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Imagine an India that was never conquered by the British. A mighty and prosperous nation that remained under the rule of the Mughal Empire.
A nation known as Hindustaan.
Dilli, 1857. The Mughal Empire is at the peak of its power and is gearing up to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of its victory over the British at Plassey, an occasion where the popular Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar is widely expected to announce his successor. Ranveer Pratap, the adopted son of a Mughal noble and an officer in the elite Ahadi cavalry, celebrates his promotion, watched by his proud father.
Ranveer s life, and the Empire are thrown into sudden chaos when the Emperor is assassinated and a new regime seizes power in a bloody coup. As the new regime reverses the tolerant policies of Bahadur Shah Zafar and embarks on a violent Jihad against the other kingdoms, Hindus and Mussalmans turn on each other, and the very foundations of the empire are shaken.
Ranveer finds himself a fugitive in his own nation, and together with his companions- Iftiqar, his trusted lieutenant, Theo- a rakish English traveler with a mysterious past, and Maya, a beautiful Princess they rescue, embarks on a series of dramatic adventures across Hindustaan. A journey that takes him from bloody skirmishes with Afghan raiders, a rescue mission at Gwalior, to Jhansi where he offers his services to a coalition led by the charismatic Rani of Jhansi that decides to march against the new regime, and then back into the heart of Dilli for a final dramatic mission.
The stage is set for a monumental struggle that will decide not just his fate, but that of the whole of Hindustaan.
Combining a fast paced tale of action and adventure with a meticulously researched and provocative retelling of Indian history, Hindustaanis a novel like no other by an Indian author.
ISBN - 9789380828473
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Pages : 296
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