Fall of the Mughal Empire - Vol. I Hardcover – 1991

Good looking strong book, Pages quality is not best but good for the price. It is not a printed hardcover just a paper cover on binding.

Good

The historical matters were recorded, either by king himself or someone who is closely associated. Some are chronicled by historians and travelers. A character or event may be interpreted differently in terms of language, text and dialects across different region. Some of these are preserved and some have no official records. When the subject of Mughal Empire is broached, there are extensive records and chronicles related to Babur, Humayan, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah-Jahan and Aurangzeb. However, you hardly find a good book on later rulers and the events that subvert Mughal empire. To collate both recorded and hitherto unrecorded data, a person should be not only able to unearth every possible data on the subject but also familiar with language wherever applicable. The initiative was however taken by William Irvine and after his death, the onus was on Sir Jadunath Sarkar to complete it. In pursuit of his research , he travelled extensively to lay his hand on wherever he could find. He learned several languages like Portuguese, Persian, Arabic, Sanskrit, Marathi and Rajastani to read some rare manuscripts. While into the first few pages, I came to understand why he is hold in such high esteem. This is 1st of the 4th volumes. He has narrated unheard events in a precise manner but never made it unnecessarily lengthy. Though the The Mughal Empire had lasted more than 3 centuries, but it started crumbling after 2 centuries of its existence. Till Aurangzeb, the empire had grown in wealth, territory and army and its authority was virtually unchallenged. The whole of Hindustan and Deccan came under its rule. Those who resisted them fought futile battles. What caused its fall then? Why in few years it reached its nadir from zenith? Why it peter out in 40-50 years? A single event cannot bring downfall of an empire of such magnitude and size. This book highlights some of the causes during the period 1739-1754. During the end of the period, the last few vestiges remain of Mughal Empire pride and authority. The factors that led to its downfall are given below:a)Later Mughal rulers were too weak and insipid to regain lost territories or even holding on to their ownb)Some of the later rulers never received any training on government affairs or military warfare; Most never led a contingentc)After control of unified central government cease to exist, the nobles were always at loggerhead and scuffle became a norm. They began to group themselves, according to race. The atmosphere was acrimonious and most people were perfidious.d)Marathas grew from strength to strength and played a decisive role in military strategy, pacts and peace terms & conditions. There aligned themselves to parties who paid them handsomely. They humiliated and diminish the role of Mughal authority. Marathas became the new master. They became the arbitrator.e)Invasion of Delhi by Nadir Shah serious dented an aura about Mughal might. It was a shattering blow from which Mughal Empire never recovered.f)Aurangzeb policies alienated its major alliesg)After central imperial authorities began to diminish, Rajput princes turned their sword against each other. There was civil war like situation within a family which involved other neighboring states as well. They were confined to their own country. They also became incapable of adjusting to new mode of warfare and latest equipments. There are characters and events that only few people must have known. The outcome is the work of extensive research. You are bound to appreciate his dedication and mastery on the subject. You are also bound to appreciate his painstaking efforts to collate data, verify facts and presenting it in such a simplified manner to readers. I’m looking forward to read 2nd volume on the subject. However this is not available in a single e-commerce site. The book comprising all 4 volume is recommended, just to acquire whatever knowledge possible from his huge body of work.