Publisher: HarperCollins
Language: English
ISBN: 9789351160915
Price: 299 INR
Pages: 320
“As empires rose and fell and mighty kings jostled for power, its glittering radiance never dimmed. It is the ‘Mountain of Light’ – the Kohinoor diamond – and its facets reflect a sweeping story of love, adventure, conquest and betrayal.”
Through ‘The Mountain of Light’, Indu Sundaresan takes her readers back to the 19th century when the British were reaching the height of their power hold on India. The book highlights the fall of the Punjab Empire and the journey of the Kohinoor diamond through various characters that are spread across different periods of time.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Lion of Punjab as he is fondly known, wants the Kohinoor diamond from Shah Shuja, the dethroned king of the Afghan Empire who is now living at the mercy of Ranjit Singh at the Shalimar Gardens in Lahore. Fast forward to twenty years and now Ranjit Singh, much older, knows that his time is coming to an end. He is very familiar with the games the British are trying to play with him. But, at the same time he has a newly born son, Dalip Singh, who after his father’s death will take over the throne. The plot follows the rather unfortunate journey of Maharaja Dalip Singh, earlier as the child ruling over Punjab to being stripped off all his glory to suit the British needs. His transformation from an Indian ruler to an Englishman, unaware of his past, sparks a rare interest into Indian history among the readers.
Sundaresan keeps her readers glued to the book by vividly describing how secretly the Kohinoor was smuggled out of India and presented to the Queen as a gift. Be it the Shalimar Gardens or the port at Bombay Harbour, she teleports the readers to British India by presenting a very clear picture of the places and people involved in every situation.
Through her gripping narrative, Sundaresan is able to question the volatile and ever changing aspect of all things in the world. She makes it very easy for the reader to get into the world of the novel and blows your mind with a detailed description of shocking events. This book is not just a must read for every history enthusiast but for all those who want to be acquainted with India’s magnificent past.
Rating: 8/10
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