As I read the last page of Suheldev, I felt a mixture of satisfaction and a bit of a letdown. I was pleased that we finally have a best-selling Indian author reviving stories of unknown/lost Indian heroes. But I also yearned for a more nuanced and gripping tale than the one I read. This is not a criticism of the author, but rather a reflection of my own expectations of stories based on Indian history.

Nevertheless, Suheldev checks a lot of boxes and is definitely a book that would reach a wider audience and make them sit up and notice the warriors of yore. It recounts the tale of Raja Suheldev of Shravasti, who in the 11th century won one of the most critical civilizational battles in Indian history by defeating, nay, massacring the barbaric Turkic invader Salar Maqsud and his deadly troops.

Amish has built his reputation in the historical fiction genre over the years, and Suheldev is probably one of his best-written books alongside the Shiva trilogy. He interleaves many themes from the past with the present and, in his typical style, provides insight into issues like the caste system, unity among Hindus, the role of women in India, etc. In some sense, it feels like a “dumbing down” of the many geopolitical/spiritual/economic and administrative milieu of that age, but he gets the point across efficiently. Some examples of these are the generalizations on Indian Muslims in comparison to Turkic ones, infighting among Indian kingdoms, etc.

The most exciting part of the book was the appearance of the famous Chola King Rajendra Chola in a pivotal role and a hint at a standalone sequel involving him. The romantic aspects didn’t add any substance to the story, and, in my opinion, could have been avoided.

What else can I say, Amish is back!

Originally published here.