A NAWAB AND A BEGUM

Category History
Format Paperback
Imprint Rupa
Price 295

ISBN: 978-93-5702-652-9
Pages: 256 pages
Date: 5th May 2024

ABOUT THIS BOOK

A debauched ruler, who was a proponent of arts and culture while the East India Company confiscated his prosperous kingdom, or an unlikely hero, who had a crown of thorns placed on his head when he was meant for the finer things in life?
History has not been kind to Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Awadh. Never an astute ruler, the confiscation of his kingdom by the British was a bloodless exercise. However, his legacy thrives on, not just as the last king of Awadh but also as the last great patron of arts and splendour, who stayed true to himself until the end and created his own realm, even in exile.

And then there was Hazrat Mahal, a courtesan who rose in the annals of history as Begum Hazrat Mahal, the warrior queen. The British had assessed the King well but made a fatal mistake by underestimating his wife. It was the Begum who went on to teach a lesson to the till-then-invincible East India Company. Unprecedented in the history of India, native sepoys and volunteers rallied behind Begum Hazrat Mahal, willing to sacrifice their lives for their motherland.
This is a story of a nawab and a begum. With simultaneous biographies knit together in one book, this is an attempt to explore the enigmatic relationship between Wajid Ali Shah and his unsung warrior queen, Begum Hazrat Mahal.

AUTHOR OF THE BOOK

Sudipta Mitra is an author and a colonial researcher. He is also a freelance columnist and a regular contributor on historical anecdotes and nature. A doctor by profession, he is also associated with many NGOs. His commitment to acquiring first-hand and authentic knowledge on Awadh history down the ages has culminated in a remarkable experience. His bestselling book Pearl by the River was a fascinating depiction of Wajid Ali Shah’s glamorous life in exile. He has more than 100 essays on colonial India, environmental sciences and wildlife history to his credit, both in English and Bengali. His other books, Gir Forest and the Saga of Asiatic Lion, History and Heritage of Indian Game Hunting and The Nitpicker’s Chronicle: Flip Side Story of Indian National Movement, are highly informative and useful references.