A biographical fiction firmly grounded in the contemporary historical records, travelogues and literature, it is the story of Akbar, the Great Mughal, enchantingly told and from a fresh angle. All the events are historical, and so are all the characters. And by way of extensive notes and annexure at the end, the book not only authenticates its assertions but also exposes attempted distortions of history and image of a man who comes closest to the philosopher king of Plato.
Akbar was a thinking man who made every idea and belief subservient to reason. And guided by his rationalism, he...