than 200 books in the time I kept away and continued now so it was read in two sessions and I enjoyed it. This first book in the series is based on Babur and I guess the next book would be from the perspective of Humayun and so on and so forth. Most of the book is set in Kabul as Babur tries to set up an empire for this family and with some help from his friend becomes the first army to deploy firearms in India and thus win a few crucial victories to set their rule in the country that would last till 1857 and a few years after that. Obviously, the book is about a king or a warlord so there are tons of wars in the book and the details are nice. Now onto a few other books and let's try to finish other books that are waiting to be finished for a long time till then let's Keep on Reading.
People who don't read generally ask me my reasons for reading. Simply put, I absolutely love reading, so I have made it my motto to Forever Keep on Reading. I love reading everything except for self-help books, even occasionally. I read almost all the genres but YA, Fantasy, and Biographies are the most read. My favorite series is Harry Potter, but then there are many more books I adore. I have bookcases filled with books that are waiting to be read so I can't stay and spend more time on this review, so remember I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and then just Keep on Reading.
People who don't read generally ask me my reasons for reading. Simply put, I absolutely love reading, so I have made it my motto to Forever Keep on Reading. I love reading everything except for self-help books, even occasionally. I read almost all the genres but YA, Fantasy, and Biographies are the most read. My favorite series is Harry Potter, but then there are many more books I adore. I have bookcases filled with books that are waiting to be read so I can't stay and spend more time on this review, so remember I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and then just Keep on Reading.
March 23, 2017
ঐতিহাসিকভাবে ভারতবর্ষে ১৫২৬ সালে পানিপথের প্রথম যুদ্ধে ইব্রাহীম লোদীকে পরাজিত করার মধ্য দিয়ে মুঘল সম্রাজ্য প্রতিষ্ঠা হয় জানা গেলেও তাঁর ভিত প্রতিষ্ঠিত হয় প্রায় তিন যুগ পূর্বে। যখন বহুদূরে ফারগানা ( বর্তমানে উজবেকিস্তানের এবং তুর্কেমেনিস্তানের অন্তর্গত ) নামের ছোট একটি প্রদেশে একজন সদ্য রাজ ক্ষমতায় উপনীত হওয়া মাত্র বারো বছরের এক নাবালাক দৃঢ়চিত্তে তাঁর নগ্ন তরবারি দিয়ে বিশ্বাসঘাতকতার অভিযোগে নিজের উজির কামবার আলির মস্তক কাঁধ থেকে বিচ্ছিন্ন করে দেয়। সেই নাবালকের নাম ছিল জহির উদ্-দিন মুহাম্মদ জালাল উদ্-দিন বাবর।
বইটি মূলত মোঘল সম্রাজ্য ভিত্তির উপর লেখা হয়েছে। ফলশ্রুতিতে মোগল সম্রাজ্যের প্রতিষ্ঠাতা বাবরের জীবনের সংগ্রামের অধ্যায়গুলো খুব যত্নের সাথে এখানে উপস্থাপিত হয়েছে।
ফারগানার সুলতান বাবুরের পিতা উমর শেখ ভূমিধসে নিহত হবার পর কাল ক্ষেপন না করে সেনাপতি ওয়াজীর খান বাবরকে সিংহাসনে অধিষ্ঠিত করেন। কিন্তু সমরকন্দের সুলতান বাবুরের চাচা একসময় ফারগানা জন্য বড় হুমকি হয়ে প্রতীয়মান হয়। কিন্তু ফারগানা দখলের পূর্বেই পরাক্রমশালী উজবেক নেতা সাইবানি খানের হাতে নিহত হলে বাবর উচ্চাকাঙ্ক্ষী হয়ে পরে এবং সমরকন্দ আক্রমণ করে।
প্রায় সাত মাসের অবরোধের পরে সে সমরকন্দ দখল করতে সমর্থ হয়। যার জন্য কিশোর বাবর একা ছদ্মবেশ ধারণ করে গুপ্ত পথ ব্যবহার সমরকন্দের ভেতরে প্রবেশ করে। এই ঘটনা থেকে বাবরের সাহসিকতার দৃষ্টান্ত দেখা যায়। কিন্তু সমরকন্দ দখল হবার পরে তাঁর সৎ ভাইয়ের বিদ্রোহের কারণে ৩৫০ কিলোমিটার দূরে নিজের জন্মভূমি ফারগানা হাতছাড়া হয়ে যায়। ফারগানা উদ্ধার করতে গেলে এদিকে আবার সমরকন্দও তাঁর হাতছাড়া হয়।
১৫০১ সালে বাবর আবার সমরকন্দ দখলের চেষ্টা করলে সাইবানি খানের হাতে পরাজিত হয়ে হয় শুধু তাই নয় নিজেদের প্রাণের বিনিময়ে নিজের বোন খানজাদাকে তুলে দিতে হয় সাইবানী খানের হাতে।
মধ্য এশিয়ায় বার বার ভাগ্য বিড়ম্বিত বাবর এবার ভিন্ন স্থানে নিজের সম্রাজ্য স্থাপনের জন্য মনোনিবেশ করেন। তিনি তাজিক আর বাদাকশান জাতির মানুষদের নিয়ে সেনাবাহিনী গড়ে তোলেন। অবশেষের ভাগ্য প্রসন্ন হয়। কাবুলের উত্তরাধিকারহীন শাসক বাবরের চাচা আকস্মিক মৃত্যুকে বাবরকে কাবুলের ন্যায়সঙ্গত সুলতান হবার প্রস্তাব জানানো হয়।
