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:  40 reviews
Sales Rank: 6998
Media: Paperback
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 35 more reviews...
 Commendable Research July 17, 2008
I have read almost all of Dalrymple's books and have enjoyed his impeccable style of narrative. His descriptions take you for why you read his subjects: to walk into history with him following his zest for showing you what other historian will not. His "City of Djinns" (a portrait of Delhi) and "From the Holy Mountain" (his travels to what was Eastern Byzantium, visiting the dying culture of monasteries, etc) and are very well-written and absorbing, specially for me who has never been to Delhi or the present day Turkey, reading both these books was an experience of unimaginable insight.
The Last Mughal is Dalrymple's combination of style with heaps of incredible research, his reference to the 20,000 or so Mutiny Papers in the National Archives in India were something that no other researcher laid his hands on. Dalrymple has smartly dealt with the Delhi during mutiny in microcosm of what the ordinary citizen felt or went through, so much so that he has cast his "net" on people such as sweetmeat shop owners, courtesans, weavers, bird-catchers etc. His research doesn't end here but goes further to Lahore, from where he culled out papers, notes and letters from British General who masterminded the siege of Delhi when it was surrounded by the rebellious sepoys. It is with his indefatigable research and with his years of experience on this subject, that he has produced the Last Mughal and one wonders in awe of its sheer size and volume.
If you're really interested in knowing the socio-political climate of Delhi during the Mutiny (in 1857) and after that read this book to get a hold of the period and also enjoy Dalrymple's best work to date.
The Last Mughul: the author's style is refreshing in some aspects. July 15, 2008
While I was not familiar with this author, the book's title seemed interesting. Although I am a life commited student of history, more than an overview, India's past was a mystery. After the first chapter, I was searching for other titles by the author. Unfortunately, the majority are paperback.
Written by a "boot on the ground," many passages are heart breaking. To the spoils, the conquerer, I suppose; but such epic forms of art from poetry to the palace of a thousand columns were not considered worthy to preserve. The Last Mughal has renewed my respect for the people of India and left me to want more.
A nicely hard bound book at a very reasonable price filled with information by someone who lived much of it, I cannot recommend this work enough. William Dalrymple is an author now added to those who's labors I seek out and an admirable addition to my library.
Mutiny and Revenge May 25, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
What a remarkable book. A very thorough retelling of the 1857 mutiny by Indian troops against the British at Delhi, how it so nearly succeeded in driving the British out of northern India, and the terrible revenge wrecked by the British army once they again had the uppper hand.
The author has written extensively about India and Delhi in particular. His familiarity with the site and its history contributes greatly to the success of this book. He manages a huge cast of characters, both British and Indian, identifies the issues of the day and brings the reader right into the action. While not a military history, it features some of the best writing about battle scenes I have ever read.
Last Mughal,The May 9, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
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