Thrilling murder at mushaira

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Book: Murder At the Mushaira

1857: A Tale of Fact & Fiction
By Raza Mir

The poignant drama of 1857 forms the perfect backdrop for this beautifully etched murder mystery where the detective is none other than the poet laureate at the Mughal court: Mirza Ghalib. Dexterously weaving his cast of real and fictional characters, Raza Mir, author, and scholar of Ghalib, creates a wondrous tapestry, bringing alive the fading grandeur of the last days of the Mughal empire, fated to end in the embers of the first attempt by Indians to throw off the British yoke.
Mutiny & murder: a coming together
Sukhan Khairabadi, a poet with a rather dubious reputation, is discovered dead with a dagger in his heart in the morning after a grand mushaira hosted by Nawab Iftikar Hasan – in the very hall where the poets had gathered. The murder draws a disproportionate level of interest from the East India Company which hints at bigger political conspiracies behind it.
The young investigating officer Kirorimal Chainsukh, under tremendous pressure to solve the murder, turns to uncle Ghalib, a known amateur sleuth, to help him out. The poet, with this friend, Master Ramachandra, an expert in the emerging science of forensics, set out to investigate. Thereupon, unfolds a gripping saga of fact and fiction, which takes the reader into the poignant heart of the doomed war against the East India Company, derisively termed the Sepoy Mutiny by the British.

Shahjahanabad: an evocative pen-picture

The best part of this brilliantly researched novel is the exquisite detailing of the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and textures of life in Shahjahanabad in the mid-19th century. Whether it is the preparation of the elaborate Iftar meal at Nawab Iftikar’s, the easy intermingling of Hindu and Muslim cultures, or the intelligent and liberal-minded Ghalib’s characterisation – right down to his love of mangoes and his loyalty to wife Umrao – the vivid imagery will transport you back to the times.
Despite the sadness of the inevitable put down of the uprising, and the brutality of the happenings of that summer of 1857, Raza Mir’s tale also dwells tenderly on tales of love, friendship and comradeship. Whether it is Ramachandra’s love for his student Zakaullah Khan, or the camaraderie between Ramji Jorawan, a Hindu gateman at the Nawab’s haveli, and Sarfaraz Laskar, the brave hero, the rider from Mathura – Mir draws out relationships which are not defined by time and place, with moving empathy. His poetic wordplay never fails to keeps pace with the couplets of the charming, deceptively easy-going but deeply insightful poet-detective Ghalib,
If you enjoy history and a good mystery laced with murder, this is a must-read. A fabulous story well told through lyrical prose that needs to be read even if just for that. Enjoy.