Maharanis: The Extraordinary Tale of Four Indian Queens and Their Journey from Purdah to Parliament [BARGAIN PRICE] (Hardcover)

by Lucy Moore (Author) "In November 1911, it might have seemed as if every one of India's nearly 300 million inhabitants was heading for Delhi..." (more)
Key Phrases: Cooch Behar, Sunity Devi, Miss Tottenham (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Drawing on accounts from the waning days of the Raj and the British Empire to the present, Moore (The Thieves' Opera) brings exhaustive research to bear on the stories of four Indian queens who used their power to help forge social change. Her fly-on-the-wall approach gives their triumphs and struggles immediacy. Refined Chimnabai began her marriage to the maharaja of the northern city of Baroda in purdah, which kept married women hidden from men other than their husbands, but after breaking purdah in 1913, she became a champion of women's rights. Sunity Devi, maharani of Cooch Behar (near what is now Bangladesh), forged a close friendship with Queen Victoria and wrote books on India's history for British audiences. Chimnabai's gorgeous daughter, Indira, rejected her arranged alliance in order to marry Sunity's son, and later ruled in her late husband's place as regent of state. Indira's daughter Ayesha defied her parents' wishes so she could become the third wife of the man she loved and was elected to India's parliament in a 1962 landslide. Today, she breeds polo ponies, works on conservationist campaigns and serves on the boards of schools she founded. "In their different ways," Moore writes, "they were icons, modernizers and revolutionaries... inspiring a redefinition of the role of women in modern India." The book's rich details make up for its sometimes stiff prose, as Moore explores everything from the women's elaborate fashions—silk chiffon saris, magnificent jewels and spangled veils—to the politics and strict traditions of India's aristocracy.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From The New Yorker
A maharani is the wife of a maharaja, and through the lives of four such Indian queens, in two linked families over three generations, Moore demonstrates the changing currents of Indian politics and customs. The story starts with Chimnabai, the first queen to break purdah, in 1913, and ends with her granddaughter Gayatri Devi. Devi was the third wife of the maharaja of Jaipur, but after Independence stripped the princes of most of their power she ran successfully for Parliament. She was also a socialite—Jackie Kennedy was a friend—and the book is generally as concerned with parties and polo matches as with politics. The changes of the twentieth century seem to have been easier on the women than on their husbands and sons. With only a few exceptions (including Devi's husband, who had a heart attack during a polo match), the men died young, from complications of severe alcoholism.
Copyright © 2005 The New Yorker --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• ISBN-10: 0670033685
• ASIN: B000BPG2EW
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,028,215 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating journey to the bygone days.., February 23, 2005

By	Tanwir "Rana C." (Minnesota, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maharanis: The Extraordinary Tale of Four Indian Queens and Their Journey from Purdah to Parliament (Hardcover)

This is an excellent book that takes one back to the fascinating dusk of the glorious days of Indian Royals. Lucy Moore writes in her fluid style the story of four Maharani's all the way back from mid 1800s till now. The book gives an unique peek into the dual lives of Maharanis in their zenanas and the high society of Europe. Must read for subcontinental history buffs.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An incredibly fascinating book, July 7, 2007

By	Prachi Patel (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Maharanis: The Extraordinary Tale of Four Indian Queens and Their Journey from Purdah to Parliament (Paperback)

I grew up in Baroda and never knew the extent of its royal history until I read it in this book. It is a lovely story of four amazing women who ruled kingdoms, married men who frequently cheated, had children and even watched them die. I kept reading and reading and got swept up into their world....worlds of glamor, decadence and tragedy. I was glued to the family trees and the photos throughout. The book is all history and is not fiction and that is what makes it great...everything we read is as real as it gets. Moore has painstakingly researched the novel and it shows in every page. My only complaint was the skipping back and forth in time got a little confusing....but still a great novel!

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Maharanis at large!, September 17, 2005

By	Rudy Wong (Lima, Peru) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Maharanis: The Extraordinary Tale of Four Indian Queens and Their Journey from Purdah to Parliament (Hardcover)

Moore delves into the backgrounds, personalities and personal relationships of these four fascinating Indian Maharanis (all blood-connected to the great Gayatri Devi) in such a fresh way that it is a pleasure to read. Full of anecdotes (I loved the stories about "Ma", the Maharani of Cooch Behar). I devoured the whole book in a trans-pacific flight!
A shame Moore did not publish more family pictures in the book!
R-