Ruler Of The World

Keep your enemies close, and your sons closer. The story of the Third Great Mughal Emperor, Akbar, leader of a triumphant dynasty which contained the seeds of its own destruction. Akbar, ruler of a sixth of the world's people, colossally rich and utterly ruthless, was a contemporary of Elizabeth I, but infinitely more powerful. His reign began in bloodshed when he strangled his treacherous milk-brother, but it ended in glory. Akbar extended his rule over much of Asia, skillfully commanding tens of thousands of men, elephants, and innovative technology. Despite the unimaginable bloodshed which resulted, his empire was based on universal religious tolerance. However, Akbar's home life was more complicated. He defied family, nobles, and mullahs to marry a beautiful Rajput princess, whose people he had conquered; but she hated Akbar and turned Salim, his eldest son, against him. As any Mughal prince could inherit his father's crown and become emperor, his sons were brought up to be intensely competitive and suspicious of each other: to see each other as rivals for the greatest prize of all. As Salim grew to manhood, the relationship between father and son was tainted by rebellion and competition to be the greatest Mughal of them all.