Raiders from the North

March 15, 2010
Drawn largely from the autobiography of Babur, the first Moghul emperor, this first of five planned novels about the Moghul empire is heavier on history than plot. The story begins in 1494, when Babur is 12 years old, and moves through the next 36 years, until his death. Babur is a descendant of Timur (Tamerlane to Westerners), a youth suddenly thrust onto a throne that he must defend against traitors and invaders, resulting in a quick education in leadership, torture, deception, merciless warfare, and unbelievable brutality. Babur's lust for power and glory lead him into vicious battles and deadly court intrigues where cruelty, treachery, destruction, and slaughter occur every day. The plot is thin, however, serving as a loose framework for Rutherford's exciting history lesson. The strength of this novel is not the story but the colorful depiction of savage leaders building voracious empires.