The Forgotten Mughals

Download The Forgotten Mughals PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bodley Head Childrens
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 560 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Forgotten Mughals by : G. S. Cheema

Download or read book The Forgotten Mughals written by G. S. Cheema and published by Bodley Head Childrens. This book was released on 2002 with total page 560 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A hundred and fifty years lie between the death of Aurangzeb and the final extinction of the Mughal empire. In its first hundred and fifty years the empire had seen six rulers, but during the next century and a half the Qila-i-Mualla would witness the passage of as many as eleven emperors - if one leaves out the six or seven failed pretenders. It was a period of violence and disorder, with armies constantly on the march across a landscape of increasing misery, impoverishment and desolation. The Forgotten Mughals is the story of these largely pageant emperors with their increasingly ineffectual ministers, and their gradual decline into irrelevance while younger and more powerful forces, both Indian and foreign, grappled with each other for the mastery of Hindostan. The landmark events like the wars of succession, the dictatorship of the Syed brothers, the Nadir Shahi and Durrani invasions with their attendant horrors, the bloodbath of Panipat and the final sack of Delhi in 1857 are all covered in detail. The book's strength lies in its anecdotal details, like that of young Muhammad Shah, hiding behind the ample skirts of the formidable Sadr un-Nissa, superintendent of the harem, and of Bidar Dil cowering in a closet, while the emissaries of Qutb-ul-Mulk tried, in vain, to convince his women that they had, in fact, come to call him to the throne. And who will believe today that, as part of the 'retributive justice' of the British, for nearly twenty years the Zinat masjid in Daryaganj was used as a bakery, and that the basement of the Fatehpuri mosque was sold to Seth Chuna Mall?"--Dust jacket.

The Ascent of John Company

Download The Ascent of John Company PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1351372661
Total Pages : 260 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (513 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Ascent of John Company by : G.S. Cheema

Download or read book The Ascent of John Company written by G.S. Cheema and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-08-10 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Ascent of John Company is the story of the founding of the British empire in India. The process of founding empires is rarely, if ever, edifying. It is invariably a sordid story of brutality and violence, tempered to some extent by blatant lies, corruption, skullduggery and intrigue. Robert Clive and Warren Hastings, the two names that come most readily to mind when one thinks of the founders, were no heroes in their times. Still less were Vansittart, Verelst, or Coote ‘Bahadur’. We have a governor who was overthrown and imprisoned by his own Councillors, and a general who had to be bribed to take the field! Many of them were accused of atrocious crimes, of murder and extortion. Bribe taking, peculation and corruption were the least of their ‘high misdemeanours’ and the most egregious were ruined by the judicial processes to which they were subjected on their return. The word nabob, which was applied to them by their own countrymen was anything but complimentary. The romanticization of the empire came much later; it was a phenomenon of the later Victorian period, but in spite of the fact that the empire has long since faded away, nostalgia for the Raj still lingers among some circles. For such people this volume will be a useful corrective; the past always seems better than the contentious present. Even for others, who may not see the past through rose tinted glasses, this book will help to place things in perspective. To paraphrase Dickens, ‘this is the best of times, and the worst of times’ – and it has always been so.

The Last Mughal

Download The Last Mughal PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : A&C Black
ISBN 13 : 1408806886
Total Pages : 580 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (88 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Last Mughal by : William Dalrymple

Download or read book The Last Mughal written by William Dalrymple and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2009-08-17 with total page 580 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: WINNER OF THE DUFF COOPER MEMORIAL PRIZE | LONGLISTED FOR THE SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZE 'Indispensable reading on both India and the Empire' Daily Telegraph 'Brims with life, colour and complexity . . . outstanding' Evening Standard 'A compulsively readable masterpiece' Brian Urquhart, The New York Review of Books A stunning and bloody history of nineteenth-century India and the reign of the Last Mughal. In May 1857 India's flourishing capital became the centre of the bloodiest rebellion the British Empire had ever faced. Once a city of cultural brilliance and learning, Delhi was reduced to a battered, empty ruin, and its ruler – Bahadur Shah Zafar II, the last of the Great Mughals – was thrown into exile. The Siege of Delhi was the Raj's Stalingrad: a fight to the death between two powers, neither of whom could retreat. The Last Mughal tells the story of the doomed Mughal capital, its tragic destruction, and the individuals caught up in one of the most terrible upheavals in history, as an army mutiny was transformed into the largest anti-colonial uprising to take place anywhere in the world in the entire course of the nineteenth century.