১৫১১ সালে পারস্যের শাহ এর সহযোহিতায় বাবর আবার সমরকন্দ দখল করতে সমর্থ হয়েছিলো কিন্তু সেই জয়ও দীর্ঘস্থায়ী হয়নি।বার বার ব্যর্থ হওয়া বাবর নতুন সম্রাজ্যের সন্ধানে পুত্র হুমায়ূনকে নিয়ে আবার ঘোড়া ছোটায়। তৈমুরের ভারত অভিযান বাবরকে অনুপ্রেরণা যোগায়। কারণ বাবর ছিলেন পিতৃকুল থেকে সরাসরি তৈমুরের বংশধর।
মাত্র ১২০০০ সৈন্য নিয়ে সে ভারতের রাজধানী দিল্লীর সম্রাট ইব্রাহীম লোদীর বিরুদ্ধে অভিযান করেন। যদিও লোদীর সৈন্যসংখ্যা ছিলো লক্ষাধিক। কিন্তু বাবরের বোঞ্জের কামান ( যা ছিল ভারতের বুকে নতুন অস্ত্র ) আর নিজের মানুষের বিশ্বাসঘাতকা ইব্রাহীম লোদীর পরাজয়ের কারণ হয়ে দাঁড়ায়। সেই সময় বাবরের হাতে গোয়ালিঘরের রাজ পরিবারের হাত ধরে কোহিনূর হীরা হাতে আসে।
ইব্রাহীম লোদীর মৃত্যু আর দিল্লী দখল করেই মোগল সম্রাজ্যের পথ মসৃণ হয়নি, বাবরের সামনে তখন আর এক মহা বিপত্তি এসে দাঁড়ায়। সে ছিল রাজপুত যোদ্ধা রানা সাঙা। রানা সাঙা পরাজিত করতে বাবরকে মৌলবাদের আশ্রয় নিতে হয়। ডাক দিতে হয় জিহাদের।
চারিত্রিক বিশ্লেষণঃ
সম্রাট বাবর সবসময় মনে করতেন সিংহাসন তাঁর জন্মগত অধিকার। পিতার দিক থেকে তৈমুর লঙের সরাসরি বংশধর হলে মাতার দিকে নিজেকে চেঙ্গিস খানের বংশধর দাবী করতো বাবর। বাবর ছিলেন প্রচন্ড সাহসী এবং আত্নবিশ্বাসী। তাঁর জীবনের বেশিরভাগ সময়ে গেছে পথে পথে। কিন্তু অভিষ্ট গন্তব্যে পৌছানোর আগ পর্যন্ত কখনো তিনি ক্লান্ত হয়নি।
বাবর হয়ে সুস্থ দেহের অধিকারী ছিলেন। কথিত আছে, তিনি দুজন মানুষকে নিয়ে ঢাল বেয়ে উঠানামা করে অনুশীলন করতেন। গঙ্গা নদী তিনি দুবার সাঁতরে পার হয়েছিলেন।
এতো কিছুর মাঝেও বাবরের অক্ষর জ্ঞান ছিল গভীর। তিনি একাধিক ভাষা জানতেন। তিনি যখন অহিগুরের কবি শির নাভাইয়ের সাথে পরচিত হন তখন নাভাই তাকে জীবনী লিখতে উৎসাহ প্রদান করে। বাবর চাতঘাই ভাষায় নিজের জীবনী বাবরনামা লিখেছিলেন যা মোগল ইতিহাসের মূল্যবান সম্পদ।
ব্যক্তিগত মতামতঃ
লেখক দম্পতি অ্যালেক্স রাদারফোর্ডের এ্যাম্পায়ার অব মোগল সিরিজের প্রথম বই রাইডার্স ফ্রম দ্য নর্থ পড়েছি বেশ কিছু দিন আগে। সিরিজের দ্বিতীয় এবং তৃতীয় বই নিয়ে রিভিউ লিখলেও প্রথম বইটি নিয়ে রিভিউ একটু দেরিতেই লিখলাম।
ইতিহাস আমার দুর্বল জায়গা। আর ভারতবর্ষের ইতিহাসকে আমি নিজেদের ইতিহাসের অংশ মনে করি। কারণ ভারতবর্ষে অন্যস্থানের সামরিক উত্থান পতনের প্রভাবে বাংলা বার বার এসেছে সাংস্কৃতকি সংমিশ্রণ এবং নতুনের সাথে প্রাচীনের মিলন। আর মোগল সম্রাজ্যের শত শত বছরের ইতিহাস যেকোন ইসিহাস প্রেমীর রক্তে উচ্ছ্বাস আনায়নে সক্ষম।
অনুবাদের সম্পর্কে কিছু বলা উচিৎ। আমার কাছে অনুবাদ ভাল লেগেছে। কোথাও পড়তে বিরক্তি প্রকাশ পায়নি।
বইটি মূলত মোঘল সম্রাজ্য ভিত্তির উপর লেখা হয়েছে। ফলশ্রুতিতে মোগল সম্রাজ্যের প্রতিষ্ঠাতা বাবরের জীবনের সংগ্রামের অধ্যায়গুলো খুব যত্নের সাথে এখানে উপস্থাপিত হয়েছে।
ফারগানার সুলতান বাবুরের পিতা উমর শেখ ভূমিধসে নিহত হবার পর কাল ক্ষেপন না করে সেনাপতি ওয়াজীর খান বাবরকে সিংহাসনে অধিষ্ঠিত করেন। কিন্তু সমরকন্দের সুলতান বাবুরের চাচা একসময় ফারগানা জন্য বড় হুমকি হয়ে প্রতীয়মান হয়। কিন্তু ফারগানা দখলের পূর্বেই পরাক্রমশালী উজবেক নেতা সাইবানি খানের হাতে নিহত হলে বাবর উচ্চাকাঙ্ক্ষী হয়ে পরে এবং সমরকন্দ আক্রমণ করে।
প্রায় সাত মাসের অবরোধের পরে সে সমরকন্দ দখল করতে সমর্থ হয়। যার জন্য কিশোর বাবর একা ছদ্মবেশ ধারণ করে গুপ্ত পথ ব্যবহার সমরকন্দের ভেতরে প্রবেশ করে। এই ঘটনা থেকে বাবরের সাহসিকতার দৃষ্টান্ত দেখা যায়। কিন্তু সমরকন্দ দখল হবার পরে তাঁর সৎ ভাইয়ের বিদ্রোহের কারণে ৩৫০ কিলোমিটার দূরে নিজের জন্মভূমি ফারগানা হাতছাড়া হয়ে যায়। ফারগানা উদ্ধার করতে গেলে এদিকে আবার সমরকন্দও তাঁর হাতছাড়া হয়।
১৫০১ সালে বাবর আবার সমরকন্দ দখলের চেষ্টা করলে সাইবানি খানের হাতে পরাজিত হয়ে হয় শুধু তাই নয় নিজেদের প্রাণের বিনিময়ে নিজের বোন খানজাদাকে তুলে দিতে হয় সাইবানী খানের হাতে।
মধ্য এশিয়ায় বার বার ভাগ্য বিড়ম্বিত বাবর এবার ভিন্ন স্থানে নিজের সম্রাজ্য স্থাপনের জন্য মনোনিবেশ করেন। তিনি তাজিক আর বাদাকশান জাতির মানুষদের নিয়ে সেনাবাহিনী গড়ে তোলেন। অবশেষের ভাগ্য প্রসন্ন হয়। কাবুলের উত্তরাধিকারহীন শাসক বাবরের চাচা আকস্মিক মৃত্যুকে বাবরকে কাবুলের ন্যায়সঙ্গত সুলতান হবার প্রস্তাব জানানো হয়।
১৫১১ সালে পারস্যের শাহ এর সহযোহিতায় বাবর আবার সমরকন্দ দখল করতে সমর্থ হয়েছিলো কিন্তু সেই জয়ও দীর্ঘস্থায়ী হয়নি।বার বার ব্যর্থ হওয়া বাবর নতুন সম্রাজ্যের সন্ধানে পুত্র হুমায়ূনকে নিয়ে আবার ঘোড়া ছোটায়। তৈমুরের ভারত অভিযান বাবরকে অনুপ্রেরণা যোগায়। কারণ বাবর ছিলেন পিতৃকুল থেকে সরাসরি তৈমুরের বংশধর।
