The Last Mughal

I read The Last Mughal by William Dalrymple a few weeks ago. I must admit that I've never enjoyed history more. It's a colourful account of the way Delhi saw the 1857 uprising. I have deliberately avoided using any of the terms "The First War of Independence" and "The Sepoy Mutiny" because both are equally controversial after having read the book.

I had read about the events of 1857 in CBSE history books, CSR articles, and editorials of Independence Day and I had seen a couple of movies that glorified the Indian heroism and the ideology of 'what could have been'. But I guess I never knew the entire story. True, Indians were subject to barbaric treatment. The British were trying to convert Hindus and Muslims alike to Christianity. The sepoys were being suppressed inhumanly. The resistance was inevitable. But as the soldiers rode to Delhi, they killed the British men, women and children blindly. The British residents that survived have written accounts of most horrific murders of innocent lives. And this makes me cringe to think of the fact that reminds me of Godhra and Ayodhya.

Another aspect I didn't know of was the adulteration of the uprising with "jihad". Yes, not missing the opportunity, Islami extremists even then differentiated the Muslims of Delhi and called upon them to fight for jihad against the British. This move alienated the Hindus of the city and disrupted the unity.

All these events put Bahadur Shah Zafar in a fix. I would rightly call him the reluctant Emperor - the poet in pearls.

Ofcourse the book also mentions interesting anecdotes of our very own Ghalib and the lesser known Zauq who was supposedly saner of the two, and hence looked down upon by the former.

The best part about reading this book was that I felt the glory of the city of Delhi that was and I lived the misery of the ruins that still lie gaping with shell marks all over them. I just hope that they are all restored to remind us of the past we can never wash our hands clean off, and they don't demolish any more monuments.