The Forgotten Indians

Download The Forgotten Indians PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Harshit Kumar
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 106 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (968 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Forgotten Indians by : Harshit Kumar

Download or read book The Forgotten Indians written by Harshit Kumar and published by Harshit Kumar. This book was released on 2024-03-15 with total page 106 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This captivating book sheds light on the remarkable contributions made by Indians in various fields, highlighting their groundbreaking discoveries and extraordinary achievements that preceded those of individuals from any other part of the world. Astonishingly, these individuals have been largely forgotten, overshadowed by the widely celebrated accomplishments of Greek figures. Within its pages, readers will discover a wealth of knowledge about the pioneering endeavors of Indian visionaries who were ahead of their time. While the names of Alexander, Pythagoras, Ptolemy, Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton are frequently discussed and praised, it is a curious phenomenon that the equally deserving figures such as Ashoka, Aryabhata, and Brahmacharya remain in the shadows of historical discourse. The book compellingly explores this disparity, offering insights and answers to the questions that naturally arise. Moreover, this book is merely the first installment in a captivating series that promises to delve deeper into the subject matter. With subsequent parts already in the works, readers can anticipate a multitude of future volumes that will further unveil the rich tapestry of Indian contributions throughout history.

The Forgotten Church

Download The Forgotten Church PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Notion Press
ISBN 13 : 164805725X
Total Pages : 183 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (48 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Forgotten Church by : Debabrata Maulik

Download or read book The Forgotten Church written by Debabrata Maulik and published by Notion Press. This book was released on 2020-03-17 with total page 183 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Just as the Portuguese settled in Goa, the Jews in Cochin and the Parsis in Bombay, the Armenians had rendered a special fragrance in Calcutta. Being the best of commercial minds, the Armenians came to India as merchants and prevailed on Eastern India’s commerce long before the British. Their commercial acumen won them great dividends in the Bengali trade, which they linked with the world trade network. They loved Bengal in their own way and made Calcutta their special home forever. The author has inked the five-century-old stories of the Armenians including the golden period of Indian foreign trade in the present work. Armenians had settled in different parts of India. Combined with boundless energy, they raised themselves to the stiff ladder of fame. They shined from the early Mughal period till the British periods as able administrators, clever diplomats, military commanders, skilled artisans, renowned poets, eminent lawyers, Judges, surgeons and merchants. Present work has scripted all these roles the Armenians adopted and touched every Indian heart. Maintaining social culture was an integral part of their life. Socially they remained closely knitted. Culturally they were strictly abided by Christianity. They always made their own beautiful Churches. Mortal remains of many great Armenian personalities lay buried in the Church graveyards of Saidabad, Chinsura, Chandannagore, Calcutta and many other places. Many of their monuments stand today as silent witnesses of the once vibrant commercial India, and many of their beautiful Churches stand forgotten today. The Forgotten Church – Remembering Armenians of Saidabad is centered on one such Church, which was built at Saidabad and has since been forgotten.

Forgotten

Download Forgotten PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Penguin Books India
ISBN 13 : 0143064541
Total Pages : 199 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (43 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Forgotten by : Bilkees I. Latif

Download or read book Forgotten written by Bilkees I. Latif and published by Penguin Books India. This book was released on 2010 with total page 199 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Short biographies of queens of medieval India and their historical contribution to their era.