মাত্র ১২০০০ সৈন্য নিয়ে সে ভারতের রাজধানী দিল্লীর সম্রাট ইব্রাহীম লোদীর বিরুদ্ধে অভিযান করেন। যদিও লোদীর সৈন্যসংখ্যা ছিলো লক্ষাধিক। কিন্তু বাবরের বোঞ্জের কামান ( যা ছিল ভারতের বুকে নতুন অস্ত্র ) আর নিজের মানুষের বিশ্বাসঘাতকা ইব্রাহীম লোদীর পরাজয়ের কারণ হয়ে দাঁড়ায়। সেই সময় বাবরের হাতে গোয়ালিঘরের রাজ পরিবারের হাত ধরে কোহিনূর হীরা হাতে আসে।
ইব্রাহীম লোদীর মৃত্যু আর দিল্লী দখল করেই মোগল সম্রাজ্যের পথ মসৃণ হয়নি, বাবরের সামনে তখন আর এক মহা বিপত্তি এসে দাঁড়ায়। সে ছিল রাজপুত যোদ্ধা রানা সাঙা। রানা সাঙা পরাজিত করতে বাবরকে মৌলবাদের আশ্রয় নিতে হয়। ডাক দিতে হয় জিহাদের।
চারিত্রিক বিশ্লেষণঃ
সম্রাট বাবর সবসময় মনে করতেন সিংহাসন তাঁর জন্মগত অধিকার। পিতার দিক থেকে তৈমুর লঙের সরাসরি বংশধর হলে মাতার দিকে নিজেকে চেঙ্গিস খানের বংশধর দাবী করতো বাবর। বাবর ছিলেন প্রচন্ড সাহসী এবং আত্নবিশ্বাসী। তাঁর জীবনের বেশিরভাগ সময়ে গেছে পথে পথে। কিন্তু অভিষ্ট গন্তব্যে পৌছানোর আগ পর্যন্ত কখনো তিনি ক্লান্ত হয়নি।
বাবর হয়ে সুস্থ দেহের অধিকারী ছিলেন। কথিত আছে, তিনি দুজন মানুষকে নিয়ে ঢাল বেয়ে উঠানামা করে অনুশীলন করতেন। গঙ্গা নদী তিনি দুবার সাঁতরে পার হয়েছিলেন।
এতো কিছুর মাঝেও বাবরের অক্ষর জ্ঞান ছিল গভীর। তিনি একাধিক ভাষা জানতেন। তিনি যখন অহিগুরের কবি শির নাভাইয়ের সাথে পরচিত হন তখন নাভাই তাকে জীবনী লিখতে উৎসাহ প্রদান করে। বাবর চাতঘাই ভাষায় নিজের জীবনী বাবরনামা লিখেছিলেন যা মোগল ইতিহাসের মূল্যবান সম্পদ।
ব্যক্তিগত মতামতঃ
লেখক দম্পতি অ্যালেক্স রাদারফোর্ডের এ্যাম্পায়ার অব মোগল সিরিজের প্রথম বই রাইডার্স ফ্রম দ্য নর্থ পড়েছি বেশ কিছু দিন আগে। সিরিজের দ্বিতীয় এবং তৃতীয় বই নিয়ে রিভিউ লিখলেও প্রথম বইটি নিয়ে রিভিউ একটু দেরিতেই লিখলাম।
ইতিহাস আমার দুর্বল জায়গা। আর ভারতবর্ষের ইতিহাসকে আমি নিজেদের ইতিহাসের অংশ মনে করি। কারণ ভারতবর্ষে অন্যস্থানের সামরিক উত্থান পতনের প্রভাবে বাংলা বার বার এসেছে সাংস্কৃতকি সংমিশ্রণ এবং নতুনের সাথে প্রাচীনের মিলন। আর মোগল সম্রাজ্যের শত শত বছরের ইতিহাস যেকোন ইসিহাস প্রেমীর রক্তে উচ্ছ্বাস আনায়নে সক্ষম।
অনুবাদের সম্পর্কে কিছু বলা উচিৎ। আমার কাছে অনুবাদ ভাল লেগেছে। কোথাও পড়তে বিরক্তি প্রকাশ পায়নি।
November 4, 2013
Empires were not built on mere diplomacy. Actions and results determined your fate. By far the biggest travesty to Pakistani history is the omission of Moghul history from the narrative. Nations have to have selective history, and for some reasons Moghuls have not really featured as favourites in the popular history of Pakistan, which is a great loss indeed. For which other dynasty was able to rule for about 400 years or so? Their aura was such that even after the end of the the greats reign with the passing of Aurangzeb, their reign managed to survive for another 90 odd years? That's huge when you compare with the British reign of 90 years starting in 1857.
This wonderful book is the first in series of narrative history detailing the life and times of the first great Moghul Babur, charting his course from his tiny kingdom of Ferghana to the mighty seat of Delhi. His trials and tribulations, harsh choices, tough lifestyle, life threatening decision making, allegiance to friends and family and most of all his unique personality is vividly brought to life in a thriller of a book, which cannot be put down. The book reads like a thriller movie, filled with suspense and drama containing love, rebuttals, revenge, heartaches, suspense, anger, passion, desires, all leading to a terrific legacy.
What about Babur personality? He was almost illiterate, who after becoming a king by birth the age of 12, fought most of his life trying to justify his Taimuri lineage. It's a classic recipe for success repeated even today by the successful the world over. Belief in your destiny to succeed has to earned by sheer hard work and persistence. Easy you say, but the real feature of aha it's success were the very supporting family and friends who also shared this remarkable belief in his destiny. So correct support is vital to fulfil any dream which are all delusions to start with. This support is successful history for a young struggling nation like Pakistan on the macro level. Without owning our great Moghul past and understanding the real reasons for their huge success, how can we succeed?
