The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty: Delhi, 1857 (Vintage) | 
| Author: William Dalrymple
Publisher: Vintage
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  37 reviews
Sales Rank: 12123
Media: Paperback
Edition: Reprint
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 592
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.2 x 1.3
ISBN: 1400078334
Dewey Decimal Number: 954.0317
EAN: 9781400078332
ASIN: 1400078334
Publication Date: March 11, 2008
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Product Description
In this evocative study of the fall of the Mughal Empire and the beginning of the Raj, award-winning historian William Dalrymple uses previously undiscovered sources to investigate a pivotal moment in history.
The last Mughal emperor, Zafar, came to the throne when the political power of the Mughals was already in steep decline. Nonetheless, Zafar—a mystic, poet, and calligrapher of great accomplishment—created a court of unparalleled brilliance, and gave rise to perhaps the greatest literary renaissance in modern Indian history. All the while, the British were progressively taking over the Emperor's power. When, in May 1857, Zafar was declared the leader of an uprising against the British, he was powerless to resist though he strongly suspected that the action was doomed. Four months later, the British took Delhi, the capital, with catastrophic results. With an unsurpassed understanding of British and Indian history, Dalrymple crafts a provocative, revelatory account of one the bloodiest upheavals in history.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 32 more reviews...
 Last Mughal,The May 9, 2008
Dalrymple masterfully lays down the foundation by first giving an account of how the British dominated India culturally,politically and militarily in the early 19th century and how in the wake of 1857 mutiny the Raj totally subjugated India bringing her under British rule.
Last years of Zafar; ruthless hanging, shooting and murders of Delhi residents provide vivid images of the turmoil.
What is even more surprising is the length to which Dalrymple carried out is research of archives in libraries in India as well as in England.
Superb Scholarship April 10, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The Last Mughal starts somewhat slowly but picks up steam as it moves to the actual sepoy rebellion and its long lasting consequences. Dalrymple has done a brilliant job of digging through the original documentary material of the period. He quotes at length from letters, diaries, journals, court records, etc., many of them written in admirable Victorian prose. (One could only wish that contemporary writing was as elegant or eloquent.) Perhaps most interesting of all in this exciting but melancholy tale is how its impact can be traced to the contemporary upheavals in the Muslim Middle East.
The work's minor flaws are not so much the fault of the author as of the publisher. The abundant use of Indian words can cause confusion and the glossary at the rear contains only some of them. Similarly, references to sections of Delhi and its surroundings would have been immeasurably helped had some maps or at least sketches of mid-19th century Delhi been added. All in all, however, a superb and at the same time very readable work of scholarship.
The 1857 Indian Mutiny brought to life April 4, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Bahadur Shah II (a.k.a. Zafar) was the last of the Indian Mughal emperors and is not given much attention in history texts. The Last Mughal brings to life the richness and artistry along with political intrigue and daily court life during Zafar's rein. As author Dalrymple has used a variety of both British as well as Indian sources, his accounts provide a rich and detailed narrative of events and daily life in Delhi a century and half ago.
The theme around which Dalrymple weaves his narrative is a contemporary one: intolerance for the "other." As Christian evangelical activity increases in India, many of them believe that Britain has been given this empire to convert Hindus and Muslims to the "true faith." On the other side, religious attitudes are also hardening as the Muslims turn towards a more radical form of Islam. In May 1857, Indian sepoys (soldiers) serving in the British army mutinied (primarily out of fear that the British were out to corrupt Islam and Hinduism), and they coerce Zafar to be their leader. Zafar reluctantly agrees. After a bitter siege, the British capture Delhi. Civilians, guilty and innocent, friend and foe, are shot, stabbed and hung while homes are systematically looted. The weak (elderly, women and children) are driven out of the city to die of exposure, disease and starvation. Zafar is exiled to Burma where he dies and is buried in an unmarked grave (so his grave and remains can never be found).
However, in the mists of such horrifying atrocities, there are moments of humanity. Throughout the siege, Zafar refuses to alienate the Hindus by giving in to the demands of the extremist Muslims. He also refuses to take the life of the British who were given sanctuary at his court. Muslims gave shelter to British families as British Punjabi Muslim regiments fought against fellow Muslims in the line of duty.
The reader experiences all of this through Zafar and his court. While the events are historical, Dalrymple's writing style is fluid and easy to read - making this work read more like a novel than a history book.
Armchair Interview says: A fresh perspective on Zafar and the Indian Mutiny of 1857.
The Last Mughal (Hardcover) by William Dalrymple March 25, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Excellent buy, again another great book by William Dalrymple. A must for people wanting to know about the subject, written beautifully by WD.
A timely history lesson. March 18, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Just what you expect from an excellent history book: less opinion, more research and good writing. This book destroys (and I mean destroys) a lot of conjecture and partisan drivel that, at least in India, is being taught as history of our first war against the colonizers. "The Last Mughal" shows that for all its flaws - of which there were many - the revolt was born out of a genuine sense of revulsion and anger over British actions. It shows that what the British did to Delhi in the aftermath of the war was nothing short of genocide. And it shows that Zafar, as kind and gentle as he may have been, wasn't the hero our text books tell us he was. In fact, we (Indians) seem to have conveniently forgotten the ones we should truly remember.
In my opinion, this book will not only be a good read for all those who want to know more about this tumultuous period in Indian history but also for anyone who still, appallingly, believes that the British rule turned out "pretty good" for India. Above all, I consider this book a must-read for someone who lives in Delhi, used to live in Delhi or wants to live in Delhi. It's a timely reminder of the heights this great city scaled and where it can, still, reach.
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