Weaving the strands of a historical saga
Reviewed by Kanchan Mehta

The Golden Honeycomb
by Kamala Markandaya
Penguin Books. Pages 580. Rs 599

It is a long book by a prolific woman novelist who shot into prominence with her maiden novel, Nectar in a Sieve. Here is an abundance of situations, events, characters (both the Indian and the English), relationships, stories, ideas etc. It is divided into three parts, each introduced with an epigraph. One may find the opening a bit baffling. But, there is a prologue, which quotes from the popular statesman Lord Randolph Churchil, a note and an acknowledgement to assist the readers in finding the nature and purpose of the book, the novelist’s choice of time and source of her material. Kamala Markandaya dwelt on the issue of the East-West conflict in most of her novels, of course, in diverse contexts. Well, making a fictional assessment of the Indo-British encounter, covering a vast chunk of history, following a definite chronology, the present text belongs to the genre of historical fiction. In other words, the vast narrative is fixed in a historical framework.

A fictional retelling of the power relationship between the seemingly independent native princes and the British is stimulating and engaging. The maharajas were actually used as tool to sustain the imperial power in India. The various British strategies to alienate the princes from people and to turn them subservient to the British, the text brings to limelight.

The social life comprising banquets and dinners was a British gimmick to display the might of the British potentates. The three generations of the rajas of a princely state Devapur, where the action of the novel place, recalls Mulk Raj Anand’s The Private Life of An Indian Prince and Manohar Malgonkar’s The Princes. Creative reconstruction of the institution of monarchy is the diversifying feature of the novel. It opens with the futile British bid to select a bania as the raja of Devapur, contrary to the traditional practice of choosing one from the princely caste for the ousting of raja Bawajiraj I for his spirit of independence. However, Rabi, the illegitimate son of the ruler Bawajiraj III is the protagonist of the novel.

Under the influence of his mother and grandmother and the servants, and the various adventures he undertakes, he evolves into a patriotic man. Add to this, he realises the insensitivity of both native princes and the British to the common people. He senses that the meek position of the native rulers is no better than the frail golden honeycomb vis-a-vis the British. The viceroy approves Rabi’s appointment as heir to the throne. Unlike other native rulers, he devotes himself to the amelioration of the poor and participates enthusiastically in the freedom struggle.

Designed on an immense scale, the novel is also an intriguing saga of love. Rabi’s romantic escapades add a spicy variation to the heavy historical themes. Well, Rabi’s first adolescent love is Janaki. His second love with a young working girl endows him with the first experience of a woman. If Dewan’s second daughter attempts to seduce him, his youngest daughter Usha loves him and is a companion for him. Rabi also carries on with Sophie, the smart youngest daughter of the resident, Sir Arthur but since her behaviour is tainted by deep-seated prejudice, he distances himself. The historical saga ends with an Epilogue that refers to India’s independence and the accession of the princely states to India and Pakistan after Independence. Hence the story of an imperial past ends with the dawn of a democratic future.

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