
Recommended read
India: A History
John Keay
Keay's one-volume history of the subcontinent, ideal background for any Mughal emperor.

The most notable rulers who held power elsewhere at the same time, from European courts to Ottoman, Mughal, and Chinese thrones.

Isabella II of Spain
Spain
1833–1868

Nicholas I of Russia
Russia
1825–1855

Frederick William IV of Prussia
Prussia
1840–1861

Maria II of Portugal
Portugal
1826–1828; 1834–1853

Ferdinand I of Austria
Austria
1835–1848

Victoria
Great Britain
1837–1901

Franz Joseph I of Austria
Austria
1848–1916

Abdülmecid I
Ottoman Empire
1839–1861

William III of the Netherlands
Netherlands
1849–1890

William II of the Netherlands
Netherlands
1840–1849

Alexander II of Russia
Russia
1855–1881
Tokugawa Ieyoshi
Japan (Shogunate)
1837–1853

Daoguang Emperor
China
1820–1850

Frederick William III of Prussia
Prussia
1797–1840

William I of the Netherlands
Netherlands
1815–1840

Oscar I of Sweden
Sweden
1844–1859

Emperor Kōmei
Japan
1846–1867

Pope Pius IX
Papacy
1846–1878

Xianfeng Emperor
China
1850–1861

Hong Xiuquan
China
1851–1864

Emperor Ninkō
Japan
1817–1846

Pope Gregory XVI
Papacy
1831–1846

Napoleon III
France
1852–1870

Charles XIV John of Sweden
Sweden
1818–1844

Tokugawa Iesada
Japan (Shogunate)
1853–1858

Mahmud II
Ottoman Empire
1808–1839

Pedro V of Portugal
Portugal
1853–1861
One “meanwhile in history” story each week: who ruled where, and what was happening on thrones across the world.
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From the library
Hand-picked histories and biographies for readers who want more than the timeline: the same era, told in full.

Recommended read
John Keay
Keay's one-volume history of the subcontinent, ideal background for any Mughal emperor.

John F. Richards
A concise Cambridge survey of the dynasty, its administration, and its place in world history.
Find on Amazon
William Dalrymple
Dalrymple on the collapse of Mughal power and the company's takeover, readable and dramatic.
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