I humbly salute the two writers for undertaking such a wonderful project. I remain a lifelong fan.
This wonderful book is the first in series of narrative history detailing the life and times of the first great Moghul Babur, charting his course from his tiny kingdom of Ferghana to the mighty seat of Delhi. His trials and tribulations, harsh choices, tough lifestyle, life threatening decision making, allegiance to friends and family and most of all his unique personality is vividly brought to life in a thriller of a book, which cannot be put down. The book reads like a thriller movie, filled with suspense and drama containing love, rebuttals, revenge, heartaches, suspense, anger, passion, desires, all leading to a terrific legacy.
What about Babur personality? He was almost illiterate, who after becoming a king by birth the age of 12, fought most of his life trying to justify his Taimuri lineage. It's a classic recipe for success repeated even today by the successful the world over. Belief in your destiny to succeed has to earned by sheer hard work and persistence. Easy you say, but the real feature of aha it's success were the very supporting family and friends who also shared this remarkable belief in his destiny. So correct support is vital to fulfil any dream which are all delusions to start with. This support is successful history for a young struggling nation like Pakistan on the macro level. Without owning our great Moghul past and understanding the real reasons for their huge success, how can we succeed?
I humbly salute the two writers for undertaking such a wonderful project. I remain a lifelong fan.
November 2, 2013
A good read and historically correct, but this is not a history textbook and some of the important characters are fictitious. Major events are true and described well. The lifestyle and atmosphere of the time is also vividly depicted. Give the book the liberty of a being a novel and it is a very good read
It tells the story of Babur, how at the age of 12 he becomes the king of his father's little kingdom, how he wins and then looses Samarkand - thrice; becomes the ruler of Kabul, grows restless - finally crosses the Indus - into India. All the pages, save the last few, cover this part of Babur's life. The remaining read about his battles of Panipat and then against Rana Sanga; finishing in Babur's untimely death.
The book depicts Babur as a king and ruler -at first young, inexperienced who slowly learns and gains experience; as a good warrior and able strategist; a ruthless tyrant, a cunning leader and a loving family man.
I wish some portions were a bit more explored - like the battle against Rana Sanga but then this is not a textbook and given the constraints under which the authors had to spin the tale, it is a very good piece of work.
Personally, I liked it and enjoyed it.
- Abhishek727
It tells the story of Babur, how at the age of 12 he becomes the king of his father's little kingdom, how he wins and then looses Samarkand - thrice; becomes the ruler of Kabul, grows restless - finally crosses the Indus - into India. All the pages, save the last few, cover this part of Babur's life. The remaining read about his battles of Panipat and then against Rana Sanga; finishing in Babur's untimely death.
The book depicts Babur as a king and ruler -at first young, inexperienced who slowly learns and gains experience; as a good warrior and able strategist; a ruthless tyrant, a cunning leader and a loving family man.
I wish some portions were a bit more explored - like the battle against Rana Sanga but then this is not a textbook and given the constraints under which the authors had to spin the tale, it is a very good piece of work.
Personally, I liked it and enjoyed it.
- Abhishek727
November 15, 2014
I did not like this story. I felt that I was being talked at instead of being immersed into a fascinating culture. I got tired of the.....hold on I need to find the right term......exposition. There was a whole lot of Babur explaining things to himself instead of actual storyline. Too much info dump and not enough incorporation into the story for me. And I really noticed that Babar was just a kid. He may be doing adult things but he's definitely only a teenager. It did not help me have any connection with him. I didn't feel anything for him but apathy.
I wanted to be transported and it didn't happen.
Though it has got me intrigued about the era and culture so I will probably head for a non-fiction or two instead of the HF.
I wanted to be transported and it didn't happen.
Though it has got me intrigued about the era and culture so I will probably head for a non-fiction or two instead of the HF.
July 16, 2014
It is a rare occasion when I truly cannot stomach one more page of a book due to it's excessive elementary metaphors or it's use of modern English language in dialogue. Had there been any effort in effective & descriptive writing I would continue through to the end. Unfortunately, this book is completely & horrifyingly plebeian- the poor use of metaphor would make a 5th grade teacher cringe (read: "her face was as wrinkled as a dried apricot") ... & is not worth another moment of my time. Want to learn more about Moghul history? Do NOT read this one. Moving on.
March 4, 2023
সত্য ঘটনা নিয়ে হিস্টরিকাল ফিকশন পড়বার ঝামেলা হলো কতটুকু সত্য আর কতটুকু কল্পনা, তা কুলায় ঝাড়ার মতো করে পদে পদে যাচাই বাছাই করতে হয়। নাহলে বহু বিপদ, কারণ অল্প বিদ্যা ভয়ংকর। এই বইখান বহুত ভাল, এত ভাল যে আমি সিরিজের বাকিগুলো এই বছরই পড়তে চাই। কিন্তু এটা পড়তে গিয়ে মোগল বাবুদের নিয়ে আমার আগের জানাশোনার কলসের সাথে একটু ধাক্কা লাগছে আর কি, তাই ক্ষণে ক্ষণে গুগল আর অন্য বইপত্র ঘাটতে হচ্ছে। কিন্তু জিনিস খাসা!
December 30, 2015
Plain history!.. That's what it is. No plot twists, except the death of important people now and then. There are countless wars in the book, and most of the wars have predictable results. The depiction of history could have been more exciting. (Now, not thinking about going through the whole series.)
November 3, 2016
3.5 stars
Babur Mirza is twelve years old when his father dies in an accident. At twelve, an age when his own sons are considered (by Babur himself) and still too innocent to understand the yearnings of power, Babur assumes the throne of Ferghana. With the blood of the legendary Timur-i-lang and Genghis Khan in his veins, it is only natural that his life is one full of blood feuds, war, defeat and victory. The book scribes a fictional account of his life's journey from Ferghana all the way to Hindustan where he goes on to establish the 'Moghul' (Mughal!) empire - arguably the most dazzling of all dynasties to rule the sub-continent
Earlier this year, I also happened to read another fictional account of the strife of 1857 told through the eyes of a British woman's journey in India. It must be said that while Zemindar left me largely disappointed, Raiders from the North, shone much like the mysterious Mountain of Light (Koh-i-Noor) that makes its appearance (rather inexplicably). Perhaps it is my inherent regret that history text books and teachers do such a shoddy job of telling us such gripping tales of power and battles fought over it, but Raiders from the North kept me hooked from the word go and delivered a well-paced, even if superfluous account of the First "Moghul" emperor's lifetime.
