Nur Jahan: Empress of Mughal India

Book Description

Nur Jahan was one of the most powerful and influential women in Indian history. Born on a caravan traveling from Teheran to India, she became the last (eighteenth) wife of the Mughal emperor Jahangir and effectively took control of the government as he bowed to the effects of alcohol and opium. Her reign (1611-1627) marked the highpoint of the Mughal empire, in the course of which she made great contributions to the arts, religion, and the nascent trade with Europe. An intriguing, elegantly written account of Nur Jahan's life and times, this book not only revises the legends that portray her as a power-hungry and malicious woman, but also investigates the paths to power available to women in Islam and Hinduism providing a fascinating picture of life inside the mahal (harem).

Customer Reviews:

A life of an interesting and fascinating woman.......2007-10-21

This book is interesting because Nur Jahan was the virtual ruler of India through the years of her marriage to the astute but dissolute Mughal Emperor, Jahangir, whose weak character and refinement make him a very comparable ruler to Louis XV in France.
The Indian emperor allowed his consort to govern in his name while he enjoyed himself in the pursuit of courtly pleasures and what turned out to be a slow descent into alcholism.
Luckily for India, Nur Jahan was a very intelligent and capable ruler, that knew how to promote the right people and had an extensive and beneficial influence over the taste and artistic developments of the period, her legacy in that respect is even more interesting than her politics. She was also acknowledged by the emperor for her accomplishments, even having coinage issued in her name which was quite an accomplishment at a time when most women's lives were confined to the harem, or zanana as it is called in India.
Some of the most interesting passages of the book are those dealing with her patronage of the arts, and particularly for her influence in architecture and the construction of exquisite gardens. It is most important to note that the architectural style of the Taj Mahal, the greatest of all Mughal monuments and the greatest achievement of Sha Jahan's reign actually had an antecedent in the mausoleum that Nur Jahan built for her father.
In another very interesting chapter her literary merits as a poet are discussed and quoted, so the reader is able to glimpse at her literary persona. This is perhaps the most revealing chapter in getting to know the woman behind the veil of majesty and cultural convention.
Although I enjoyed reading this book, I found the style to be dry and dull. It is difficult to get through the chapters, and one gets the impression that the scintillating personality of the empress escapes the author's portrayal. The author has investigated her subject thoroughly but has failed to understand the charm and magnetism that made Jahangir fall in love with her, eventhough she was past her prime, widowed, and had a grown child from her first husband when he became interested in her.
The amount of notes per page is quite staggering and the reader is advised not to follow them if he wants to keep track of the narrative, it is best to check them all at one time at the end of each chapter, as most are only referencing the sources and not necessarily clarifying the text.
There are no maps of either cities or countryside in the book, so for the reader it may be annoying not to be able to visualize the many trips of the court or even the locations of battlefields. The book has many illustrations but none are in color, and most of the architectural pictures seem to have been taken in the early part of the 20th century, and fail to convey the delicate beauty of the Mughal monuments. More importantly, the black and white illustrations of the miniatures, which are never augmented in size, make it almost impossible to see any details. These illustrations do not provide an accurate depiction of the splendor and luxury that characterized the court of Nur Jahan, which was anything but subdued in color.
All of the above taken into account, it is still a most interesting and important account of a fascinating character in the history of India and I strongly recommend it for anyone interested in the period or in a fascinating woman that combined in one person the strength of will and intelligence of Elizabeth I of England and the seductiveness, elegance and charm of Empress Josephine.
Nur Jahan deserves more attention from biographers, and her life would be excellent material for an exciting film.

A remarkable woman, interesting times, and good history........1997-12-11

Ellison Findly's "Nur Jahan" is a biography of the eighteenth and last wife of the Mogul emperor Jahangir (1569-1627). Jahangir was Nur Jahan's second husband. Her first, Sher Afghan, was killed in a fracas that followed his murder of an old friend and associate of Jahangir.

Jahangir was given largely to sensual pleasures, including six cups of alcohol (each two parts wine to one part arrack) and two doses of opium every day (the first eight surkhs, the second six) --- following a reduced regimen, instituted by his physicians and enforced by Nur Jahan. I wish Findly had mentioned how many milligrams a surkh is. Also, how much happiness and debility a diet such as this is likely to induce. Given his level of addiction, it is no wonder that following Jahangir's wedding to Nur Jahan in 1605, political power was exercised on his behalf almost entirely by a clique constituted, initially, of his beloved Nur Jahan, his chief minister Itmaduddaula, the courtier Asaf Khan, and his son Khurram.

