Aurangzeb [Paperback] [Jan 01, 2018] Audrey Truschke Paperback – January 16, 2018

The fact that a political party is trying to discredit this author based on myths can only increase this book's sales. I actually found this book to be very well researched and closer to reality than a myth perpetuated by a religious political party. Aurangzeb was no worse than peers of his time. He employed people from all religions in his administration and was equally brutal to all religions, including his own family. The Mughals were unmatched by any race or religion in architecture (Taj Mahal, Shalimar Gardens, Lahore Fort) and that is their contribution to the World. They were an expansionist dynasty and under Aurangzeb their empire reached the widest, even larger than present day India. Eagerly looking forward to the next book by this author.

This book will really challenge your notion of Aurangzeb as a Hindu-hating bigot, as was first pushed by the British to create a wedge between Hindus and Muslims, and then by right-wing Hindu nationalists to propagate their idea of a non-secular Hindu India. Aurangzeb was no saint, but his destruction of temples is vastly exaggerated and wrongly implied to be his hate for Hinduism- they were a result of war between kingdoms, not religion.

This is a sympathetic, short on detail, biography of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb is considered by many to be a religious bigot, who destroyed Hindu temples, killed a Sikh guru during his reign, and overall had negative attitude toward non-muslims in India. The author admits that some of it is true, however she challenged most of this narrative, by suggesting that Aurangzeb wasn't radically different from his predecessors. The basic premise of author's argument is that Aurangzeb is being judged by today's standards. And it is politically convenient for many to give bigot label to Aurangzeb. She cites evidence of how Hindu nobility increased during his reign. It is true that Aurangzeb destroyed some Hindu temples but there were some special circumstances. I wish the author would have written in more detail. Overall it's is an interesting glimpse into Aurangzeb's life.

The best book , open and clear , highly recommend it . Truth will prevail and Truth is bound to prevail

An empathetic account of a misunderstood emperor. Truly well researched and presented in a manner that forces you to look beyond the stereotype. An eye opener.

Had expected to purchase the unvarnished versionThe book delivered to me states it's for sale in Indian sub-continent onlyThe seller's stated ISBN# is an exact match though !

This book is academic in style but is nonetheless highly readable. One main theme of the book is that the historical Aurangzeb and the present political use of Aurangzeb are not the same person--browse the reviews, and it becomes evident that this Mughal emperor remains a potent political symbol. Personally, I think this book is excellent and extremely well-written, and seems to be thoroughly researched.The political Auranbzeb, says Truschke means different things to Hindus and to Muslims. In Pakistan, he is used by some activists as a model for a particular and stringent version of Islam, seeing in Aurangzeb a pious and intensely Muslim emperor. In India, say Truschke, Aurangzeb is used by some fundamentalist Hindus as a symbol of evil, pointing to the emperor as a murderer of millions of Hindus who destroyed thousands of temples. Neither version is accutate, argues this book. He did make war, especially in India's south. He at times acted the ideal Muslim. But Truschke argues that while he was in fact a pious and austere man, he was also practical and compromised his religious scruples when political reality required it. He used numerous Hindus in his administration, including powerful financial advisers and many important military figures.There are many "facts" about Aurangzeb that are widely accepted but which Truschke finds to be untrue. For example, it is widely thought that the emperor banned music in the empire, but really only banned some forms of music in his court.What this book tries to do is see Aurangzeb in his own terms, obviously a difficult endeavor. I think the book does it well. An appendix describes the difficulty of finding, reading and interpreting the various historical documents (which exist in several languages and are widely scattered). I bibliographic essay is helpful, as well. Both will help a reader better understand this book.Given the current use of Aurangzeb as a powerful symbol, the facts of his life and reign will probably never be corrected, but a reader who wants to better understand this important and controversial emperor should read the book.

A fascinating and well-researched study of what is actually known about the life of the Mughal Emperor. Timely and important to read in order to develop a balanced view of the life of the controversial ruler. As current political forces in India (and Pakistan) use and misuse inherited as well as freshly created stories of Aurangzeb's rule this short book draws the reader back to the realities of the socio-political standards and ethics of his time rather than attempt to judge a medieval ruler by contemporary standards. Mughal relations with prominent Rajput maharajas as well as the Maratha "king" Shivaji are covered as well.