While Rutherford uses fairly simple language, his painting of the landscapes, the battles and of the growth in Babur's character are definite highlights of the story. As is the case in most strifes over power - every battle every fought in history, it is women and those without authority who are shortchanged and used as possessions - largely expendable except when they mean honor - which is not very far from how they were viewed by the kings and their enemies. Alex Rutherford keeps his account of such inhumanity to a minimum - sometimes arguably at a loss of an emotional connect with the book.
I must also mention here the twinge of disappointment in my very Indian mind when Babur first arrives and wins over Hindustan. His reaction to temples, the sacred cows, the half-naked holy men with scraggy beards, the acrobats, the heat and the dust is almost comical - or maybe I am just hardened by the perception of India that Western media has long portrayed - something Alex Rutherford chooses to adopt with little creativity.
What is interesting of Babur's strategies for establishing his dominance over Hindustan - especially in current times - is the use of religion as a tool of employee motivation aimed to aid a king's desire to be called emperor. Words like Jihad, the mosque that may or maynot have been built on the ruins of a Hindu God's birthplace - scary elements for an Indian citizen, appear in the story and stand out for their manipulation by those with nothing but unmasked ambition for greatness.
All in all, this is a promising series - not without its flaws but still thrilling enough for the fourteen year old in me who couldn't run away from her history textbook fast enough and now, for the life of me, cannot understand why it was ever so!
Babur Mirza is twelve years old when his father dies in an accident. At twelve, an age when his own sons are considered (by Babur himself) and still too innocent to understand the yearnings of power, Babur assumes the throne of Ferghana. With the blood of the legendary Timur-i-lang and Genghis Khan in his veins, it is only natural that his life is one full of blood feuds, war, defeat and victory. The book scribes a fictional account of his life's journey from Ferghana all the way to Hindustan where he goes on to establish the 'Moghul' (Mughal!) empire - arguably the most dazzling of all dynasties to rule the sub-continent
Earlier this year, I also happened to read another fictional account of the strife of 1857 told through the eyes of a British woman's journey in India. It must be said that while Zemindar left me largely disappointed, Raiders from the North, shone much like the mysterious Mountain of Light (Koh-i-Noor) that makes its appearance (rather inexplicably). Perhaps it is my inherent regret that history text books and teachers do such a shoddy job of telling us such gripping tales of power and battles fought over it, but Raiders from the North kept me hooked from the word go and delivered a well-paced, even if superfluous account of the First "Moghul" emperor's lifetime.
While Rutherford uses fairly simple language, his painting of the landscapes, the battles and of the growth in Babur's character are definite highlights of the story. As is the case in most strifes over power - every battle every fought in history, it is women and those without authority who are shortchanged and used as possessions - largely expendable except when they mean honor - which is not very far from how they were viewed by the kings and their enemies. Alex Rutherford keeps his account of such inhumanity to a minimum - sometimes arguably at a loss of an emotional connect with the book.
I must also mention here the twinge of disappointment in my very Indian mind when Babur first arrives and wins over Hindustan. His reaction to temples, the sacred cows, the half-naked holy men with scraggy beards, the acrobats, the heat and the dust is almost comical - or maybe I am just hardened by the perception of India that Western media has long portrayed - something Alex Rutherford chooses to adopt with little creativity.
What is interesting of Babur's strategies for establishing his dominance over Hindustan - especially in current times - is the use of religion as a tool of employee motivation aimed to aid a king's desire to be called emperor. Words like Jihad, the mosque that may or maynot have been built on the ruins of a Hindu God's birthplace - scary elements for an Indian citizen, appear in the story and stand out for their manipulation by those with nothing but unmasked ambition for greatness.
All in all, this is a promising series - not without its flaws but still thrilling enough for the fourteen year old in me who couldn't run away from her history textbook fast enough and now, for the life of me, cannot understand why it was ever so!
April 7, 2018
this book is about life and highs & lows in the life of first Mughal emperor Babur.one of the best historical novel I have read. this masterpiece is written so well, the characters and their backgrounds are described in detail and they paint a very clear picture in the reader's mind.
some characters in the book are fictional but the most important ones are historically correct.
the "Baburnama" is the main source of information for this book.
very well written by Alex Rutherford.
some characters in the book are fictional but the most important ones are historically correct.
the "Baburnama" is the main source of information for this book.
very well written by Alex Rutherford.
February 12, 2015
The path to conquering a nation is always littered with blood and iron. The new ruler braves rivers of blood and the detritus of decapitated bodies before he/she ascends the throne and finally reaches the summit of power to realize that all the effort was for a fickle throne. The beliefs, armies and backgrounds of rulers who walked the World would have been different and yet the motivations and stories have the same hues. The Mughals are one dynasty who left their indelible mark on India and their importance was only next to the British when it comes to defining the identity of the nation. It is rather interesting to note that a ruler of Mongol-Turkish origins and his descendants ruled over the sub-continent for three centuries. Alex Rutherford brings the story of the Mughals to vivid and dramatic life through this series with the first book being dedicated to Babur.
The trend that I have seen in what little historic fiction I have read is that they tend to make heroes of the protagonists. They are paragons of virtue, immovable and strong willed and successful in battle no matter what. These kind of caricatures tend to get stale after a while for the repetitiveness they bring forth. The rendering of Babur was interesting for he loses more battles than he wins. Personally I have not read much on the Mughals beyond what I know from my history classes and Babur is only a name I associate with the first battle of Panipat. This is to say that the turns of fate in Babur’s life were all new to me. Fuelled by a desire to outshine his glorious ancestors – Timurlaine and Genghis Khan, the brash and young Babur sets out on military adventures which literally decimate him. While he fails time and again, the experiences make him a wiser soldier. The tables turn somewhere along the way and his unabashed ambition leads him across the Khyber Pass into India starting off what was known as the first battle of Panipat. Fought between the forces of Babur and the Delhi Sultan – Ibrahim Lodi, it was a decisive one in helping Babur establish a foothold in India. With the help of mercenaries from the Turkish army, Babur brought in artillery and canons into the battle which ended up killing the Sultan and securing the victory for Babur. The forces of Babur rode into Delhi and established the first leg of what was later to become the Mughal empire. The story also introduces the next player in – Humayun who became the second Mughal emperor who proves his valor in battle as a warrior prince against the Rajput ruler , Rana Sangha of Mewar.