Itmaduddaula was Nur Jahan's father, and Asaf Khan her brother. Khurram, the son of Jahangir's second wife, Jagat Gosaini, came to be known as Shah Jahan, later, when he ascended the throne following a protracted rebellion against his father. The ruling clique had disintegrated by the time of the rebellion. In his revolt, Khurram was covertly aided and abetted by Asaf Khan, who was also the father of his wife Arjumand Bano (later Mumtaz Mahal).

Sharyar, a son of Jahangir from one of his concubines, and the husband of Nur Jahan's only child Ladli Begum from her marriage to Sher Afghan, was Nur Jahan's choice for Jahangir's successor. Nur Jahan had no children by Jahangir. Nurjahan had tried her very best to marry Ladli first to Khusrau, Jahangir's eldest, then to Khurram, but neither could be made to take an interest in Ladli.

Sharyar, however, never did stand a chance against Khurram. In the few years before Jahangir's demise, Sharyar contracted leprosy, and that further reduced his chances for making a successful bid for power. A few days after Jahangir's death, Sharyar did proclaim himself emperor at Lahore, but within a few days of that he was imprisoned by Asaf Khan, and blinded by his order. Yet a few days later Shah Jahan, marching north from Deccan to Agra at the head of the rebel army, sent a message to Asaf Khan to have Sharyar and four other princes done to death. They were strangled.

Nur Jahan was a woman of unusual ability. She exercised political authority with intelligence, courage and astuteness, and did it despite constraints (like purdah) imposed by life in the Moghul zenana. She was also responsible, almost single-handedly, for the many artistic, architectural, and cultural achievements of the Jahangir era. Her cultural and artistic achievements derived largely from the immense resources at her command. But they were also, in equal measure, due to her unflagging energy, and the keenness of her aesthetic vision. Her artistic achievements include the Moghul gardens of Kashmir and Agra, and the tomb of her father Itmaduddaula, also in Agra, which was the first example of the use of white marble embellished with the precise inlay of precious stones into the surface of marble facing --- a technique (pietra dura) exploited also in the construction of the Taj Mahal.

Findly's biography is a work of scholarship and authority, yet very lucid and absorbing. It covers a very interesting period of Indian history, and ties together reports from a number of contemporary sources: Indian, British, Dutch, Portuguese, and Italian. Separate but overlapping chapters each cover material with thematic unity.

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Nur Jahan: Empress of Mughal India. (book reviews): An article from: The Journal of the American Oriental Society
Gregory C. Kozlowski
Manufacturer: American Oriental Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B00092Z1FS
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Journal of the American Oriental Society, published by American Oriental Society on October 1, 1994. The length of the article is 812 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Nur Jahan: Empress of Mughal India. (book reviews)
Author: Gregory C. Kozlowski
Publication: The Journal of the American Oriental Society (Refereed)
Date: October 1, 1994
Publisher: American Oriental Society
Volume: v114 Issue: n4 Page: p687(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Nur Jahan - Empress of Mughal India
Ellison Banks Findly
Manufacturer: OUP India
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKT0AC

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Nur Jahan: Empress of Mughal India
Ellison Banks Findly
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKBLSQ

Book Description

The editors of The Charlotte Observer have selected the most exciting moments from the career of NASCAR Legend and seven-time Winston Cup Champion Dale Earnhardt. Includes an exciting chapter on rising star Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Customer Reviews:

Dale Earnhardt: Rear view Mirror.......2001-05-06

If you don't know Dale Earnhardt. This is your Book

dale earnhardt- rear view mirror.......2001-04-27

This was without a doubt the most thorough and comprehensive one volume work I have seen on Dale. I followed Dale for over 15 years and when he died a void was left that this book was able to fill. For anyone who is a fan of racing this tome shows what a great family man Dale was. From a novice to an old pro one can not help but get chills and thrills from recalling all the events in Dales life. If you can only buy one Dale book this is it. 5 stars for the book and raves for putting Dale in leather for the book like Dale should be long lasting.

You're kidding, right?.......2001-04-19

Man with 8th-grade education can drive fast. Hold me back.

What a Legend!!.......2001-02-28

Great Book!! Great stories and photos from The Charlotte Observer. Highly recommended!!

What a Great Book.......2001-02-27

This is a must for any Earnhardt fan. I enjoyed reading the stories about Dale's races and the pictures are great. The Charlotte Observer did a good job putting together their articles and pictures for a book on Dale's racing career.

