Some of the more surprising elements of the book really did occur. Shakespeare was extremely popular among Indians learning English. And the play, ?akuntalā, which once impressed the raja, eventually served as an inspiration for Goethe’s Faust. However, even though I tried my best to remain faithful to history, a few dates were altered. Azimullah Khan’s arrival in England happened in 1853 and not 1855 as it does in this book. And the despicable Circular Memorandum was actually created in 1886. An Englishman who was in India to observe the British had the following to say about what came to be known as the Infamous Memorandum:
The orders specified were faithfully carried out, under the supervision of commanding officers, and were to this effect . . . The regimental Kutwal was [an under-official, native] to take two policemen (without uniform), and go into the villages and take from the homes of these poor people their daughters from fourteen years and upwards, about twelve or fifteen girls at a time. They were to select the best looking. Next morning, these were all put in front of the Colonel and Quartermaster. The former made his selection of the number required. They were then presented with a pass or license, and then made over to the old woman in charge of this house of vice under the Government. The women already there, who were examined by the doctor, and found diseased, had their passes taken away from them, and were then removed by the police out of the Cantonment, and these fresh, innocent girls put in their places.
As Josephine Butler wrote in The Revival and Extension of the Abolitionist Cause in 1887, “What can a poor Army slave-woman do when thus turned out? Her caste is broken, because she has lived with foreigners, and her friends will seldom receive her back; she has been compelled to follow the soldiers on the march; and when dismissed may be hundreds of miles away from any human being who ever saw her face before.” The likely end for these women was ignominious death.
Further changes were made in instances where the history was unclear, and I had to make my best guess as to what the truth might be. It is unknown, for example, whether Rao Saheb (sometimes spelled Sahib) was Saheb’s brother or his nephew. Similarly, the birth of Rani Lakshmi is contested, with her memorial plaque in Gwalior reading November 19, 1835, yet biographers often claiming a date of either 1827 or 1828. These earlier dates seem most probable, and November 19, 1828, is ultimately what I went with.
The life of Rani Lakshmi was extraordinary in the truest sense of the word. In Jhansi, women enjoyed an unprecedented amount of freedom, and it was in this environment that the queen flourished. On a memorial in front of Phoolbagh palace, she is remembered as:
The nurturer of the city of Jhansi who dressed like a man, who could ride the tallest of horses, who held a raised sword in her hand, who was thrilled by the frenzy of war like the Goddess Kali, who many times challenged the English generals such a Hugh Rose in battle—that Lakshmi (the goddess of fortune), was killed here as if by an unfortunate turn of destiny and went [back] to heaven!
On August 15, 1947, eighty-nine years after Rani Lakshmi’s death, India achieved its independence.
Glossary
angarkha: a long dress that reaches either the knees or the ankles and is worn with pants bagh: garden
Bhagavad Gita: the sixth book of the Mahabharata in which the god Krishna speaks to his disciple Arjuna. The principle ideas in the Bhagavad Gita are mishkama karma (working without seeking any reward) and bhakti (devotion to god) bhand: clown
Brahma: creator god
Brahmin: the priestly caste, considered the highest caste by Hindus charpai: a wooden bed with a mattress made of rope choti: a covering, usually made of gold, for a woman’s braid Dadi: grandmother
dhoti: a long cloth worn by a man from waist to foot Didi: elder sister, often used to address girls who are elder, even if there is no relationship dupatta: a cloth worn around the neck, similar to a scarf. It can also be used to cover the hair.
durbar: meeting
Durbar Hall: a meeting hall
Durga: the Mother Goddess
Durga Dal: an elite group of female guards trained to protect the rani Durga Puja: an important Hindu festival celebrating the Mother Goddess Durgavasi: a member of the Durga Dal
ganwaar: a person who is considered uncouth and possibly illiterate because they come from a village guru: a religious teacher and spiritual guide Har Har Mahadev: Mightiest of Mighties Holi: an ancient Hindu spring festival called the Festival of Colors ji: a term of respect
Krishna: the eighth avatar of Vishnu
Kshatriya: the second-highest Hindu caste. Traditionally, members of this caste were involved in the military or some aspect of governing.
Mahabharata: one of two great Sanskrit epics. It is supposed to have been written by the wise man Vyasa and tells the story of the contest between the Pandavas and the Kurus.
mahal: palace
maharaja: great king
maidan: a large open field mandir: a temple
Mughals: Muslim rulers of India from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries namaste: a form of greeting made with the palms pressed together, fingers pointed upward nawab: a provincial governor of the Mughal Empire. Also used in reference to a man of great wealth Pita-ji: father
puja: a prayer
purdah: the seclusion of women from public viewing raja: ruler
rajkumar: son of a king
Rama: the god and hero of the Sanskrit epic the Ramayana Ramayana: one of two great Sanskrit epics. It tells the story of the god Rama, his wife Sita, and his brother Lakshmana.