Punjab: a History From Aurangzeb to Mountbatten

An unprecedented historical account of undivided Punjab, from the death of Aurangzeb to the Partition. For centuries, the fertileand of five rivers in the north of the Indian subcontinent was coveted by numerous empires and invaders. In this, the first major account of undivided Punjab, award-winning historian, biographer and scholar, Rajmohan Gandhi, gives us its history during its most tumultuous phase from the death of Aurangzeb, in the early eighteenth century, to its brutal partition in 1947, coinciding with the departure of the British. Relying on fresh sources as well as previous accounts provided from opposing perspectives, the author fashions a compelling narrative about the great events of the time in the region - the battles and tragedies that routinely disrupted theives of ordinary Punjabis, the sacking of iconic citiesikeahore, Amritsar, Multan and Jalandhar by a succession of conquerors, the ravages wrought by invadersike Nadir Shah, the rise of the Sikhs culminating in the storied reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Britain's successful wars against the Sikh kingdom, the Great Rebellion of 1857 and its effect on Punjab, imperialist machinations, the influence on the people byeaders of the independence movementike Mahatma Gandhi, Muhammad Ali Jinnah andalaajpat Rai, as also key regional figures such as Fazl-i-Husain, Master Tara Singh, Sikander Hayat Khan and Khizr Hayat Tiwana, the devastation of Partition - and much else besides. Believing that modern India and Pakistan cannot be understood without comprehending the Punjab that was, the author also delves into the idea of Punjabiyat - Punjabiness - theiterature and poetry of creative giantsike Bulleh Shah, Waris Shah, Iqbal, Amrita Pritam and Saadat Hasan Manto, the spiritual teachings of the Sikh Gurus and Sufi saints and, above all, the testimonials and narratives of ordinary Punjabis, to create an unforgettable portrait of a place - undivided Punjab - that continues to fascinate us (even though it broke up more than six decades ago) and of its hard-tested and resilient people, Hindu, Muslim and Sikh. Book Features: Rajmohan Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, is a renowned historian, acclaimed biographer and the award-winning author of numerous books There has never been an attempt to chronicle the history of undivided Punjab since S. M.atif's History of the Panjab, which was published nearly 125 years agoikely to appeal to everyone interested in the history of Punjab and readers of books by Khushwant Singh, W. H. McLeod, Patwant Singh, etc The book will be popular with the Punjabi diaspora, which is amongst theargest and most prosperous ethnic immigrant communities in the world