India, Jan. 23 -- "The deep faith of Mughal kings in astrology has been hidden in plain sight, ignored by those who failed to understand its relevance." This opening line from former Union Minister MJ Akbar's After Me, Chaos, Astrology in the Mughal Empire, really strikes a chord because it forces us to rethink everything we thought we knew about the Mughal era.

This is not a boring history book. It shows the real men behind the big titles. We think of the Mughals as untouchable, but Akbar shows they were actually vulnerable. He writes about rulers who felt small under the stars, just searching for answers. They stop being legends and start feeling like real people dealing with fear and doubt. It is the same stuff we all go through, whic...