Extremely good review, and sorely tempted to pick this up even though the last thing I need is another 1,000-page memoir to read through.
The fact that it was Venice that produced Manucci, and so many other men like him, seems noteworthy to me. From Athens and Republican Rome to Florence and Amsterdam, people from a polis or polis-like political entity seem to generate a high number of player characters in all kinds of realms. Even early America, it could be argued, matched with this, functioning much like a continent-sized polis up through the Civil War or even up to the New Deal. Certain modes of society and political organization seem to be the best at imbuing individual men with high levels of agency that make them extremely formidable at innovating or solving problems. But this kind of competence can be lost even without losing material prosperity, and once it's lost it is very hard to get back.
Aurangzeb is also the Emperor whose granddaughter is captured/killed by the English pirate Every (another possible player character candidate) in the "greatest single act of piracy in history":
"Later accounts would tell of how Every himself had found "something more pleasing than jewels" aboard, usually reported to be Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb's daughter or granddaughter."
Bill Clinton is reputedly a superpersuader, at least in his heyday. When he was President, the congressional Republicans would have to go to the Oval Office in pairs, because a solitary congressman would always leave the meeting with whatever opinions Clinton wanted them to have.
So the cunning Italian takes on his benefactor’s mission, infiltrates the imperial Court, instigates a murderous revolution, removes himself from the capital to avoid being caught up in the sorting out, but stays close enough to affect a change if necessary. Later, when the empire threatens his home country, he acts as a diplomat to deflect the invasion, using information gained through the many sources he developed as a spy.
Well, this is an extraordinary story comparable to the best stuff Umberto Eco might dream up. Incredible footnote work in your review too. Really impressed.
Thank you for this wonderful review, or I should say essay. Note bene, Aurengazeb is celebrated by the post colonial academic left. See, for example Trushke's work.
Also, maybe relevant to the super-persuasion thing. Scott Alexander has a fun little post setting a scale of persuasion ability, maxing out at Mohammed.
Also reminds me of William Penn (whom you may have covered in an earlier review?)
IIRC, he was imprisoned for his writings, wooed the most eligible bachelorette of the time from prison and befriended the king who freed him and gave him Pennsylvania!
Manucci as a character reminds me of another guile hero and player character, Niccolo of the House of Niccolo series. I suspect the main character is inspired by Manucci (they even share the same name.)
I highly recommend the series if you haven’t read it already
If I recall correctly, Salman Rushdie fictionalized Manucci’s life in his Enchantress of Florence.
Re: ‘the king who was obsessed with the question of what language a child would innately speak if never taught a language by another’ - I believe that was Aurangzeb’s great-grandfather Akbar. His language deprivation experiments have been written about elsewhere.
Re: the civil war, I have read it was triggered when Shahjahan didn't come to the terrace of his palace for his daily public audience.
The tales of Shahjahan's priapism continue after his ouster - when Aurangzeb killed Dara Shikoh and imprisoned Shahjahan, his eldest sister Jahanara (who backed Dara) took care of Shahjahan in his dotage, with the inevitable accusations of an incestuous relationship between the two.
What an amazing, fascinating story. Thank you so much. Just one question. Are you absolutely sure that "Manucci" is not a pseudonym for "Vladimir Nabokov.?" It sounds like a book he might have written.
Extremely good review, and sorely tempted to pick this up even though the last thing I need is another 1,000-page memoir to read through.
The fact that it was Venice that produced Manucci, and so many other men like him, seems noteworthy to me. From Athens and Republican Rome to Florence and Amsterdam, people from a polis or polis-like political entity seem to generate a high number of player characters in all kinds of realms. Even early America, it could be argued, matched with this, functioning much like a continent-sized polis up through the Civil War or even up to the New Deal. Certain modes of society and political organization seem to be the best at imbuing individual men with high levels of agency that make them extremely formidable at innovating or solving problems. But this kind of competence can be lost even without losing material prosperity, and once it's lost it is very hard to get back.
Aurangzeb is also the Emperor whose granddaughter is captured/killed by the English pirate Every (another possible player character candidate) in the "greatest single act of piracy in history":
"Later accounts would tell of how Every himself had found "something more pleasing than jewels" aboard, usually reported to be Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb's daughter or granddaughter."
Johnson, Steven (2020). Enemy of All Mankind.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Every
Also, I think you are on your way to a new series: the Compleat D&D character sheets of major historic figures.
The story of Joseph’s meeting with his brothers is also in the Qur’an, so the eunuch you refer to in footnote 31 may have known about it.
Bill Clinton is reputedly a superpersuader, at least in his heyday. When he was President, the congressional Republicans would have to go to the Oval Office in pairs, because a solitary congressman would always leave the meeting with whatever opinions Clinton wanted them to have.
So the cunning Italian takes on his benefactor’s mission, infiltrates the imperial Court, instigates a murderous revolution, removes himself from the capital to avoid being caught up in the sorting out, but stays close enough to affect a change if necessary. Later, when the empire threatens his home country, he acts as a diplomat to deflect the invasion, using information gained through the many sources he developed as a spy.
I have seen this movie before.
Well, this is an extraordinary story comparable to the best stuff Umberto Eco might dream up. Incredible footnote work in your review too. Really impressed.
Thank you for this wonderful review, or I should say essay. Note bene, Aurengazeb is celebrated by the post colonial academic left. See, for example Trushke's work.
Only a quarter of the way through, but this essay is so fun to read! Thanks for such a captivating review!
Also, maybe relevant to the super-persuasion thing. Scott Alexander has a fun little post setting a scale of persuasion ability, maxing out at Mohammed.
https://www.tumblr.com/slatestarscratchpad/103708539246/nostalgebraist-at-various-points-bostrom-like
Also reminds me of William Penn (whom you may have covered in an earlier review?)
IIRC, he was imprisoned for his writings, wooed the most eligible bachelorette of the time from prison and befriended the king who freed him and gave him Pennsylvania!
When does the HBO series come out?
Another excellent review!
Manucci as a character reminds me of another guile hero and player character, Niccolo of the House of Niccolo series. I suspect the main character is inspired by Manucci (they even share the same name.)
I highly recommend the series if you haven’t read it already
If I recall correctly, Salman Rushdie fictionalized Manucci’s life in his Enchantress of Florence.
Re: ‘the king who was obsessed with the question of what language a child would innately speak if never taught a language by another’ - I believe that was Aurangzeb’s great-grandfather Akbar. His language deprivation experiments have been written about elsewhere.
Re: the civil war, I have read it was triggered when Shahjahan didn't come to the terrace of his palace for his daily public audience.
The tales of Shahjahan's priapism continue after his ouster - when Aurangzeb killed Dara Shikoh and imprisoned Shahjahan, his eldest sister Jahanara (who backed Dara) took care of Shahjahan in his dotage, with the inevitable accusations of an incestuous relationship between the two.
Incredible post.
What an amazing, fascinating story. Thank you so much. Just one question. Are you absolutely sure that "Manucci" is not a pseudonym for "Vladimir Nabokov.?" It sounds like a book he might have written.
Phenomenal stuff
Amazing post, your best yet.
Bravo for the final paragraph.