A book on historic fiction about a warrior King/Emperor/Prince will always have its success latched firmly on how the author can describe scenes of battle. It is here that Alex Rutherford scores again for he does his job really well. The battle scenes are numerous and captured with all their bloody exaggerations. It tends to get a tad too gory but then it was not a benevolent time and the rulers were not benevolent either. Being the first book in the series, I did not find much to be distracted about other than mild and rather unwanted melodramatic scenes at places.
All considered, I am going to take up the next one in the series soon.
The trend that I have seen in what little historic fiction I have read is that they tend to make heroes of the protagonists. They are paragons of virtue, immovable and strong willed and successful in battle no matter what. These kind of caricatures tend to get stale after a while for the repetitiveness they bring forth. The rendering of Babur was interesting for he loses more battles than he wins. Personally I have not read much on the Mughals beyond what I know from my history classes and Babur is only a name I associate with the first battle of Panipat. This is to say that the turns of fate in Babur’s life were all new to me. Fuelled by a desire to outshine his glorious ancestors – Timurlaine and Genghis Khan, the brash and young Babur sets out on military adventures which literally decimate him. While he fails time and again, the experiences make him a wiser soldier. The tables turn somewhere along the way and his unabashed ambition leads him across the Khyber Pass into India starting off what was known as the first battle of Panipat. Fought between the forces of Babur and the Delhi Sultan – Ibrahim Lodi, it was a decisive one in helping Babur establish a foothold in India. With the help of mercenaries from the Turkish army, Babur brought in artillery and canons into the battle which ended up killing the Sultan and securing the victory for Babur. The forces of Babur rode into Delhi and established the first leg of what was later to become the Mughal empire. The story also introduces the next player in – Humayun who became the second Mughal emperor who proves his valor in battle as a warrior prince against the Rajput ruler , Rana Sangha of Mewar.
A book on historic fiction about a warrior King/Emperor/Prince will always have its success latched firmly on how the author can describe scenes of battle. It is here that Alex Rutherford scores again for he does his job really well. The battle scenes are numerous and captured with all their bloody exaggerations. It tends to get a tad too gory but then it was not a benevolent time and the rulers were not benevolent either. Being the first book in the series, I did not find much to be distracted about other than mild and rather unwanted melodramatic scenes at places.
All considered, I am going to take up the next one in the series soon.
September 19, 2012
Nothing is Impossible
The book follows the epic saga of Babur, the first Moghul Emporor of Hindusthan (now India).
It has covered most of the details beautifully from his birth to his death, to all the hardships, joys and sorrows he faced, his arrogance and the grave mistakes that came from it and a taste of one of the greatest lineages and an empire that he would leave behind putting him in the league of the Romans, Napoleon and Alexander.
Once I started reading, I felt as though I had made a great mistake with reagrds to the events that took place in Babur's childhood such as how can a 12 year old sever the head of an older vizer in a single slash. Maybe it happened but I still don't believe it. But after reading for sometime, it did start getting intresting with the detailed battle scences from Ferghand, Samrkhand, Kabul and finally India.
Some parts actually dealt with the way of life of Babur, the people around him and of those he encountered in several countries which will be a treat for those who are interested in cross cultures. It actually reminded me of The Immortals of Meluha and The Secret of the Nagas.
After reading this book one can understand what Babur faced en route to create his vast empire. Summarising his entire life would be the basic definition of a hurricane.
In conclusion, I gave the book 3 stars coz (and this is my personal opinion) I felt that the book dragged on as though I was reading a 1000+ page novel even though it was only 400+ pages.
Also this is not what some one would describe a page turner.
This makes me somewhat skeptical of buying the other 3 in the Moghul series. But maybe sometime in the future....
The book follows the epic saga of Babur, the first Moghul Emporor of Hindusthan (now India).
It has covered most of the details beautifully from his birth to his death, to all the hardships, joys and sorrows he faced, his arrogance and the grave mistakes that came from it and a taste of one of the greatest lineages and an empire that he would leave behind putting him in the league of the Romans, Napoleon and Alexander.
Once I started reading, I felt as though I had made a great mistake with reagrds to the events that took place in Babur's childhood such as how can a 12 year old sever the head of an older vizer in a single slash. Maybe it happened but I still don't believe it. But after reading for sometime, it did start getting intresting with the detailed battle scences from Ferghand, Samrkhand, Kabul and finally India.
Some parts actually dealt with the way of life of Babur, the people around him and of those he encountered in several countries which will be a treat for those who are interested in cross cultures. It actually reminded me of The Immortals of Meluha and The Secret of the Nagas.
After reading this book one can understand what Babur faced en route to create his vast empire. Summarising his entire life would be the basic definition of a hurricane.
In conclusion, I gave the book 3 stars coz (and this is my personal opinion) I felt that the book dragged on as though I was reading a 1000+ page novel even though it was only 400+ pages.
Also this is not what some one would describe a page turner.
This makes me somewhat skeptical of buying the other 3 in the Moghul series. But maybe sometime in the future....
July 5, 2011
I got this as an advance review copy and at first could not get into it. Then on the second reading I stuck with it to the end.
As I look back at the book I see that it did not grab me. And as I continued through it, still it was not something I could say was outstanding. It dealt with a subject matter that you think could be rich for a historical novel. A conquering emperor who loses his capital more than once. The founder of the Moghul empire. Babur should be rich subject matter.
But Rutherford spends so much time telling me about Babur and his life and not showing me, that the reading is dry, not gripping as I mentioned and then rather boring as Babur fails so often that when he finally succeeds there is no passion in the story to show us that is was worth reading.
The author admits to making the device of a few characters, and with matters that happened five hundred years ago, I do not fault him. Where i do is that is a great medium to have provided us with dialogue instead of exposition. We have far too much of the latter. Not near enough of the former, and often in the case of dialogue it is long periods of exposition in any event.
With a conqueror, we want to hear about the battles, the kingly decisions, and struggles. What we have are long list of decisions but focused on why someone would need to be killed and how to do it. Battles, we don't have much of an overview that a commander would do. Babur gets into fights, we see a first person view, and miss his leading a battle. That surely had a great deal to do with victory, but we see little of it. And then the glimpse we have of his personal experience in the fight doesn't lead me to empathize with the protagonist.
