The Shade of Swords is a book by M.J Akbar, well known journalist, founder of The Asian Age newspaper and editorial director at the India Today. The book is a perspective on world history with particular focus on Muslims. M.J Akbar takes varying stances ranging from neutral to a Muslim point of view. The book starts from the history of Islam as it came into existence and traces its growth as it spreads to other regions of the world. The misconception that Islam was spread by the sword is exposed as during the time, all kingdoms used to be closely linked to the religion they practised and advocated it. So, Islam cannot be singled out for such aggression. The book states at numerous places how kings of other religions used power to convert the masses.
One of the highlights of the book is the coverage of the Crusades in great detail and from a largely neutral perspective. It illustrates the political situation in Europe and the Middle East lucidly. M.J Akbar details the shortcomings of the Caliph and Caliphate. After the Mongols plundered and looted Baghdad, and finally settled there, Hulagu Khan, the Mongol emperor asks the Ulema (religious leaders):
“Which man is better as a sovereign? An unbeliever who is just or a Muslim who is unjust?”.
Radiuddin Ali the sage of the times replied:
“The unbeliever who is just should be preferred to the unjust believer”.
As the chapters progress, the author talks about undivided India and the mistakes of Jinnah. In one of the chapters he states that
“The only Muslims in the world to enjoy sustained democratic liberty are not those in Pakistan but those who remained in India”.
The book concludes by providing a background on Iraq, Iran and Saddam Hussein. It is surprising to know that Ayatollah Khomeini, the revolutionary leader of the Iranian uprising of 1979 and later the country’s head had an Indian link; his grandfather being from India. The last chapter is fairly long and has a lot of subsections. For a person who is not very keen on the Iraq-Iran politics, it feels a bit of a drag. Other than this, the book is fast paced and depicts the immense research the author has done in order to present the complete picture. The book is an interesting read and recommended to those interested in Muslim history and politics.
