3 Review(s)

Empire Of The Moghul: The Tainted Throne by Alex Rutherford is a tantalizing account of the struggle for the Moghul throne, where multiple factions contend for power. Summary Of The Book The fourth book in the globally acclaimed series, Empire of the Moghul: The Tainted Throne is about a race for power and its consequences. Set amidst Jahangir’s reign in 1606 Agra, the book is one of betrayal and bloodshed. The book contains a unique paradox; Jahangir had battled his father himself. In Empire Of The Moghul: The Tainted Throne, he faces an impending battle with Khurram, his most capable son. Timur the Great’s heirs have their own strengths and weaknesses. Physical valor, strength and intelligence go hand in hand with a love of opium and wine. With Jahangir’s increasing temptations, his queen Mehrunissa nurses ambitions of taking up the reins. Simultaneously, Khurram and his half brothers nurse similar ambitions. The Moghul throne spawns a savage and ferocious battle. In Empire Of The Moghul: The Tainted Throne, Jahangir manages to capture his rebel son Khusrau who declared himself ruler. Jahangir is seen as a ruthless emperor, prone to insecurity and crushing all possible opposition somewhat savagely. Khurram and Jahangir’s relationship is also shown in the book along with a picture of Mehrunissa. The book shows Mehrunissa’s domination of the Moghul Empire and court. She conspires to create a rift between father and son and encourages his dependence on opium and wine. Her plotting against Khurram occupies most of the book. After Jahangir’s death, the three siblings Khusrau, Shahriyar and Khurram try to capture the throne. About Alex Rutherford Alex Rutherford is a pen name used by Michael and Diana Preston. They are prize winning fiction and nonfiction authors. Michael and Diana Preston are the creators of the Empire of the Moghul series. Their books include Raiders from the North, Ruler of the World, The Serpent’s Tooth, Brothers At War, A Teardrop on the Cheek of Time and A Pirate of Exquisite Mind. Diana Preston has also written A First Rate Tragedy: Robert Falcon Scott and the Race to the South Pole, Cleopatra and Antony, Before the Fall-Out, The Human Chain Reaction from Marie Curie to Hiroshima and Besieged in Peking: The Story of the 1900 Boxer Rising. Michael and Diana Preston have received the LA Times Science and Technology Prize. Diana Preston was also longlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize for Nonfiction. The couple live in London.