Sixteenth century India. Mughal emperor Akbar is ruling Delhi and his subordinate Sulaiman Karrani is in charge of Bengal. His son-in-law, born a Vaishnav Brahmin as Rajiblochan Ray, has converted to Islam and is out for the blood of all Hindus. The tyranny unleashed by him has earned him the title of ‘Kalapahar’. But what is driving this brutality? Is it vengeance for some past scorn? Around the same time, Chaitanyadeb’s Vaishnav movement caused a ripple in society.While Kalapahar is on a rampage destroying Hindu heritage all over Bengal, he faces resistance from a force led by Raja Birhambir who is the independent guardian of Mallabhumi and is putting up a strong defense against the Pathan army of Kalapahar. After night falls, Birhambir is known as Dakat Raja. Why so? Debarati Mukhopadhyay takes us on an enthralling deep dive into our glorious and rich history. Merging facts and fiction, the author has painted an imagery so real and vivid that it transports us all back to the sixteenth century. A compelling page-turner.