Product Description

On a dark evening in November 1862, a cheap coffin is buried in eerie silence. There are no lamentations or panegyrics, for the British Commissioner in charge has insisted, 'No vesting will remain to distinguish where the last of the Great Mughals rests.' This Mughal is Bahadur Shah Zafar II, one of the most tolerant and likeable of his remarkable dynasty who found himself leader of a violent and doomed uprising. The Siege of Delhi was the Raj's Stalingrad, the end of both Mughal power and a remarkable culture.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #46708 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 608 pages

Review
'Dalrymple is an outstandingly gifted travel writer and historian who excels himself in his latest work' Max Hastings, Sunday Times 'Vivid ... unmatched ... revolutionary ... humane ... No previous book has delved so deeply into the history of Delhi in those days, nor painted such a vivid portrait of the late Mughal court' Sunday Telegraph 'Brims with life, colour and complexity ... outstanding ... one of the best history books of the year' Evening Standard 'Magnificent ... shames the simplistic efforts of previous writers' Spectator

C. A. Bayly, Vere Harmsworth Professor of Imperial and Naval History, University of Cambridge
`William Dalrymple tells this dramatic and tragic story with
literary elegance, erudition and a wealth of new material'

Michael H. Fisher, Danforth Professor of History, Oberlin College, USA
`A striking new perspective on the tragic events of 1857 as
centred on Delhi'

Customer Reviews

The Last Mughal by William Dalrymple
This is an astounding read; William Dalrymple at his finest and strongest. Drawing upon a wealth of previously unpublished material from the Indian National Archive, Dalrymple presents the Indian Mutiny of 1857, the events leading up to it, and its aftermath with unprecedented breadth. The subject has been deeply researched and there are extensive, informative, footnotes throughout. For students of the period this book should be mandatory reading. But part of its brilliance is that this book is, for the general reader, a highly accessible read - the narrative flows and moves at a gripping pace. The story is a tribute to the civilians of Delhi, caught like proverbial grains of wheat between the giant millstones of the opposing factions. Whilst it relates to events of 150 years ago powerful contemporary messages are reinforced. That racial and religious intolerance and bigotry serve to spawn extremism and "self righteous hysteria".

The Last Mughal - A Review
Written with erudition and a flowing style, William Dalrymple conjures up the spectacle of Mughal Delhi in its twilight superbly.

William Dalrymple's painstaking research brings to a wider view, documents and first-hand accounts from Indian and Pakistani sources (including the last Emperor's) which have not been acknowledged by Western historians before. The resulting story captures the grand sweep of events spiced with vignettes about each of the key personalities and testaments to their characters - quite apart from being an enthralling read it could convert into a great film.

The Last Mughal cannot be recommended too highly - it's a superb piece of a scholarship from a writer who has a strong feeling for for India's past and present. It tells of the events which created modern India and neatly dovetails these with the pressures it faces today.

A superb book from a superb writer.

Fantastic read
I have just finished this book, I enjoyed every page thoroughly. Do not be put off by the size of this book, I finished it too soon. William Dalrymple has a tremendous knowledge of his subject and a real sympathy for the people of Delhi. This history is highly scolarly yet a real page turner, there is humour as well as horror. If you liked this apart from Dalrymple's other books 'The Moghul Throne' by Abraham Eraly is a great book too (another reviewer has made this recommendation, I second it).