"The Mirror & the Light" by Hilary Mantel

The following review is also published in Deccan Herald, on 19 April 2020 [edited].

'History' - Wooed with Verses and Undressed with Wit!

"It is the historian who has decided for his own reasons that Caesar's crossing of that petty stream, the Rubicon, is a fact of history, whereas the crossing of the Rubicon by millions of other people before or since interests nobody at all." - The twentieth century English historian, E.H. Carr makes his remark with great caution. However, when we speak of 'historical fiction', the work is partly subjected to being speculative; yet, one must remember to acknowledge the fact that there exists a conscious interrogation of the relationship between history and fiction which tries to provide an insight into those stories that have been displaced in time and space. In Hilary Mantel's works, we get a glimpse of how tides of history break inside the narration and the possibility of their current furnishing an engaged experience.

The Mirror & the Light (2020) is Mantel's third installment to the Cromwell trilogy, and the first two being Wolf Hall (2009) and Bring up the Bodies (2012), which made Mantel a Booker Prize awardee as well. The trilogy chronicles the rise and fall of one of the most significant members of King Henry VIII's court, Thomas Cromwell. As prominent a figure that Cromwell surfaces in the dog-eared pages of history, there is still a wide gap in accounting his early years and his experiences as an individual. There are voluminous works, both historical and literary, written on King Henry VIII and his reign in the 16th century England, however, there has been no substantial accounts of one of the most important proponents of the English Reformation - Thomas Cromwell, who was indeed an important cogwheel in altering England's political structure. Mantel's trilogy supplies biographical details of Lord Cromwell through fiction with the usage of literary tropes.

The narration begins with the news of the execution of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII, and the first queen to have been beheaded. The writer has ensured her consistency in narrating the story in a manner where the third book begins from the point where the sequel ended, without much delay. Cromwell's introduction in the new book can be read in parallel to the making of a new England. While the first two books talk of Cromwell's beginnings and rise to power, the third narrates a grand story of a man who has had a huge appetite for work and life. It is here that we see a different Cromwell, unlike the usual caricature villain as he has appeared in other historical works. We begin to comprehend the situations that arose and decisions made from Cromwell's perspective.

As a historical novelist, Mantel presents before her readers an archetypal story spread over three books, where a brewer's son leaves home, is unable to return and yet has to find means to survive. This historical character, Thomas Cromwell, a lawyer and Chief Minister at Henry VIII's court, is approached in a manner very different, more organic precisely. The employment of present tense gives the readers an access to that particular age, where we intuitively begin to see that there is no leisurely time for Cromwell and the other characters to engage in introspection, rather they all survive and act out their next few breaths. In fact, at one point we see Cromwell saying that he is just trying to survive the week, and it remains thus where survival becomes one of the imperatives that enable the several characters to act impulsively.

Even though it is the story of a historical character that Mantel has narrated in her 'Wolf Hall' trilogy, we, as readers, begin to see Cromwell in the present and simply as an individual who steps into myriad experiences in his life of power and rule. Unlike a historian, Mantel treats time differently and invests herself in comprehending the inner experiences of the subject. The readers are given a story where Cromwell is not cast in binaries of good and bad, instead he is presented as a man whose identity shifts from obscurity to fame, and as an individual of singular experience fishing for some inkling of what comes next. The text, no doubt, is a 'historical fiction', but Mantel doesn't make things up or exaggerate unnecessarily; instead her imagination is just enough and is placed in the context of a familiarity with the age she is talking about.

The third book completes Cromwell's journey, where Mantel traces Cromwell's final years. It is a grand story that investigates how an ordinary man would behave when he acquires power. The individual now, with power, builds a modern nation through his actions that emerge from conflict, passion and courage. The narration is rich, for there is a lot to account for, and Mantel's way of writing induces paradoxes subtly and surprises the readers.

"Panipat" by Vishwas Patil

The following review is also published in Deccan Herald, on 15 March 2020 [edited].

It's the Theatre of War

The defeat of the Marathas at Panipat has gone down as a disastrous and a shameful event in the annals of Indian history. The publication of Vishwas Patil's Marathi novel Panipat (1988) and its subsequent translations into Hindi and other regional languages has changed the perspective of the readers towards this historical episode. Although the forces and allies of the Afghan ruler, Ahmad Shah Abdali, wangled victory, it was veracious that the Afghan empire too was overwhelmed by the buoyant Maratha empire. Today, the Third Battle of Panipat is seen as an event that reminds us of the resilient and unyielding Maratha soldiers. Therefore, one of the best ways to describe this historical episode is that it encapsulated an epoch of both belief and incredulity.

Handcuffed to History The first two battles of Panipat marks the beginning of the spread of the Mughals in India, but the third battle which was fought between the Maratha and the Durrani empire is etched as one of the biggest and most significant battles in India, in the eighteenth century. Patil's narrative of this historical episode serves as an allegory of an arduous journey taken up even in the direst crisis. The battle is noteworthy in terms of the was strategies adapted. The Marathas led by Sadashiv Rao Bhau and his ally Ibrahim Gardi used European fighting tactics; while Abdali's army made up for their lack of field artillery in brutally effective mobile artillery - the tough soldiers. The Maratha plan didn't work out well, and soon the majority of the army was defeated by dwindling resources and grave hunger. The narrative effectively highlights certain aspects like the lack of the Maratha's ability to persuade the masses, the capability of the Afghan to lead the troop of soldiers and the role of women and children in the entire ritual of war. It also narrates how the great battle changed the power equations in India. Though the Afghans emerged victorious in this war, they could hardly rule any further.

Har Har Mahadev and Allah hu Akbar The war was given a religious colour, and the chants that reverberated on the grounds of Panipat embraced the gods in a manner of poisoning the mortality of humans. The distinction between right and wrong had vanished. Vilification campaigns were carried out on a great spree, and there was no possibility, though several attempts were made, of arriving at a truce. The battle did not decide who was to rule India but rather who was not. This furthered the already existing gaps between different sects, and strong animosities were now built within the armies; and these internal squabbles, in a way, unintentionally paved a clear path for the rise of the British power in India in the late eighteenth century. While the religious tinge marred the hearts, the tales of betrayals deepened the wounds and the scars of failing to gage people became a terrible weakness of the Marathas. Alongside, there is the presence of the unsettling rhythm of Nature which affected the Maratha soldiers severely. Death was Nature's remedy for all things! Patil provides a striking narrative in terms of describing the role of Nature and its unfabourable conditions for the Maratha soldiers. The significant water body, Yamuna, and its disconcerting tides became symbolic in predicting a horrific future for the Maratha empire. The Afghan empire too witnessed the effect of nature in larger terms. Nevertheless, despite the wanting of food and fodder and depleting treasury in both the empires, the battle became a testimony which reiterated the tale of brave escutcheons.

Quintessential Read The historical account retold in fiction has carefully looked at its sources to stamp authenticity. At the same time, the narrative is emotionally charged and Patil has managed to bring out the wisdom and foolishness that went into the bloodshed. The unhurried and articulate story-telling style grips the attention of the readers, and simultaneously allows them to visualize and recreate in imagination the entire war scenario. Nadeem Khan, the translator, has done a fine job in trying to retain the flavour of the original language as much as possible. Panipat is a fitting historical fiction that has managed to imagine and capture the details of war scrupulously, and it deserves a read for its meticulous attempt of retelling history through fiction.