Nourmahal, an Oriental romance. Vol. 1 of 3

Description

"Nourmahal, an Oriental romance. Vol. 1 of 3" by Michael J. Quin is a romance novel written in the early 19th century. Set across the Himalayan borderlands, it weaves pastoral domesticity with intrigue and warfare, following the gentle scholar Kazim Ayas, his devoted wife Mangeli, and the embattled chieftain Suleiman as shifting allegiances, raids, and escapes draw them into a larger struggle against Mogul power. The opening of the work frames the tale as told by a Kashmiri storyteller, then plunges into vivid mountain scenery where Kazim, an educated Uzbek newly returned home, loses his falcon and stumbles into a hidden cavern-lake and the camp of Suleiman, who enlists him to guide the Mogul Khan Mirtas. After a tender midnight homecoming to Mangeli and her father Gulbeg, Kazim leads Mirtas through perilous passes, only for a fierce clash to erupt with Suleiman’s force; Suleiman is wounded and narrowly escapes over river and crags, even coercing three pursuers into sworn service. Learning that Seirami (his adviser) and Kazim are condemned at Karaman, Suleiman disguises himself as a dervish, outwits would‑be robbers, and engineers a daring rescue amid a staged fire and a blacksmith-aided chain escape, while Mirtas proclaims him dead. The trio then find refuge with a hospitable nomad horde, where Seirami wins young warriors’ pledges and letters for allies are drafted—until two weary travelers arrive at the camp seeking a captive husband, and the scene closes with Mangeli’s sudden reunion with Kazim. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Subjects

• Orient -- Fiction
• PR