Maharanis: The Extraordinary Tale of Four Indian Queens and Their Journey from Purdah to Parliament
by Lucy Moore
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Description
"Here is a rare glimpse behind purdah's curtain into the lives of four brilliant maharanis - the wives of maharajas - who helped shepherd princely India into the twentieth century. Tracing the lives of these influential women from the final days of the raj and the British Empire to the present, Lucy Moore vividly re-creates a splendid lost world as well as describes the growing pains of the emerging democratic society in India." "Educated, nationalist Chimnabai, born in 1871, in the wake of show more the "Indian Mutiny" of 1857, began her marriage in purdah but broke it in 1913, and spent the rest of her life campaigning tirelessly for women's rights. The comparatively demure Sunity Devi was a favorite of the British aristocracy and made Queen Victoria the godmother of her son, Victor. Her prim demeanor belied a passionate social activism on behalf of the poor and uneducated. The more flamboyant Indira, Chimnabai's ravishing daughter, broke off an arranged marriage so she could marry Sunity Devi's dashing son, Jit. But when her beloved husband died young, far from committing sati, she became the regent of his state, Cooch Behar, a job she took on with gusto though she maintained a sybaritic life abroad." "Ayesha, Indira's equally fashionable daughter and friend to the Kennedys, was elected - with the greatest majority ever recorded - to the Parliament of an independent India in 1962. She remains a social activist and benefactress to this day." "It is through their struggles that we begin to understand the nuance in any interaction between the rulers and the ruled, race and class, subservience and independence, Eastern and Western ideas, and ancient and modern ways of life. Maharanis is the story of four magnificent queens who defied centuries of tradition to embrace lives of adventure, passion, and political engagement."--BOOK JACKET. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
A well written if tightly focused work. This book was a fascinating snapshot of a now lost era which left me with a profound feeling of nostalgia for something lost when I put it down. I would have liked more external context and history to help ground the narrative, but the story stands on its own as-is.
This was an excellent book detailing the lives of Gayatri Devi, Maharani of Jaipur, and her mother, as well as both of her grandmothers. All were maharanis. The book evokes life in a bygone era. The stories of elephant rides through the jungles and grand ceremonies in which whole cities were involved are vividly told and are a feast for the mind. Mixed in with the history of these ladies is the history of India. It's a wonderful read. Hard to put down, in fact.
Very highly recommended.
Very highly recommended.
An entertaning and absorbing account of the lives and lifestyle for a unique group of women - and how they coped, or didn't, with change. The text jumps around a little, but generally it is an enjoyable read.
Not quite what I was expecting but an interesting read.
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Author Information
9 Works 1,283 Members
Lucy Moore was educated in the United States and Britain before studying history at Edinburgh University. Voted one of the top twenty young writers by the Independent on Sunday in 2001, her books include the bestselling Maharanis: The Lives and Times of Three Generations of Indian Princesses and the acclaimed Liberty: The Lives and Times of Six show more Women in Revolutionary France. She lives in London with her husband and two sons. show less
Common Knowledge
- People/Characters
- Gayatri Devi; Indira Devi; Suniti Devi; Maharani Chimnabai
- Important places
- India
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 178
- Popularity
- 183,041
- Reviews
- 4
- Rating
- (3.67)
- Languages
- English, French, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 10
- ASINs
- 4
