The Peacock Throne: The Drama of Mogul IndiaEpics of history are rare and The Peacock Throne is one of them. No royal lineage offers such a spectacle of high drama as the Mogul Dynasty of India which created the world`s most famous monument-the Taj Mahal. Not since Greek tradedy has there been so stark a revelation of the excesses of human behavior: incest, fratricide sons revolting continuously against fathers and the madness of uncontrolled aggression. These are the forces animating The Peacock Throne which brings India to both Eastern and Western readers as never before. |
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Page 6
... tion transforming death into some ultimate luxury . Against this perfect symbol , the Moguls acted out their violent obsession . Death was the impulse behind their power , their couchant lion against a rising sun . Part I PRIDE AND A ...
... tion transforming death into some ultimate luxury . Against this perfect symbol , the Moguls acted out their violent obsession . Death was the impulse behind their power , their couchant lion against a rising sun . Part I PRIDE AND A ...
Page 9
... tion or who for various reasons rose in the peculiar Mogul hierarchy . Hence the young Shah Jahan was known as Prince Khurram , and other mem- bers of the royal family as well as nobles of the realm all had several different names . In ...
... tion or who for various reasons rose in the peculiar Mogul hierarchy . Hence the young Shah Jahan was known as Prince Khurram , and other mem- bers of the royal family as well as nobles of the realm all had several different names . In ...
Page 12
... yielding once and for all . At Agra , he performed obligatory ceremonial prostra- tion at Akbar's feet . The emperor , in front of attending no- bles , accepted this display of submission . But the [ 12 ] THE PEACOCK THRONE.
... yielding once and for all . At Agra , he performed obligatory ceremonial prostra- tion at Akbar's feet . The emperor , in front of attending no- bles , accepted this display of submission . But the [ 12 ] THE PEACOCK THRONE.
Page 15
... tion , and a few years ' war will not decide the inveterate mal- ice laid up on all parts against a day of vengeance . " It would be a terrifying day , in the light of those un- bridled emotions which the Moguls so freely displayed ...
... tion , and a few years ' war will not decide the inveterate mal- ice laid up on all parts against a day of vengeance . " It would be a terrifying day , in the light of those un- bridled emotions which the Moguls so freely displayed ...
Page 22
... they had to be capable civil administrators . Promo- tion depended on performance in both categories , or on the emperor's whim . Salaries were astronomical , especially for those days : commanders [ 22 ] THE PEACOCK THRONE.
... they had to be capable civil administrators . Promo- tion depended on performance in both categories , or on the emperor's whim . Salaries were astronomical , especially for those days : commanders [ 22 ] THE PEACOCK THRONE.
Contents
A Lovers Farewell | 270 |
Pursuit in the Punjab | 280 |
Enigma in Arakan | 303 |
FALL OF THE HOUSE OF TIMUR | 329 |
Fate of the Innocents | 387 |
A La Tour Abolie | 413 |
This Stupendous Caravan of Sin | 467 |
Epilogue | 488 |
67 | |
FAMILY PORTRAIT | 91 |
Intermezzo at Agra | 93 |
A Voice from the Womb | 106 |
The Smell of Apples | 116 |
Martial Airs | 131 |
9 | 144 |
10 | 161 |
Paradise on Earth | 179 |
THE WAR OF SUCCESSION | 193 |
12 | 195 |
An Invasion of Cobras | 210 |
The Crystal Tower | 228 |
The Battle of Samugarh | 244 |
A Game of Finesse | 258 |
Acknowledgments | 495 |
K1 ix | 499 |
29 | 506 |
67 | 515 |
93 | 517 |
106 | 522 |
116 | 524 |
144 | 525 |
160 | 548 |
210 | 550 |
228 | 553 |
244 | 554 |
270 | 556 |
303 | 559 |
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Common terms and phrases
Agra Agra fort Ajmer Akbar already army artillery Asaf Khan Aurang Aurangzeb Bakhsh battle became become Bengal Bernier Bijapur brother Burhanpur camp cavalry cited SAB command crown prince Dara Shikoh Dara's daughter dead death Deccan defeat Delhi elephant emperor enemy English eunuch European father forces fortress Ganges Golconda gold Gujarat harem head Hindu Hindustan holy horse ibid imperial India Islam Itibar Jahanara Jahangir Jai Singh Jaswant Singh Jumla Jumna Kandahar Khalilullah Khan Khan's Khusrau King Koran ladies Lahore later letter Mahabat Khan Malik Jiwan Manucci Maratha miles military Mir Jumla Mogul court Mogul Empire Mohammed Sultan Moslem Mumtaz Mahal Murad mystic nobles Nur Jahan officers palace Parwiz Persian Princess prisoner province Punjab rajah Rajput rangzeb Raushanara Begum rebel Red Fort river royal rupees Samugarh Sarmad seemed sent Shah Jahan Shuja soldiers soon Sufi Sulaiman Shikoh Surat thousand throne tion tomb troops zeb's
Popular passages
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Page 154 - Through these perverted opinions he had given up the prayers, fasting, and other obligations imposed by the law. ... It became manifest that if Dara Shukoh obtained the throne and established his power, the foundations of the faith would be in danger and the precepts of Islam would be changed for the rant of infidelity and Judaism.
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