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BE CAREFUL WHEN ORDERING THIS EDITION

It's creepy and kooky!

Unofficially "ooky"

The Addams Chronicles: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Addams Family
Stephen Cox
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Movie Tie-Ins | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Television | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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The Addams Chronicles: An Altogether Ooky Look at the Addams Family

ASIN: 0061092495

Customer Reviews:

BE CAREFUL WHEN ORDERING THIS EDITION.......2007-09-10

Stephen Cox wrote a fantastic book on The Addams family. In fact he did it twice. I urge you to contact the seller to ask for a description of the book's size and cover picture. I received a 6"x 4" handsized paperback that bears no resemblance to the 6"X 9" edition pictured above. The information in the book may be the same, but I also like something that looks good on the shelf when I'm not reading it. Not something that looks like the local thrift store sold for a quarter. I wish I could raise my rating to 4 stars. I ordered this book again through another seller. E-mails responded to promtly. The delivery was very quick and it is the 6"x9" edition I wanted. Arrived in good (NOT GREAT) but good condition. Thank you sbooks

It's creepy and kooky!.......2005-07-20

I wish all books about TV shows were written like this one! Stephen Cox has such an amazing way of making you feel like you're right there on the set with these freaky folks! If you love the Addams Family, then you need to own this book!!

Unofficially "ooky".......2005-05-03

Stephen Cox has also researched and written about "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "The Munsters," so you've got to know he's a hard-core fan of classic -- and quirky? -- TV. Besides the basic behind-the-scenes stuff, Cox here offers a short chapter on each of the major stars of the show (with photos and filmography), along with an overview of the merchandise associated with the show, other tidbits like the love poetry of Gomez and Morticia, and a chapter containing a brief synopsis of each episode.

The Addams Chronicles : Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about the Addams Family

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The Addams Chronicles : Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about the Addams Family
Stephen Cox
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEZ7GE

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The Addams Chronicles. Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about the Addams Family.
Stephen. Cox
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OF2ZTA

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Miracle of Music: The History of the Hollywood Bowl,
Grace G. Koopal
Manufacturer: Anderson, Ritchie & Simon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0378079875

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A must for all Earthdawn fans

Barsaive: A Campaign Set for Earthdawn

Manufacturer: Fasa
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Parlainth: The Forgotten City (EarthDawn Roleplaying, Book, 18 Treasure & Creature Cards, Fold-Out Map, 6104)

Earthdawn (Survival guide, 6112)

The Book of Exploration: Legends of Earthdawn, Vol. 2 (EarthDawn Roleplaying)

Legends of Earthdawn, Volume 1 (Earthdawn RPG)

ASIN: 1555602142

Customer Reviews:

A must for all Earthdawn fans.......1999-10-29

This boxed set gives you a huge amount of detail with very interesting rules, new creatures, and ofcourse new treasures. I would advise everyone interested in Earthdawn to get this suppliment, its a must.

Download Description

"Watching your parents decline and assuming the burden of caring for their physical needs is difficult enough, but you can't allow that to overshadow the importance of their financial needs. After all, what will happen if your parents outlive their savings? In order to be a financial caregiver, you'll need to know how to deal with legal and financial paperwork; government agencies and regulations; a host of insurance, investment, and estate planning issues; and the inevitable emotional and psychological issues that arise whenever money and family mix. In this indispensable guide, two family finance experts who are caring for their own parents' finances provide a basic primer in personal finance for those who are involved in their parents' financial lives."

Customer Reviews:

An invaluable find! Recommended for everyone!.......2004-04-07

I picked up this book after reading about it in Michelle Singletary's column. I can't believe I never knew it existed. I have been struggling to handle my parents' finances and stressing about how to do it fairly, without upsetting my brother and causing family discord. Finally, I've found good, solid advice on exactly how to do this. Not only is this book essential for anyone in my position, but I highly recommend it for anyone who thinks that someday they might be taking care of someone else's finances.

Buy this book if you have a parent who needs your care.......2004-04-02

This book is solutions focused. It offers concise advice that is really helpful. Learn how to broach the tough money questions with parents who never talked with their kids about sex or money. Then learn exactly what to do to improve your parents finances and your own, and their, peace of mind. I recommend it highly!

