I do have a quibble with Mr Pillai, and this lies in the fact that he omitted writing about Begum Hazrat Mahal and, possibly, Nur Jahan. They are both absolutely fascinating women.

It's a pity he did not delve into that period before the Mughals, but maybe there will be a follow-up book.

Having said that, this is a fascinating book. It's evidently well-researched. There is a cast of characters, from the well known to the forgotten. There are many that I am "familiar" with, and many that I am not. His writing about them presents them as real humans, and the writing is good. It's good to have a book about the many people who have made up our history, and not just the kings and queens (though, most kings and queens have also been forgotten).

It is a book to read if you want to know more about India, and Indians. It is a thoroughly enjoyable book. It ends well, with speculations on an India where Mahatma Gandhi was not assassinated. Would he have become an anachronism? Maybe. We will never know. ( )