The royal rebel without a pause

Vikramdeep Johal

For long a mere footnote in the history of Punjab, Maharani Jind Kaur or Rani Jindan has gained much-deserved prominence in recent years through books, plays and films. Kavi Raz’s 2017 movie ‘The Black Prince’ featured veteran actor Shabana Azmi as Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s youngest wife, a feisty woman who fought hard — but in vain — to save the Sikh Empire (1799-1849) from being wiped out by the rampaging, scheming British. The Queen and her beloved son, Maharaja Dalip (or Duleep) Singh, also figured in ‘Kohinoor: The Story of the World’s Most Infamous Diamond’ (2018), authored by William Dalrymple and Anita Anand, and Navtej Sarna’s ‘The Exile’ (2016). Now comes ‘The Last Queen’, a fictionalised first-person account by Rani Jindan herself.

Through her eyes, we see the decline and fall of the grand empire founded by Maharaja Ranjit Singh that had Lahore as its capital and extended from the Khyber Pass to parts of Tibet and Kashmir. Unfolding as an elegiac memoir with an air of tragic inevitability, the narrative brings out the diverse shades of the Queen’s personality. Known for her striking beauty, this daughter of the royal kennels’ overseer was barely 18 when she got married to the Maharaja, who was then in his mid-fifties. Her mischievous, ironic sense of humour manifests itself when she takes a close look at the Wazir’s younger brother: “Tall, muscular, dressed in a red kurta, Suchet Singh burns with rage like the sun. The Maharaja, though not particularly handsome himself, likes having good-looking men around him. I admire the confidence that enables him to do that.”

Having entered Ranjit Singh’s life in his sunset years, Rani Jindan not only manages to find a pride of place in the heart of the powerful but ageing emperor, but also subtly wields influence over him. She has the audacity to replace the Sarkar’s wine with juice or water with the noble intention of making him cut down on drinking. No wonder the Queen feels triumphant when he willy-nilly relents.

Her fairy-tale world is turned upside down when the Sher-e-Punjab breathes his last, exposing the glaring cracks in the empire’s imposing façade. With the British sensing an opportunity to go for the kill, Rani Jindan comes out of Ranjit Singh’s huge shadow and demonstrates her toughness and resilience. As the power struggle within the palace claims one life after another, it becomes increasingly challenging for her to protect her little son and prevent the empire from collapsing. After a couple of wars, the British seize control of Punjab and cruelly separate Dalip from his mother. The Queen is exiled and incarcerated at the Chunar Fort in Benares but, true to form, she makes a daring escape after swapping clothes with her attendant. While leaving the fort, she doesn’t forget to cock a snook at the warden with this note: “You put me in a cage and locked me up. You surrounded me with sentries. You thought you could keep Rani Jindan imprisoned. But look, I got out by magic from under your nose!”

It’s again her steely determination that helps her reach the kingdom of Nepal, where she gets asylum and stays for a decade or so. The climax, as if scripted by a divine hand, is her touching reunion with her son and her fateful trip with him to England, where she breathes her last.

The author, whose previous novel, ‘The Forest of Enchantments’, was a retelling of Ramayana from Sita’s perspective, has done justice to the fascinatingly complex figure of Rani Jindan. ‘The Last Queen’ is an exploration of the protagonist’s inner world beyond the confines of her identity as a king’s wife and a prince’s mother. It’s heartening that this woman of substance, who was a worthy contemporary of the legendary Rani of Jhansi and no less big a thorn in the British flesh, is finally getting her due.