This is the first of a multi part series. I would like to know what happens with the dynasty, but I find that I can not get past the writers style and therefore won't be reading any more of them.
As I look back at the book I see that it did not grab me. And as I continued through it, still it was not something I could say was outstanding. It dealt with a subject matter that you think could be rich for a historical novel. A conquering emperor who loses his capital more than once. The founder of the Moghul empire. Babur should be rich subject matter.
But Rutherford spends so much time telling me about Babur and his life and not showing me, that the reading is dry, not gripping as I mentioned and then rather boring as Babur fails so often that when he finally succeeds there is no passion in the story to show us that is was worth reading.
The author admits to making the device of a few characters, and with matters that happened five hundred years ago, I do not fault him. Where i do is that is a great medium to have provided us with dialogue instead of exposition. We have far too much of the latter. Not near enough of the former, and often in the case of dialogue it is long periods of exposition in any event.
With a conqueror, we want to hear about the battles, the kingly decisions, and struggles. What we have are long list of decisions but focused on why someone would need to be killed and how to do it. Battles, we don't have much of an overview that a commander would do. Babur gets into fights, we see a first person view, and miss his leading a battle. That surely had a great deal to do with victory, but we see little of it. And then the glimpse we have of his personal experience in the fight doesn't lead me to empathize with the protagonist.
This is the first of a multi part series. I would like to know what happens with the dynasty, but I find that I can not get past the writers style and therefore won't be reading any more of them.
April 4, 2014
Based in a large part on the Emperor Babur's autobiography, The Baburnama: Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emperor with much literary license of Rutherford to fill in gaps and to make a better novel, this story told of the life and deeds of an important historical figure, but I thought it nothing outstanding. This novel in telling of Central Asian and Indian culture of the 16th century does fill a gap in historical fiction of that part of the world at that time period, at least in English. This novel basically recounts Babur's life story, from his being declared king of Ferghana at a young age after the death of his father in a horrific accident; his war exploits; family life; and finally, the capturing of the land of Hindustan and founding the Moghul dynasty.
I never connected with any of the characters; the whole novel felt like some exotic tale from another world, at arm's length from me. In Babur's earlier battles, both won and lost, and earlier life, the book was boring for long stretches. I was not comfortable with it. It finally became interesting again with the journey through the Hindu Kush, with the avalanche, to conquer Kabul to the founding of a new dynasty in a new land. The final section with Babur and his eldest son was very moving. Although I know something of Indian history, I did learn some new things. I'm glad Rutherford did explain and define things in a simple manner for people who know nothing of that period. I felt the writing style was pedestrian, but I applaud Rutherford's tackling an unusual subject, at least for Westerners.
I never connected with any of the characters; the whole novel felt like some exotic tale from another world, at arm's length from me. In Babur's earlier battles, both won and lost, and earlier life, the book was boring for long stretches. I was not comfortable with it. It finally became interesting again with the journey through the Hindu Kush, with the avalanche, to conquer Kabul to the founding of a new dynasty in a new land. The final section with Babur and his eldest son was very moving. Although I know something of Indian history, I did learn some new things. I'm glad Rutherford did explain and define things in a simple manner for people who know nothing of that period. I felt the writing style was pedestrian, but I applaud Rutherford's tackling an unusual subject, at least for Westerners.
April 2, 2014
I have read earlier accounts of the life of Babur, king of Ferghana and first Mughal emperor of Hindustan (India), but other than Babur's own, remarkably fresh and candid but incomplete account, this is by far the best.
Babur inherited his kingdom at the age of twelve and lost it before he turned fifteen. He took Samarkand, the center of his ancestor Timur's (better known in the West as Tamerlane) empire, three times,only to lose it a few months later. Yet he refused to accept defeat, conquering and holding Kabul, then northern Hindustan, which his descendants ruled for the next 400+ years.
I loved the sensory detail and the fidelity to Babur's memoirs, the author's filling in of the many gaps in Babur's story. As a novelist, I did note that the reliance on the life of a historical person—and a very articulate one, at that—hems the author in, in a sense. The story continues past the point where a wholly invented novel would normally end, and Babur's reasons for leaving a place he loves to continue his quest for glory are not (to me) perfectly clear, despite the efforts made to explain them. It may be an inability on my part to project myself into the past. I would also have liked to see more of Babur's wives and his remarkable daughter Gulbadan, who has left an articulate, candid memoir of her own.
On the whole, though, this book is a real achievement, and I am very glad that Ancient and Medieval Historical Fiction picked it as a group read. I might otherwise have not have read it, and that would have been a pity.
Babur inherited his kingdom at the age of twelve and lost it before he turned fifteen. He took Samarkand, the center of his ancestor Timur's (better known in the West as Tamerlane) empire, three times,only to lose it a few months later. Yet he refused to accept defeat, conquering and holding Kabul, then northern Hindustan, which his descendants ruled for the next 400+ years.
I loved the sensory detail and the fidelity to Babur's memoirs, the author's filling in of the many gaps in Babur's story. As a novelist, I did note that the reliance on the life of a historical person—and a very articulate one, at that—hems the author in, in a sense. The story continues past the point where a wholly invented novel would normally end, and Babur's reasons for leaving a place he loves to continue his quest for glory are not (to me) perfectly clear, despite the efforts made to explain them. It may be an inability on my part to project myself into the past. I would also have liked to see more of Babur's wives and his remarkable daughter Gulbadan, who has left an articulate, candid memoir of her own.
On the whole, though, this book is a real achievement, and I am very glad that Ancient and Medieval Historical Fiction picked it as a group read. I might otherwise have not have read it, and that would have been a pity.
January 30, 2013
This was an OK read but I've read so many books that are similar. The problem with many writers taking real historical (and charismatic) leaders as their heroes is that they tend to overdo the uncertain, human element and forget that these individuals got where they did through a degree of sheer bloody one-mindedness and a lot of brutality (whether physical or political or both). They end up inventing friends (or creating personalities for genuine historical allies and associates) who have an almost unnatural loyalty to them that just does not ring true.
The major fault with this book was that it was a bit episodic in parts, jumping through time and just dealing with major events whereas earlier it concentrated a great deal on a steady buildup of story and character... it's almost as if Rutherford wanted to finish the book in a hurry.
All criticisms aside, it was still entertaining to a large extent and made me want to find out a little more about Babur and the Moghuls (which can't be a bad thing). It just wasn't special enough.
The major fault with this book was that it was a bit episodic in parts, jumping through time and just dealing with major events whereas earlier it concentrated a great deal on a steady buildup of story and character... it's almost as if Rutherford wanted to finish the book in a hurry.
