White Mughals

Synopsis

Set in and around Hyderabad at the beginning of the nineteenth century, White Mughals tells the story of the improbably romantic love affair and marriage between James Achilles Kirkpatrick, a rising star in the East India Company, and Khair-un-Nisa, a Hyderabadi princess. Pursuing Kirkpatrick's passionate affair through the archives across the continents, Dalrymple unveils a fascinating story of intrigue and love that breaches the conventional boundaries of empire. As Kirkpatrick gradually goes native (adopting local clothes and enduring circumcision) he becomes a secret agent working for his wife's royal family against the English, as he tries to balance the interests of both cultures.

However, White Mughals is by no means just an exotic love story. It is a vehicle for Dalrymple's understanding of the complex legacy of the English Empire in India, that he defines more in terms of exchange and negotiation than dominance and subjugation. It is a powerful and moving plea by Dalrymple to understand the cultural intermingling and hybridity that defines both eastern and western cultures, and a convincing rejection of religious intolerance and ethnic essentialism. Elegantly written and at a pace that belies its length, White Mughals confirms Dalrymple's status as one of the most important non-fiction writers of his time. 
– Jerry Brotton

Reviews and Quotes

Frank McLynn, The Independent on Sunday

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Miranda Seymour, Sunday Times

“A gorgeous, spellbinding and important book... A tapestry of magnificent set pieces and a moving romance. William Dalrymple’s story of a colonial love affair will change our views about British India.”

Philip Ziegler, Daily Telegraph

“Enthralling... this rich and splendidly sprawling book.”
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Charles Allen, Literary Review

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Amanda Foreman

“White Mughals is destined to become an instant classic.”

Ahmed Rashid, Ahmed Rashid

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Francis Robinson, The TLS

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Hugh MacDonald, The Herald

“White Mughals stands as a convincing indictment of imperialism and an affecting story of a love affair... Dalrymple is one of the most captivating writers of non-fiction at work today.”

Selina Hastings, Daily Mail

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Pankaj Mishra, The Guardian

“Technically ambitious... There is a scholarly seriousness here; also a moral passion. This capacious book is never more engaging than when Dalrymple describes with a novelists compassion, the tragic costs of Kirkpatrick’s rebellion”

Karen Armstrong

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David Robinson, The Scotsman

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Ashok Malik, India Today

“With his historical Hyderabadi love epic, Dalrymple shows the best on-fiction about India is still written by sympathetic outsiders ...”
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New Yorker writer, New Yorker

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Maya Jasanoff, New York Sun

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Kendal Hill, Sydney Morning Herald

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Phillippa Barrett, Next

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Marion McLeod, Dominion Post

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Khushwant Singh, The Tribune

“Thoroughly researched and well-told – I haven't read anything as gripping since Dalrymple's earlier City of Djinns.”

Ahdaf Soueif, TLS Books of the Year

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Atul Chaturvedi, Indian Express on Sunday

“A triumph of the historian's craft.”

Kirkus Review

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