Last Queen

This book is based on the true story of Maharani Jindan, the last Sikh queen of Lahore, who fought against the British with the help of khalsa warriors but never made it to our history pages, books or media. Jindan kaur was the daughter of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s kennel keeper. Although her father, Manna, wanted to use her beauty as a means to get advantage from the Maharaja, but Jindan astounded the Sarkar with her intelligence and profound love for Punjab. Jindan got married to Maharaja Ranjit Singh and became his most loved and favourite queen. They had a son Dalip Singh who ascended the throne at the age of six after the untimely and gruesome deaths of the royal family members. After the death of the Sarkar, His kingdom started to fall apart. Members of the royal family started to plot nefarious plans and murdered each other for the sake of the throne. The queens and their newborn babies were also murdered ruthlessly. As if the problems were less, even the British kept an eye on the advancement of the situation and plotted to seize the kingdom at the very first opportunity. The times were uncertain and there were cobras and wolves all around in the form of cold-blooded assassins. Being young, she was completely oblivious of the palace politics and intriguing political manoeuvres. Maharani Jindan Kaur was a strong willed and intelligent woman. She knew she had to stay alive and keep her son alive so that he can become the Maharaja of Lahore. Being a Regent Queen, she broke the rules of zenana and discussed important state matters with the courtiers. Dalip Singh became the king after lots of tumultuous incidents, but became a puppet in the hands of the British. She gathered her forces of the khalsa regiment and waged wars against the British twice. She got defeated because her plans were not strong enough to tumble the Britishers and she made some horrible decisions which led to her downfall. They brainwashed Dalip Singh and separated Rani Jindan from his son. Rani jindan’s assets were seized. She was exiled and imprisoned. The british maligned her image by referring to her as a seductress. But she never gave up. She escaped from their prison and sought asylum in Kathmandu. The story flows seamlessly throughout the book and is bound to give chills and goosebumps to the readers. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is known to write about women who got lost in the oblivion and were oppressed in some form in the patriarchal society. The author does not sketch the character of Maharani Jindan keeping in mind only the positive side but also the not-so-pleasant side of her character. We get to hear about her when she was vulnerable and at her weakest. She is not portrayed as a flawless character and that makes her so real and authentic because humans were not meant to be flawless. The author doesn’t turn a blind eye to the other female characters like Mai Nakhan, Guddan, Chand, Mangla because they were equally responsible for shaping her character.

First of all, the book is actually unputdownable. The best historical novel I’ve ever read. It is a gripping and inspiring story of Maharani Jindan kaur, The Last Queen of Punjab. The story highlights her courage and determination as she fights against British colonial rule to defend her kingdom and her son’s rights. The story moves smoothly and seamlessly with a fast pace and nail-biting suspense. The vivid narration transports you to the place and time where the drama unfolds. It is an incredibly light read with the tone of a thriller and a romance novel but steeped in history.

"But my heart has been ruined. It wants you. Only you.”- Rani Jindan 'The Last Queen' by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is a spellbinding retelling of the life of Rani Jindan, the last queen of Punjab. The novel starts with the childhood days of Jindan Kaur and her mischiefs with her brother Jawahar. She was the daughter of a dog trainer, Manna Singh who worked under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Manna Singh hankered Jindan Kaur as a dice to pursue Sarkar (Maharaja Ranjit Singh) but Jindan Kaur took Sarkar's breath away by her acumen and her love for Punjab. Later, Jindan Kaur got married to Sarkar and they had a son Dalip Singh who was ascended to throne at the age of six. After the death of Sarkar, his kingdom started crumbling. His own family members chalked out barbarous acts and shed owns blood ruthlessly. The British had an eye on Rani Jindan. When Dalip Singh got ascended to the throne, the British tactfully influenced Dalip Singh by their culture and traditions, snatching away the kingdom. Rani Jindan was separated from her son for thirteen years and was imprisoned by the British. To be honest, I don't remember if I had read about Rani Jindan in my school life. That is how history textbooks are supposed to be ! Right ? But thanks to Chitra Ma'am for giving voice to Rani Jindan and for writing her story. The life of Rani Jindan was painful, yet it was written so beautifully and it turned out to be an unputdownable book. Through this novel, we experience Rani Jindan's every phase of life. She was indeed a strong and gallant woman. It was definitely an extraordinary read. I would rate it 4.5/5

