Dara Shikoh’s defeat was a turning point in history as the concept of an inclusive India yielded to the supremacy of Islam. The consequences of the decisive battle of Samugarh were felt for more than three centuries despite the Mughal empire’s rapid disintegration under the weight of his victorious brother’s bigotry
Imran Khan had one ingrained virtue. He was breathtakingly sincere. But good intentions do not constitute good governance. Like an amateur, he overestimated his abilities when he needed wile or guile as strategy. On his day of judgment, Imran compared his predicament to that of Imam Hussain. The messiah may be faltering, but the messiah complex is alive and well
TCA Raghavan is a former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan and Singapore. His first book, Attendant Lords: Abdur Rahim and Bairam Khan: Courtiers and Poets in Mughal India, was awarded the Mohammad Habib Prize by the Indian History Congress. He is also the author of The People Next Door: The Curious History of India’s Relations with Pakistan and History Men: Jadunath Sarkar, G S Sardesai, Raghubir Sinh and Their Quest for India’s Past. His latest book is Circles of Freedom: Love, Friendship and Loyalty in the Indian National Struggle