The Last Mughal by William Dalrymple

What a book, it is a historical masterpiece, completely factual and yet read like a novel end to end. This book should on the educational curriculum of every Indian and Pakistani. This is the second time I have read this book and have been impressed twice as much with the depth of material on offer. Darlymple has presented a very vivid picture of a lost history from the loser's perspective. He has brought to life the very culturally rich era of the Muslims who ruled India once, which are no more unfortunately. No Indian Muslim can come close to what the martial and intellectual race of Muslims of pre-1857 era possessed, and that is art of ruling without regard to religion. The last vestiges of which are glimpsed in this wonderful narrative. I loved the ending which contains a great lesson for the present. When the balanced is shifted towards one too much. Darlymple clearly points a finger at the Muslim resentment felt after the takeover of Hindus of their properties and favours who fully exploited the wrong English Islamophobic campaign, finally culminating into Partition of India and Pakistan. He also clearly outlines the two strategies adopted by the Muslims in the aftermath of 1857, one embracing West and the other refusing Western values completely. What a book.