The Last Maharani of Gwalior: An Autobiography by Vinjaya Raje Scindia and Manohar Malgonkar: A Book Review

The Last Maharani of Gwalior: An Autobiography

Authors: Vinjaya Raje Scindia and Manohar Malgonkar

Genre: Nonfiction, History, Autobiography

Publisher: SUNY Press

Release Date: 1987

Pages: 279

Source: Personal Collection

Synopsis: A description of contemporary India and some of its recent history.

My Review: Vivjaya Raje Scindia was the last Maharani of Gwalior. She was a prominent member of the Indian parliament. She was jailed by Indira Gandhi during the Emergency period for opposing her presidency and even ran against her during the 1980 elections but lost. In her memoir, Vivjaya Raje Scindia chronicles her life from the moment of her birth to the elections of 1984.

Vivjaya Raje Scindia was descended from the Maharajas of Nepal. She went to a women’s college and intended to pursue a bachelor’s degree. However, her family had other plans for her and arranged her marriage to the Maharaja of Gwalior. Eventually, she entered into politics and joined the Indian parliament. After the death of her husband, she continued to be a member of parliament. However, she disagreed with Indira Gandhi’s rule. During the Emergency period, she became a prisoner. After a few years she was released. She ran against Indira Gandhi in 1980 but lost.

Before reading this memoir, I didn't really know anything about Indian history. However, the queen wrote about Gwalior’s history and its rulers in a very comprehensive way. I had never heard of this queen until I read her memoir, and I found it to be truly moving and sad. Vivjaya Raje Scindia had many tragic moments throughout her grand life as Maharani. She lost her husband. She lost her title as queen during Indira Gandhi’s presidency. She was a prisoner during the Emergency period, and she had a troubled relationship with her son due to political beliefs. Thus, I could not help but feel sorry for her.

Overall, this was a very moving memoir of a very important figure in India’s history. Vivjaya Raje Scindia was a queen who cared for her country and people. The story is very comprehensive to those who do not know much about Indian history. After reading her memoir, it makes me interested to read more about her. This is a must read for fans of royalty! The Last Maharani of Gwalior tells the story of one of India’s patriot heroes!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Comments

Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer by Samuel Noah Kramer and Diane Wolkstein: A Book Review

Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer Author: Samuel Noah Kramer and Diane Wolkstein Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Religion, Mythology Publisher: Harper Perennial Release Date: 1983 Pages: 256 Source: Personal Collection Synopsis: With the long-awaited publication of this book, we have for the first time in any modern literary form one of the most vital and important of ancient myths—that of Inanna, the world’s first goddess of recorded history and the beloved deity of the ancient Sumerians. The stories and hymns of Inanna (known to the Semites as Ishtar) are inscribed on clay tablets which date back to 2,000 B.C. Over the past forty years, these cuneiform tablets have gradually been restored and deciphered by a small group of international scholars. In this groundbreaking book, Samuel Noah Kramer, the preeminent living expert on Sumer, and Diane Wolkstein, a gifted storyteller and folklorist, have retranslated, order...

The Dragon Wakes With Thunder (The Dragon Spirit #2) by K. X. Song: A Book Review

The Dragon Wakes With Thunder (The Dragon Spirit #2) Author: K. X. Song Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance Publisher: Ace Book Release Date: 2025 Pages: 448 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: The war may be over, but Hai Meilin is still paying a heavy toll. In spite of securing victory for the kingdom of Anlai, she is imprisoned upon her return. Her crime? Wielding a sword as a woman. In the palace, Meilin is an outcast and a social pariah. But beyond the imperial walls, the legend of the woman warrior has taken on a life of its own. To the east, a new rebel leader needs Meilin to helm his people’s revolution. In the south, a former enemy prince, now a prisoner of war, seeks Meilin’s aid in restoring balance to the Three Kingdoms. And back home in Anlai, Liu Sky, Meilin’s commander and first love, requires Meilin by his side in his bid for the throne. Pulled ...

Guest Post by Aleksey Linetskiy: The Women Behind the Klondike Story

Today's guest writer is Aleksey Linetskiy. He is the co-author of Finch and Hawk: The Klondike Letters , which is a unique yearly subscription in which the reader reads a story by mail. In this guest post, he introduces us to a few historical women of the Klondike era. Some of these women are Alice Freeman, Flora Shaw, and Helen Dare. Thank you, Mr. Linetskiy! The Women Behind the Klondike Story Before we began writing Finch and Hawk: The Klondike Letters , my partner, Alona Umansky, and I spent a great deal of time researching the Klondike Gold Rush. We were interested in finding the stories of people who maybe didn’t become rich and famous but still went through the experience of a great stampede. As we were reading the newspapers of the time and firsthand accounts, it became very clear to us that we wanted to tell at least part of the story through the women’s eyes. There were so many incredible women who underto...

History from a Woman's Perspective- A Book Blog

Search This Blog