One of the greatest rulers of the 16th century was Akbar the Great, a man whose power and influence extended over much of the Indian subcontinent, after he unified the vast Mughal state. But recently, Akbar's reputation has plummeted as modern India has examined the controversial aspects of his rule. Manimugdha S. Sharma is a Delhi-based journalist who joined me on the podcast to pick apart Akbar and the Mughal Empire. We discussed who Akbar was, how he rose to power and how there are still some lessons we can learn from this mighty ruler.
Dan catches Al Murray for a wide ranging discussion.
How can you condense the history of the world into a book? Well-celebrated historian Simon Sebag Montefiore does just that in his new epic. He takes Dan on an exhilarating journey through the families that have shaped our world: the Caesars, Medicis and Incas, Ottomans and Mughals, and Bonapartes...
Now that the first Blair government is being taught in history classes, Dan talks to Alastair Campbell about his new book, football, and power. Image credit: Chatham House / Commons.
