A sticker with a name that one rarely sees reminded me of the book : The Crimson Throne by Sudhir Kakar.
It Is a very interesting historical fiction where he imagines the battle for succession between Aurangazeb and Dara Sikoh. The politics and the battle is narrated by two Europeans who watched it unfold keenly. Kakar weaves a tale that I really loved. Politics, how battles were fought and an analysis of Aurangazeb (and Dara Sikoh) on why they did, what they did (Check Kakar’s book on Indians and violence in India too if you haven’t). It’s unfair to compare but Sudhir Kakar tries hard but he is not a fiction writer as good as Kiran Nagarkar or Vilas Sarang and I can imagine what this book would’ve been if it was written by one of them. But this one is good too. Worth picking up.