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni has a distinct style of feminist unbiased writing, that makes you relate with the character, empathasize and rage and sympathize with them. Loved her previous work, palace of illusions and forest of enchantments. Ofc those were different since i was already familiar with the two epics in context, so this book was a new read given I wasn't familiar at all with Rani Jindan Kaur. Divakaruni's writing tells a brilliant story as usual, a wonderful historical account spanning decades. Ofc I can't vouch for the historical accuracy, but made for a great engaging read as expected

The Last Queen “You don’t have to be born a Princess to become a Queen!” Sunday 7th February 2021 Book-Review Book : The Last Queen Author: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni Genre : Fiction, History, Literature Price: Rs.599 No. of Pages : 372 ISBN : 978-93-9035-195-4 Available in: Hardback Language: English Published by : Harper Collins It is said, “To be noticed by others, you need to be physically ... attractive and appealing; but to remain in the hearts 💕 of others, you need to be mentally ... gracefully beautiful and dazzlingly magnificent!!” ... and that is how one of my most admired writers: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni has portrayed the heroine - ‘Rani Jindan, Mother of the Khalsa’ in her latest novel : The Last Queen I have always been a slow reader. I take enough time trying to grasp the writer’s point of view. But till date I have never continued “chewing” a book for a complete month! This one book just left me in a trance! I never wanted it to end ... 🥺 Right from the feel of the hard bound cover, the tantalizing image with the fiery-red border/background to the exquisitely printed pages ... and Ofcourse the wonderfully-well narration of a powerful story by a master story-teller ... I loved it ALL! It begins with a quote which I adored! “Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter”. - Chinua Achebe So True! Rani Jindan Kaur - the last Queen of Punjab is indeed the Lion and Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni - the historian. The other books by the same author are extremely popular. But this one stands out alone as a historical book; the genre of the others being Mythology. The simplicity and yet aptness of expression takes your heart away. The flow is so smooth that it compels one to keep reading. The music, the rhythm, the lyrical quality of the words is so pleasingly striking. Just imagine, Maharaja Ranjit Singh - the most powerful warrior - the strongest king of Punjab, saying to Rani Jindan Kaur, “Well, my dearest, you aren’t my first wife, but I promise you this, you will be my last. The one who has filled my heart totally”! How soft and refreshing it sounds amongst its harsh surroundings of “Plots, Betrayals, Deaths and Executions”! We are left in awe of the descriptions that are so scenic and picturesque! The images formed in front of our eyes makes us feel as though we are seeing a movie and not reading a book. I could actually visualise the city of Lahore! ‘The safest city in the country with its twelve gates! The Shalimar Gardens with four hundred fountains and one lakh flowers!’ “The intricate, beloved tapestry of Lahore, city of myth, fashioned from the wilderness before time began by Lav, son of Ram.” The mythological references added power to the writings. Reading the book was like ... entering the Sheranwala Darwaza to encounter the Sher-e-Punjab and get dazzled by the ‘fire-like-flashes’ of “The Koh-i-Noor” - The Mountain of Light - the might of Punjab! But ultimately it all led to the magnetic charisma of the fabulously, fearless queen Jindan!! She becomes a widow at the age of twenty-one. The entire world turns against her. Her courage, bravery, grit and determination in fighting against deceitful, beastly, rebellious and violent atmosphere of the avarice and false people surrounding her leaves us totally speechless! The pathos evoked by the melancholy and sadness of the mother-son separation and later reunion is worth a mention. The character of Dalip, initially appears such a contrast to that of his mother. “... Like a bird which, having been bred in captivity, feels comforted only in the safety of its cage.” The end, ends the ‘weak elements’ in Dalip, it finally marks the success of Rani Jindan’s attempts in making him realise the actual truth of the prevailing situation and brings out the strength in him. His thoughts leave their impact. “People revered his father as The Lion of Punjab but his mother is the one they should have called Lioness.” “In her way, wasn’t she braver than Ranjit Singh? Didn’t she fight greater obstacles?” What a Queen! A must read ALL! *****

A story I didn’t know. I felt like a fly on the wall of every scene. Finished off very quickly as i was drawn to what happens next at every moment.

If you have looked for this book because you liked Palace of Illusions, Forest of Enchantments or even Sister of my heart..you'll be left disappointed. Although there are so many characters in the book there isn't a single one whom you can admire not even Rani Jindan.. I like how she's flawed but it feels very unnatural in her character development. First half is really like an Indian TV soap with forced love story and new bahu's problem. I could see chitra's touch only on relationships of Jindan with Guddan and Managala who are also my favorite characters. Lower your expectations before reading and you'll end up with a quick read to pass time.

Inspiring story, Very well narrated in the typical author’s style. Prologue could have captured the actual history to tie up the fiction with facts