Begums, Thugs and Englishmen

Download Begums, Thugs and Englishmen PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Penguin Books India
ISBN 13 : 9780143029885
Total Pages : 388 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (298 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Begums, Thugs and Englishmen by : Fanny Parkes Parlby

Download or read book Begums, Thugs and Englishmen written by Fanny Parkes Parlby and published by Penguin Books India. This book was released on 2003 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fanny Parkes, Who Lived In India Between 1822 And 1846, Was The Ideal Travel Writer Courageous, Indefatigably Curious And Determinedly Independent. Her Delightful Journal Traces Her Journey From Prim Memsahib, Married To A Minor Civil Servant Of The Raj, To Eccentric Sitar-Playing Indophile, Fluent In Urdu, Critical Of British Rule And Passionate In Her Appreciation Of Indian Culture. Fanny Is Fascinated By Everything, From The Trial Of The Thugs And The Efficacy Of Opium On Headaches To The Adorning Of A Hindu Bride. To Read Her Is To Get As Close As One Can To A True Picture Of Early Colonial India The Sacred And The Profane, The Violent And The Beautiful, The Straight-Laced Sahibs And The More Eccentric White Mughals Who Fell In Love With India And Did Their Best, Like Fanny, To Build Bridges Across Cultures.

Emperors of the Peacock Throne

Download Emperors of the Peacock Throne PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Penguin Books India
ISBN 13 : 9780141001432
Total Pages : 580 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (14 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Emperors of the Peacock Throne by : Abraham Eraly

Download or read book Emperors of the Peacock Throne written by Abraham Eraly and published by Penguin Books India. This book was released on 2000 with total page 580 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Stirring Account Of One Of The World S Greatest Empires In December 1525, Zahir-Ud-Din Babur, Descended From Chengiz Khan And Timur Lenk, Crossed The Indus River Into The Punjab With A Modest Army And Some Cannon. At Panipat, Five Months Later, He Fought The Most Important Battle Of His Life And Routed The Mammoth Army Of Sultan Ibrahim Lodi, The Afghan Ruler Of Hindustan. Mughal Rule In India Had Begun. It Was To Continue For Over Three Centuries, Shaping India For All Time. In This Definitive Biography Of The Great Mughals, Abraham Eraly Reclaims The Right To Set Down History As A Chronicle Of Flesh-And-Blood People. Bringing To His Task The Objectivity Of A Scholar And The High Imagination Of A Master Storyteller, He Recreates The Lives Of Babur, The Intrepid Pioneer; The Dreamer Humayun; Akbar, The Greatest And Most Enigmatic Of The Mughals; The Aesthetes Jehangir And Shah Jahan; And The Dour And Determined Aurangzeb.

The Art of Cloth in Mughal India

Download The Art of Cloth in Mughal India PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 0691215782
Total Pages : 280 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (912 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Art of Cloth in Mughal India by : Sylvia Houghteling

Download or read book The Art of Cloth in Mughal India written by Sylvia Houghteling and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2022-03-29 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "When a rich man in seventeenth-century South Asia enjoyed a peaceful night's sleep, he imagined himself enveloped in a velvet sleep. In the poetic imagination of the time, the fine dew of early evening was like a thin cotton cloth from Bengal, and woolen shawls of downy pashmina sent by the Mughal emperors to their trusted noblemen approximated the soft hand of the ruler on the vassal's shoulder. Textiles in seventeenth-century South Asia represented more than cloth to their makers and users. They simulated sensory experience, from natural, environmental conditions to intimate, personal touch. The Art of Cloth in Mughal India is the first art historical account of South Asian textiles from the early modern era. Author Sylvia Houghteling resurrects a truth that seventeenth-century world citizens knew, but which has been forgotten in the modern era: South Asian cloth ranked among the highest forms of art in the global hierarchy of luxury goods, and had a major impact on culture and communication. While studies abound in economic history about the global trade in Indian textiles that flourished from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries, they rarely engage with the material itself and are less concerned with the artistic-and much less the literary and social-significance of the taste for cloth. This book is richly illustrated with images of textiles, garments, and paintings that are held in little-known collections and have rarely, if ever, been published. Rather than rely solely on records of European trading companies, Houghteling draws upon poetry in local languages and integrates archival research from unpublished royal Indian inventories to tell a new history of this material culture, one with a far more balanced view of its manufacture and use, as well as its purchase and trade"--

Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan

Download Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN 13 : 0393635406
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (936 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan by : Ruby Lal