How to Care for Your Parents' Money While Caring for Your Parents: The Complete Guide to Managing Your Parents' Finances

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How to Care for Your Parents' Money While Caring for Your Parents: The Complete Guide to Managing Your Parents' Finances
Sharon Burns
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OG3QMY

Customer Reviews:

Quivers A Life.......2007-10-01

I am a big Howard Stern fan and I just had to read this book. I found it to be enjoyable in the begining (Robin's early life), but I got bored about three quarters way through. The book is written by her, so we miss some outside views on how she really is in her life outside of the studio.
I found the book a little self serving and you get the impression she thinks very highly of herself.
I would recommend the book if you get it for a good price on the used self.

Very interesting!.......2007-02-28

Forget the website advertising with Negative ratings.
If you are interested in the show, this is an interesting book.

ROBINS WRONG.......2007-01-24

Robin Quivers should go to that web site called Robinswrong and get a reality check. Howard can give her all the 130K cars at the dealership, but it won't have any significance unless it comes with a vanity license plate that says RWRONG.

Someone to really respect.......2005-12-21

I read this book a few years ago and it has stuck with me ever since.

Truth be told, I was only interested in Robin Quivers because she was on Howard Stern's show. She was entertaining in her own right but I was a bit annoyed at her constant agreeing with him (or what I thought was that. If these critics bothered listening to Howard's show, they'd know that she agreed with him about half the time - if that!) and by that laugh.

BUT after reading her autobiography, I came to like her just as much as Howard and developed much respect for her work ethic and her determination to overcome huge obstacles.

Unlike *some* celebrities, who just about make a living from the fact that they were molested as a child, Robin dealt with it and moved on. She proved time and again on Howard's radio show (as well as on TV and the few videos that Howard made over the years) that she could have people joke about it and she took the teasing like a champ.

Robin's and Howard's paths zigzagged towards each other and they've been inseparable ever since. (And, according to her, she was tricked into the military and when she wanted to get out of it, she realized she couldn't - not without being dishonorably discharged. It's the only reason why she served.)

Robin fought against some pretty bad odds, got her priorities straight and has been on the right track ever since.

Mmmm... ham-hands..........2004-10-29

After hearing Howard Stern play a few snippets from the audiobook edition of co-host Robin Quiver's autobiography on his radio show a little while back, I knew I hadda give the whole shebang a listen. When I finally did take a listen, I was a bit bummed by Robin's unusually unemotional reading of her life's story. Fortunately, the harrowing ordeals and trials she went through in life-- from coping with parental abuse and neglect as a kid, to toughing out a nightmarish stint in the U.S. Air Force, to an enlightening membership in a cult-like outfit, to a rarely-ever-dull working relationship with the man who would be the King of All Media, to battles of will against insufferable coworkers-- were quite compelling, and for the most part took my mind off of her less-than-rousing recitations.

But even though I received a fair amount of enjoyment listening to this audio presentation, I think Robin missed a golden opportunity to make this into one of the funniest audiobooks of all time! I can just see it: Jackie Martling does the reading in his "snooty royalty Robin" voice (along with his "Kingfish" impression as Robin's ham-handed dad), while Fred Norris works the goofy sound effects carts and plays the "Robin's News" theme at just the right moments. Tell me that wouldn't have been a hoot...

`Late

OUTDOOR LIFE - Volume 113, number 1 - January Jan 1954: Buffaloes Shoot Back; Tallyho Mr Binks; Sound and Fury; Douglas vs Felix; A Home on the Range; Keys to Adventure; The Track Walkers; The Hostage; Telecaster; One Bear Coming Up; Thrills Every Quiver

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OUTDOOR LIFE - Volume 113, number 1 - January Jan 1954: Buffaloes Shoot Back; Tallyho Mr Binks; Sound and Fury; Douglas vs Felix; A Home on the Range; Keys to Adventure; The Track Walkers; The Hostage; Telecaster; One Bear Coming Up; Thrills Every Quiver
William E. (editor) (Jack O'Connor; Eric Collier; Joe Brooks; William O. Douglas; Byron W. Dalrymple; Chuck Meyer; Ben East; Clark M. Hunter; Clyde Ormond; John Albrecht; C. B. Colby; Erwin A. Bauer; K. C. Randall; Neale Copple; Charley Wells) Rae
Manufacturer: Popular Science Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NS34CU

Ho'onaka, When the Plant Quivers: Tales of Healing Plants of Hawai'i

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Ho'onaka, When the Plant Quivers: Tales of Healing Plants of Hawai'i
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A quiver of sunbeams,
Alfred Handley Chipman Morse
Manufacturer: Cokesbury press
ProductGroup: Book
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Book Description

Toughened by months of bitter combat in the Lorraine campaign, a small force of artillery observers is hastily withdrawn from the Third Army line and sent into the "Battle of the Bulge." Their mission: Track German artillery, the enemy's most destructive firepower, and minimize it. For the rest of the war these men remain inside the arrowhead of Patton's surging forces. Beautifully written and honestly recounted, it is a GI's story, not a general's.

By launching a surprise dawn attack on unsuspecting American forces during the frigid hours of December 16, 1944, the German army was taking its biggest and most desperate gamble of World War II. The stakes were to involve western civilization itself.

Panzers broke through the thickly forested Ardennes, the last place among the entire Western Front Allied intelligence could have imagined the Germans would attack. The German forces were fresh and their tanks were new. GI's fell back. Many surrendered. Most got themselves together and held on valiantly. Casualties kept mounting. The overwhelmed GI's needed help, lots of it.

Eisenhower, supreme commander of Allied Forces, turned to General George S. Patton. Over three days, the quarter-million men of his Third Army withdrew from their positions to the south and moved north. Such a shifting hadn't been considered by the German high command who then watched in disbelief as it was carried out with lightening speed and adaptability. Nothing in its advanced planning came close to predicting how soon their own revitalized infantry and tank divisions, high on glory and vengeance, would confront forces just as tough and determined. The result was the greatest and most decisive battle of World War II and which would become known as the "Battle of the Bulge",

At its end on January 25, 1945, the "Bulge" would account for seventy-five thousand casualties among the American forces. German casualties ran past one-hundred thousand.

Customer Reviews:

Overall, an intriguing and captivating book........1999-05-22

A perspective of WWII that I have never read before. Brings the day-to-day experience of the ordinary soldier into brutal reality. Wordy and rambling at times, but still a good book.

An Amazing Book !.......1999-04-30

On the Way, by Edward Marinello, is a fascinating eyewitness account of the American soldier on European battlefields during World War II. Through the eyes and ears of Edward Marinello, the reader witnesses the fears, challenges, and ingenuity of the men in Battery B. This should be required reading for all American history courses. On the Way gives a powerful insight to the human face of war. It is a reminder of how the courage, integrity, and tenacity of each soldier is crucial on the battlefield. This is a must read book!

excelent reading.......1999-03-08

I am trying to find out more about the 8th Armored Division, 194

it's gerat.......1999-01-27

On The Way is a terrific read it captures combat for what it was.I plan to read it a second time so that I can savour those unreal moments that were so ordinary to the combat GI"of World War II"

Account of Artillery Forward Observers in Patton's 3rd Army.......1999-01-26

I am something of a World War II buff. For me, On The Way captures the essence of combat like no other book I've read. It accomplishes this by combining the parallel and paradoxical moods of the fighting GI-the aloneness and the sharing-in such a way as to place the reader alongside. In gripping detail, the book recounts the experiences of a small group of artillery observers and their support teams as they track enemy artillery and destroy it. These GI's spearheaded Patton's Third Army across France, Luxembourg and Germany until one fine day they entered into Austria and war's end. The book was so absorbing that I've promised myself to read it a second time.

Book Description

Frankfurt School thinkers such as Theodor Adorno, Walter Benjamin, Jürgen Habermas, and Herbert Marcuse have been enormously influential in a wide range of contemporary public debates. Their writings have remained an invaluable touchstone for controversies in the fields of law, politics, the arts, and cultural studies. Discussions of "postmodernism" regularly mine the theories of Benjamin and Adorno for ideas and inspiration. And the burgeoning field of democratic theory would be inconceivable apart from Habermas's towering influence.

The Frankfurt School Revisited, Richard Wolin, the eminent political theorist and intellectual historian, reassesses the school's relevance in light of a variety of pressing, contemporary issues and concerns including the collapse of communism, the global war on terror, the resurgence - both at home and abroad - of religious fundamentalism, the dislocations of globalization, and the prospect of global democracy. In doing so, Wolin seeks to redeem and reinvigorate the Frankfurt School's rich intellectual legacy.

Book Description

This volume presents the findings of four studies of the ironwood tree found in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and northwestern Mexico. Topics include perennial plants that depend on the shade of the ironwood for their survival, variation in the diversity and abundance of plant life under ironwood trees and elsewhere in the desert, the relationship between ironwood and a threatened species of cactus, and the harm done to ironwood trees by logging, the tourist trade, and misguided conservation efforts.

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