Mar 31, 2009 09:22 PM
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*This one is for all the History Lovers and every soul thats interested to know the India at the time of 1857. Its one of the most unbiased peace of work by any author. William Dalrymples tells us the story with so much concern and pain that we all get lost in that era
The book starts with the funeral of Bahadur Shah Zafar who dies in exile in old age unceremoniously once a king of India now addressed as Prisoner of Delhi.
There is a great deal of research done on the life that was in Delhi before 1857, how things had gone sour between the British rulers and the locals when British started their missionary work of converting natives a policy which it realized was a mistake and made amends after the uprising. Delhi such an amazing city it was full of extremely talented people, Poets, cooks, calligraphers and thier helpless King was was just a puppet.
The Author also explains how Bahadur Shah was reluctant to lead the sepoy mutiny but has no choice but to lead it most of our post Indepence books call the sepoys heros but most of them were themselves involved in plundering Delhi.
And most of the account has come from the great poet Mirza Ghalibs Autobiography mutiny or uprising was basically led by a upper caste soldiers but gradually how it took a shape of Jihad and the British who were as islamphobic as they are now turned blamed it as a islamic conspiracy ranging from Turkey to India
There are startling revelations which I think are must or all Indians to know. things like Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a product of a Madarsa, and how the British had boecome Angels of Deaths hanging any Innocent Delhiwala that came across, The Murder of 3 princes and the hanging of 19 princes besides the rape of countless royals in Delhi
Its even more shocking to know that the Jamma Masjid was under british troops till 1860 and most of the inhabitants of Delhi were living in refugee camps like Gypsies for many years. Its a Masterpiece a great revelation for every India*
