My latest podcast is up on the New Books Network website! In it, I interview Lisa Balabanlilar about her biography of the Mughal emperor Jahangir. Enjoy!

Sandwiched as his reign was by those of his father Akbar and his son Shah Jahan and subsequently overshadowed as he was by his remarkable consort Nur Jahan, the Mughal emperor Jahangir has received short shrift in the historical memory. Lisa Balabanlilar’s book rectifies much of this by providing a clear and sympathetic account of Jahangir's life that, while acknowledging his flaws, rebuts many of the claims that contributed to his historical marginalization. Yet her book is more than just a biography of Jahangir, as she uses his life as a window into the Mughal emperorship at its peak, showing how it operates and expressed the power of its occupant. It makes for a book that is rewarding reading not just for those interested in Jahangir but anyone interested in learning about the Mughal empire and how it was ruled.

Mughal Empire, The - John F. Richards This is a sturdy, academic history (it is part of the Cambridge History of India series) of the Mughal Empire, a topic of which I knew nothing before reading Monsoon and which formed a gapping whole in my knowledge.

It's far more academic than I personally have the need (at this point in my life) for -- given that the topic is not really pressing for me (hence the 4-stars) - but it allowed for a quick review (with some skimming) and it is very good and not terribly dry. Richards seems to be a very competent historian. His account of Akbar is quite remarkable -- Akbar was clearly one of the most enlightened rulers in history - and his model of an enlightened and cosmopolitcan Islamic ruler may set an important canon for the 21st century -- where Islam's attempt to modernize itself, especially in the Indian Ocean littoral and in Central Asia, and its need to adapt to the rise of India and China especially..., will be key, perhaps, to the survival (or not) of all of us.