The Ranee of Jhansi

Disappointing-put it away after 1/2 way despite persisting to finish I didnt want to read about her lovers and love affairs

Blending fiction and history makes this an easy lesson on the start of the sepoy uprising and how the first war of independence progressed to its sorry end. A good account of the English attitude to the Indians and their complete ignorance of the Indian culture is told through the eyes of the heroine the Rani of Jhansi. I enjoyed the historical aspect much more than the love life of Rani although this may have been the authors method to tie in the events of the period.

Having grown up reading about the Rani of Jhansi, Prince Michael delves into area which were not known to us. The lovely description of the court, the people, the surrounding, the British rule was conveyed factually and mindful of the sentiments that it could arouse. There was just that little bit of romance which made it richer. The portrayal of the treachery and betrayal were just enough for the reader to appreciate the uprising and sacrifices made. A glimpse into the past which keeps you riveted right till the end.

Jhansi shall forever be associated with Rani Lakshmibai. Having lived in Jhansi for two years, this reviewer has had the opportunity of visiting numerous places and monuments associated with the Rani, apart from reading a number of books on her life and times.This relatively recent book, described as “…a fast paced narrative, touched with romance, that captures an exhilarating moment in Indian history,” seems quite promising. The narrative is simple and the language is easy to follow, but on the whole the book is quite disappointing, for many different reasons. -----------------To begin with, the author’s abject ignorance of Indian history, customs and traditions is exposed throughout the book, as the following examples will show.On page 17, Raja Gangadhar Rao is described as the seventh Raja of Jhansi. In fact, Gangadhar Rao was the third Raja from the Nevalkar dynasty, after Ram Chandra Rao (1832-1835) and Raghunath Rao (1835-1837).On page 178, it is mentioned in passing that the fort at Jhansi was built by the Rajas of Jhansi – in fact, Balwantpur fort in Jhansi was built by the Bundela ruler Raja Bir Singh Deo of Orchha, more than two centuries before the title of Raja was conferred on the Nevalkars of Jhansi.On page 37, Nana Saheb’s father is described as the “Raja of Bithur.” In fact, the Peshwas were hereditary prime ministers of the Maratha rulers; kingmakers rather than kings themselves. Baji Rao II, the last of the Peshwas, had been exiled to Bithoor near Kanpur after he lost the third Anglo Maratha War in 1818. Being childless, he had adopted two young boys as his sons, who were eventually known as Nana Saheb and Rao Saheb. Despite having lost his political power, Baji Rao had set up an elaborate court at Bithoor, financed out of the lavish pension granted to him by the East India Company. Among his courtiers and advisors was Moropant Tambe – the father of Manikarnika (or Manu), who eventually married Gangadhar Rao of Jhansi and came to be known as Rani Lakshmibai.On page 64, when a Ramleela is being performed, we are told that Ravana, the king of demons, has kidnapped Sita, who is “betrothed” to Rama. Every schoolboy knows that Sita and Rama had been married for many years before she was kidnapped by Ravana. -----------------There are numerous books on the Rani of Jhansi, but the gold standard is undoubtedly the biographical novel by Vrindavanlal Varma (1889-1969), originally published in Hindi in the mid 1940s. Mr Varma belonged to an aristocratic family of Jhansi. His great grandmother – who had lived through the brief reign of the Rani – had kindled his boyhood imagination with her memories of those stirring times. Though presented as fiction, Varma’s deeply influential work has moulded the image of Rani Lakshmibai in the minds of generations of readers.The book under review differs substantially from Varma’s work. For one thing, Prince Michael’s book covers a relatively shorter period, starting from the adoption of Damodar Rao in November 1853 to the death of Rani Lakshmibai in June 1858. Secondly, while Mr Varma tended to glorify not just the Rani, but most of the characters in his book, Prince Michael does not hesitate to depict the shortcomings of the protagonists – be it the cruel and spiteful temperament of Raja Gangadhar Rao, the ambition and greed of Lakshmibai’s father Moropant Tambe or the poor military strategies employed by Tatya Tope. Such portrayals may seem unpalatable, but they are not implausible. However, on the topic of the Rani herself, the author skates on dangerously thin ice. It seems that the Lakshmibai of his imagination differs substantially from the historical one, as the following paragraphs will show.On page 5, the author mentions the “slender, elegant silhouette” of Rani Lakshmibai. The art of photography was still in its infancy in the mid 19th century. Very few portraits and contemporary descriptions of the Rani exist, but one of the most reliable sources is John Lang (1816-1864), the Australian barrister who represented her case in London. Lang had had an audience with the Rani in 1854, and he got a glimpse of her when the muslin curtain in front of her was momentarily pushed aside by her son. Lang describes her as “…a woman of about the middle size – rather stout, but not too stout.”Varma’s Rani was an ascetic who devoted much of her time to praying and imparting military training to her companions like Sundar, Mundar, Kashibai and Jhalkaribai. However, the Lakshmibai in the Prince’s book is preoccupied with feasts and celebrations, where she freely indulges in alcohol, tobacco and opium. She is also alleged to have multiple lovers, including Roger Giffard, a young Englishman working for the East India Company; and Akbar Khan, a Pathan cavalry officer serving in her own army. Such a radical and uncharacteristic portrayal would appear outrageous, if not downright offensive to most Indians. I feel that the author has done a great disservice to the memory of one of India’s most cherished heroines, remembered as much for her spirit of sacrifice as for her courage in the battlefield. -----------------There is a bibliography at the end of the book, which mentions only eight books published between 1889 and 1982 – a woefully inadequate preparation by the author for a task of this magnitude. I was curious to learn about the author and how he came to write this book, despite the obvious limitations of his knowledge of the subject. The dust cover of the book says that Prince Michael of Greece is the author of a number of biographies and historical novels. Further, he was born in 1939 and he studied political science in Paris before serving a term with the Hellenic army. Wikipedia gives more details about his ancestry and career, but there is nothing to justify why he chose to write this peculiar book.In November 2013, shortly after the publication of this book, an e-mail interview with the author was published in “The Telegraph.” When he was asked about his research for this book, he stated (with princely disdain!) that he has been to India several times and had visited Jhansi and Gwalior for a week. He describes his book as sixty percent history and forty percent novelization, while claiming that he has never invented a major character. In fact, both Roger Giffard and Akbar Khan, who are integral to this book, are entirely fictional characters without any historical basis.I cannot end this review without pointing out the atrocious spellings used by the author. For instance, the Rani’s companion Mundar becomes “Mandar,” Diwan Narsingh (or Narasimha) appears as “Naransin” and even Kiran is transformed into “Kiraun.” As for places, Datiya is spelt as “Datya,” while Barua Sagar becomes “Barwan Saugor.” The last paragraph of the bibliography provides us with a hilarious misspelling: Sardar Angre is rendered as “The Sirdar Angry”!Readers can only guess what the worthy Prince might have done to infuriate Mr Angre.

Good book you can study this for thw knowledge of jhansi ki rani and how she bravely fought with the British

OK