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Profile of a Forgotten Capital : Murshidabad in the Eighteenth Century /
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The role of Murshidabad, the capital of Bengal in the eighteenth century, in the political, social and economic life of the province is now almost lost to public memory. But the history of Murshidabad during the period is indeed a saga of romantic as well as tragic events which is unique. It's a pity that most works on Murshidabad, though commendable, were written a long time back. No doubt, quite a few excellent books and articles on the subject were published in the last several decades but unfortunately they deal with only certain aspects, and were not comprehensive histories of Murshidabad. So it was imperative to write a book covering all the aspects of the former capital. Here the author has tried to narrate an authentic history of Murshidabad with the help of evidence, both qualitative and quantitative, collected from various archives and libraries in Europe and India for more than four decades. He establishes in the book that it was the time of the Nawabi regime in the first half of the eighteenth century when Bengal witnessed its 'golden age'. He also explains critically and elaborately the activities of the three merchant-princes, and gives a new interpretation of the reasons behind the Plassey conspiracy and the subsequent revolution. The volume comes up with interesting facts about the Begums of Murshidabad, and finally, makes a critical analysis of Murshidabad's trade, industry, and economy on the one hand, and the society, culture and architecture on the other - all of which makes it a significant contribution on the subject.
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1 online resource (232 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004752269
The Forgotten Mughals : A History of the Later Emperors of the House of Babar (1707-1857) /
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A hundred and fifty years lie between the death of Aurangzeb and the final extinction of the Mughal empire. In its first hundred and fifty years the empire had seen six rulers, but during the next century and a half the Qila-i-Mualla would witness the passage of as many as eleven emperors-if one leaves out the six or seven failed pretenders. It was a period of violence and disorder, with armies constantly on the march across a landscape of increasing misery, impoverishment and desolation. The Forgotten Mughals is the story of these largely pageant emperors with their increasingly ineffectual ministers, and their gradual decline into irrelevance while younger and more powerful forces, both Indian and foreign, grappled with each other for the mastery of Hindostan. The landmark events like the wars of succession, the dictatorship of the Syed brothers, the Nadir Shahi and Durrani invasions with their attendant horrors, the bloodbath of Panipat and the final sack of Delhi in 1857 are all covered in detail. The book's strength lies in its anecdotal details, like that of young Muhammad Shah, hiding behind the ample skirts of the formidable Sadr un-Nissa, superintendent of the harem, and of Bidar Dil cowering in a closet, while the emissaries of Qutb-ul-Mulk tried, in vain, to convince his women that they had, in fact, come to call him to the throne. And who will believe today that, as part of the 'retributive justice' of the British, for nearly twenty years the Zinat masjid in Daryaganj was used as a bakery, and that the basement of the Fatehpuri mosque was sold to Seth Chuna Mall?
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1 online resource (556 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004752283