Halahal: The Autopsy of an Empire

Halahal is a historical novel about a civilisation caught in the turmoil that followed the weakening of Mughal super power.The story begins in 1658, when the news of Shah Jahan's illness sets off a struggle among his sons for the imperial throne. What begins as a contest for power gradually becomes something far larger. The Jat and Satnami rebellions, religious policies, court intrigues and struggles for survival are not treated as isolated events, but as parts of a larger churning "Manthn" taking place across the Indian subcontinent.Halahal-the poison produced by the churning of the ocean in Indian mythology-is used here as a metaphor for that turmoil: when an established order begins to break apart, the poison does not remain confined to the rulers. It spreads through society.This is a story of ambition, loyalty, betrayal and survival-and of how the decisions of those at the top can unleash consequences far beyond the walls of the palace.