Download or read book Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan written by Ruby Lal and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2018-07-03 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Finalist for the 2018 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in History Four centuries ago, a Muslim woman ruled an empire. When it came to hunting, she was a master shot. As a dress designer, few could compare. An ingenious architect, she innovated the use of marble in her parents’ mausoleum on the banks of the Yamuna River that inspired her stepson’s Taj Mahal. And she was both celebrated and reviled for her political acumen and diplomatic skill, which rivaled those of her female counterparts in Europe and beyond. In 1611, thirty-four-year-old Nur Jahan, daughter of a Persian noble and widow of a subversive official, became the twentieth and most cherished wife of the Emperor Jahangir. While other wives were secluded behind walls, Nur ruled the vast Mughal Empire alongside her husband, and governed in his stead as his health failed and his attentions wandered from matters of state. An astute politician and devoted partner, Nur led troops into battle to free Jahangir when he was imprisoned by one of his own officers. She signed and issued imperial orders, and coins of the realm bore her name. Acclaimed historian Ruby Lal uncovers the rich life and world of Nur Jahan, rescuing this dazzling figure from patriarchal and Orientalist clichés of romance and intrigue, and giving new insight into the lives of women and girls in the Mughal Empire, even where scholars claim there are no sources. Nur’s confident assertion of authority and talent is revelatory. In Empress, she finally receives her due in a deeply researched and evocative biography that awakens us to a fascinating history.

Later Mughals

Download Later Mughals PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 416 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (3 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Later Mughals by : William Irvine

Download or read book Later Mughals written by William Irvine and published by . This book was released on 1922 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Al-Hind: The Making of the Indo-Islamic World

Download Al-Hind: The Making of the Indo-Islamic World PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : BRILL
ISBN 13 : 9004696806
Total Pages : 367 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (46 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Al-Hind: The Making of the Indo-Islamic World by : André Wink

Download or read book Al-Hind: The Making of the Indo-Islamic World written by André Wink and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2024-04-22 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first part of the long-awaited fourth volume of André Wink’s monumental Al-Hind: The Making of the Indo-Islamic World introduces a new perspective on the rise of the dynasty of the Great Mughals and the transition of the Indo-Islamic world from the medieval to the early modern centuries. Eschewing the conventional military and technological explanations, the book adopts an institutional explanation that emphasizes the Central and Inner Asian post-nomadic heritage of the dynasty and, in the context of persistent rivalry with the Indo-Afghans, its successful politics of incorporation and accommodation of Muslim and non-Muslim constituencies alike.

War and Religion [3 volumes]

Download War and Religion [3 volumes] PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 1909 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (161 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis War and Religion [3 volumes] by : Jeffrey M. Shaw Ph.D.

Download or read book War and Religion [3 volumes] written by Jeffrey M. Shaw Ph.D. and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2017-03-27 with total page 1909 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This three-volume reference provides a complete guide for readers investigating the crucial interplay between war and religion from ancient times until today, enabling a deeper understanding of the role of religious wars across cultures. Containing some 500 entries covering the interaction between war and religion from ancient times, the three-volume War and Religion: An Encyclopedia of Faith and Conflict provides students with an invaluable reference source for examining two of the most important phenomena impacting society today. This all-inclusive reference work will serve readers researching specific religious traditions, historical eras, wars, battles, or influential individuals across all time periods. The A–Z entries document ancient events and movements such as the First Crusade that began at the end of the 10th century as well as modern-day developments like ISIS and Al Qaeda. Subtopics throughout the encyclopedia include religious and military leaders or other key people, ideas, and weapons, and comprehensive examinations of each of the major religious traditions' views on war and violence are presented. The work also includes dozens of primary source documents—each introduced by a headnote—that enable readers to go directly to the source of information and better grasp its historical significance. The in-depth content of this set benefits high school and college students as well as scholars and general readers.