All criticisms aside, it was still entertaining to a large extent and made me want to find out a little more about Babur and the Moghuls (which can't be a bad thing). It just wasn't special enough.
June 7, 2015
Disappointed, I have had this book on my wish list for a while, it never really got going for me and found reading it a chore, it was only my stubbornness that wouldn't let me abandon but I came very close. Think I better go back to Saxon times to cheer myself up.
March 10, 2021
আকাশের বিশাল শামিয়ানার নিচে প্রথম মোঘল সম্রাটের সমাধি বাতাস আর বৃষ্টির মাঝে অবারিত থাকবে।
খুব অল্প বয়সে বাবর তার বাবা কে হারিয়ে ফারগানার সুলতান হোন, তারপর সমরকন্দের সুলতান হয়ে কেবল ১০০দিন থাকতে পারে চক্রান্তের ফলস্রুতিতে সালতানাত বিহীন সুলতানে পর্যবসিত হয়ে আবার ঘুরে দাড়িয়ে একে একে ফারগানার ছোট ছোট অংশে আক্রমণ করে জয় লাভ করতে থাকেন...।
সাইবানি খান কে পরাজিত করে আবার সমরকন্দ দখল করেন...।কিন্তু সেটাও বেশিদিন স্থায়ী হয়না সে আবার সাইবানি খানের কাছে পরাজিত হয়ে পালিয়ে বেড়ান, তৈমুর এর বংশদর হিসেবে সেও স্বপ্ন দেখে সিন্দুতীরের হিন্দুস্থান জয়ের,
সাম্রাজ্য গড়ে তোলার স্বপ্নে সে বিভোর...সৌভাগ্যবশত কাবুলের সুলতান হোন তারপর আবার সাইবানি খানের সাথে যুদ্ধ অতঃপর পারস্যের সহযোগিতায় আবার সমরকন্দে ফিরে এলেও এবার তিক্ততা নিয়ে ফিরে যেতে হয়...।তারপর অটোমান রাজ্যের অস্ত্র দিয়ে দিল্লির সিংহাসন জয়ের পথে যাত্রা করেন...।পানিপথের যুদ্ধের মধ্য দিয়ে হিন্দুস্থান জয় করে সেখানে মোঘল সাম্রাজ্যের সূচনা করেন...।
খুব অল্প বয়সে বাবর তার বাবা কে হারিয়ে ফারগানার সুলতান হোন, তারপর সমরকন্দের সুলতান হয়ে কেবল ১০০দিন থাকতে পারে চক্রান্তের ফলস্রুতিতে সালতানাত বিহীন সুলতানে পর্যবসিত হয়ে আবার ঘুরে দাড়িয়ে একে একে ফারগানার ছোট ছোট অংশে আক্রমণ করে জয় লাভ করতে থাকেন...।
সাইবানি খান কে পরাজিত করে আবার সমরকন্দ দখল করেন...।কিন্তু সেটাও বেশিদিন স্থায়ী হয়না সে আবার সাইবানি খানের কাছে পরাজিত হয়ে পালিয়ে বেড়ান, তৈমুর এর বংশদর হিসেবে সেও স্বপ্ন দেখে সিন্দুতীরের হিন্দুস্থান জয়ের,
সাম্রাজ্য গড়ে তোলার স্বপ্নে সে বিভোর...সৌভাগ্যবশত কাবুলের সুলতান হোন তারপর আবার সাইবানি খানের সাথে যুদ্ধ অতঃপর পারস্যের সহযোগিতায় আবার সমরকন্দে ফিরে এলেও এবার তিক্ততা নিয়ে ফিরে যেতে হয়...।তারপর অটোমান রাজ্যের অস্ত্র দিয়ে দিল্লির সিংহাসন জয়ের পথে যাত্রা করেন...।পানিপথের যুদ্ধের মধ্য দিয়ে হিন্দুস্থান জয় করে সেখানে মোঘল সাম্রাজ্যের সূচনা করেন...।
September 9, 2024
I've been reading this book in fits and starts for the past year, and now finally finished it. I want to learn more about the Mogul Empire, and I find that the best way for me to get the basics of a new historical period Down is to read historical fiction. There is little in the way of historical fiction in English about the Mogul Empire, so I'm grateful to have this series. The story is full of adventure and lots of battles, but not a great deal of character development to help the reader identify with or route for Any character.
April 5, 2020
Can't wait to read the sequels!!
August 30, 2016
Conn Iggulden introduced me to historical novels - biographies of great personalities told as a story. I had read the first three parts of the Conqueror series by him and I wanted to know more about Indian history so I started off with this novel, hoping to acquaint myself with Babur - the first Mughal emperor of India. And though I absolutely do not regret having chosen this book, I have to say that I found Conn Iggulden's style of writing much more well rounded. The authors (Alex Rutherford is a pen name for Diana and Michael Preston) have told a story nicely but it could have been made to shine if the pace were more consistent and the language more appropriate to the age the story belongs to.
Though Babur's story is interesting and full of ups and downs, Genghis Khan's story in the Conqueror series by Conn Iggulden was much more fascinating - but of course, that is not the author's fault - after all, every story is meant to be told.
All historical novels need fictional characters and events to hold tight, the canvas on which the tale is painted. However, I would have liked it better if the two most important characters depicted in the novel were not fictional. Characters of peripheral importance often need to be created to "spice up" the story or to support a set of incidents but when a character encompasses a lifetime and its presence in the protagonists' lives leads to major life decisions, it feels strange when one later finds out that the character was a figment of the author's imagination.
However, this book is a really well told story and I will surely read the rest in the series by the author - I want to know the history of the Mughals and how they integrated into the fabric of India.
Though Babur's story is interesting and full of ups and downs, Genghis Khan's story in the Conqueror series by Conn Iggulden was much more fascinating - but of course, that is not the author's fault - after all, every story is meant to be told.
All historical novels need fictional characters and events to hold tight, the canvas on which the tale is painted. However, I would have liked it better if the two most important characters depicted in the novel were not fictional. Characters of peripheral importance often need to be created to "spice up" the story or to support a set of incidents but when a character encompasses a lifetime and its presence in the protagonists' lives leads to major life decisions, it feels strange when one later finds out that the character was a figment of the author's imagination.
However, this book is a really well told story and I will surely read the rest in the series by the author - I want to know the history of the Mughals and how they integrated into the fabric of India.
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