Moghul: The Serpent's Tooth

 This is the latest, and fifth, in my bedtime reading of Alex Rutherford's historical fiction series on the early Mughal emperors. This book focuses on Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal emperor.

Shah Jahan was born in 1592 as Prince Khurram, the son of Emperor Jahangir and the grandson of Akbar the Great. After a struggle for succession following Jahangir's death, in which he killed all competitors, he became emperor in 1628. Shah Jahan strengthened Mughal imperial authority and maintained a large empire of over 100 million people. He led military campaigns in India's Deccan region, though he failed to capture Kandahar from the Persian Empire.

He is best known for the buildings he commissioned, which were so expensive that they nearly emptied the treasury. The most famous is the Taj Mahal, built in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631. Other famous sites include the Red Fort in Delhi and Jama Masjid, one of India's largest mosques. While these were fabulous buildings, they don't necessarily make for great fiction, though the author does capture his obsession with both his wife and the building. 

As with almost all of the series, his rule ended in a succession dispute. The savage ‘throne or coffin’ traditions of his ancestors – descendants of Genghis Khan and Tamburlaine. Unusually, his children were from the same wife, which he hoped would minimise conflict. In 1657, Shah Jahan fell seriously ill, though Rutherford argues his children used this as an excuse to revolt against the eldest son and likely successor, Dara Shikoh. Another son, Aurangzeb, defeated his rivals in the war of succession and imprisoned Shah Jahan in Agra Fort. He died in 1666 and was buried beside Mumtaz Mahal in the Taj Mahal.

I've enjoyed this series, and we have played a few games of Scourge of Princes, dusting off my 28mm collection. The first book was the best, although, in fairness, Babur has the best storyline. A Disney TV series is based on the books, but sadly it is only streamed in India. Hello Disney, people outside India are interested in Indian history!