Aurangzíb and the Decay of the Mughal Empire (Classic Reprint)

Download Aurangzíb and the Decay of the Mughal Empire (Classic Reprint) PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Forgotten Books
ISBN 13 : 9780267979448
Total Pages : 214 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (794 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Aurangzíb and the Decay of the Mughal Empire (Classic Reprint) by : Stanley Lane-Poole

Download or read book Aurangzíb and the Decay of the Mughal Empire (Classic Reprint) written by Stanley Lane-Poole and published by Forgotten Books. This book was released on 2018-02-07 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from Aurangzib and the Decay of the Mughal Empire Akbar's main difficulties lay in the diversity and jealousies of the races and religions with which he had to deal. It was his method of dealing with these difficulties which established the Mughal Empire in all the power and Splendour that marked its away for a hundred years to come. It was Aurangzib's reversal of this method which undid his ancestor's work and prepared the way for the downfall of his dynasty. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The Making of the Indo-Islamic World

Download The Making of the Indo-Islamic World PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1108284752
Total Pages : 311 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (82 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Making of the Indo-Islamic World by : André Wink

Download or read book The Making of the Indo-Islamic World written by André Wink and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2020-08-06 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a new accessible narrative, Andre Wink presents his major reinterpretation of the long-term history of India and the Indian Ocean region from the perspective of world history and geography. Situating the history of the Indianized territories of South Asia and Southeast Asia within the wider history of the Islamic world, he argues that the long-term development and transformation of Indo-Islamic history is best understood as the outcome of a major shift in the relationship between the sedentary peasant societies of the river plains, the nomads of the great Saharasian arid zone and the seafaring populations of the Indian Ocean. This revisionist work redraws the Asian past as the outcome of the fusion of these different types of settled and mobile societies, placing geography and environment at the centre of human history.

White Mughals

Download White Mughals PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1101098120
Total Pages : 540 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (1 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis White Mughals by : William Dalrymple

Download or read book White Mughals written by William Dalrymple and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2004-04-27 with total page 540 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: White Mughals is the romantic and ultimately tragic tale of a passionate love affair that crossed and transcended all the cultural, religious and political boundaries of its time. James Achilles Kirkpatrick was the British Resident at the court of the Nizam of Hyderabad when in 1798 he glimpsed Kahir un-Nissa—'Most excellent among Women'—the great-niece of the Nizam's Prime Minister and a descendant of the Prophet. Kirkpatrick had gone out to India as an ambitious soldier in the army of the East India Company, eager to make his name in the conquest and subjection of the subcontinent. Instead, he fell in love with Khair and overcame many obstacles to marry her—not least of which was the fact that she was locked away in purdah and engaged to a local nobleman. Eventually, while remaining Resident, Kirkpatrick converted to Islam, and according to Indian sources even became a double-agent working for the Hyderabadis against the East India Company. It is a remarkable story, involving secret assignations, court intrigue, harem politics, religious and family disputes. But such things were not unknown; from the early sixteenth century, when the Inquisition banned the Portuguese in Goa from wearing the dhoti, to the eve of the Indian mutiny, the 'white Mughals' who wore local dress and adopted Indian ways were a source of embarrassments to successive colonial administrations. William Dalrymple unearths such colourful figures as 'Hindoo Stuart', who travelled with his own team of Brahmins to maintain his temple of idols, and who spent many years trying to persuade the memsahibs of Calcutta to adopt the sari; and Sir David Ochterlony, Kirkpatrick's counterpart in Delhi, who took all thirteen of his wives out for evening promenades, each on the back of their own elephant. In White Mughals, William Dalrymple discovers a world almost entirely unexplored by history, and places at its centre a compelling tale of love, seduction and betrayal. It possesses all the sweep and resonance of a great nineteenth-century novel, set against a background of shifting alliances and the manoeuvring of the great powers, the mercantile ambitions of the British and the imperial dreams of Napoleon. White Mughals, the product of five years' writing and research, triumphantly confirms Dalrymple's reputation as one of the finest writers at work today.

Nine Lives

Download Nine Lives PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : A&C Black
ISBN 13 : 1408801248
Total Pages : 305 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (88 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Nine Lives by : William Dalrymple

Download or read book Nine Lives written by William Dalrymple and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2010-06-07 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Buddhist monk takes up arms to resist the Chinese invasion of Tibet - then spends the rest of his life trying to atone for the violence by hand printing the best prayer flags in India. A Jain nun tests her powers of detachment as she watches her best friend ritually starve herself to death. Nine people, nine lives; each one taking a different religious path, each one an unforgettable story. William Dalrymple delves deep into the heart of a nation torn between the relentless onslaught of modernity and the ancient traditions that endure to this day. LONGLISTED FOR THE BBC SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZE