The true story of a tragic and passionate love affair–and a testament to the Indian conquest of the British imagination. Conjuring all the sweep of a great nineteenthcentury novel, acclaimed author William Dalrymple unearths the fascinating story of the British Resident at the court of the Nizam of Hyderabad, James Kirkpatrick, who in 1798 fell in love with the great-niece of the Hyderabadi prime minister. To marry her, Kirkpatrick converted to Islam and even became a double agent working against the East India Company. Shedding light on the many eccentric Westerners during this period who turned Turk, adopting Indian customs, dress, and religions, Darymple brings to life a compelling and largely unwritten story of Britain’s rule over India.