Maharani Jindan Kaur- True Spirit of Womanhood

 

Swayed by yet another classic piece by Divakaruni Ma’am, after “The Palace of Illusions” and “The Forest of Enchantments”. She always makes sure that the woman in her novel are portrayed strongly with all the required traits that a true woman must possess, symbolising the spirit of feminism.

“People revered his father as the Lion of Punjab, but his mother is the only one they should have called Lioness. In her way, wasn’t she braver than Ranjit Singh? Didn’ t she fight greater obstacles?”

This excerpt from Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s novel “The Last Queen” beautifully sums up the character of Rani Jindan Kaur what a brave, fierce, valiant woman she was. From being the daughter of a kennel keeper, a disregarded queen to becoming a fierce woman who got entangled in revenge and political game-play. She became regent when her son Dalip Singh, barely six years old, unexpectedly inherited the throne and went on to become a legendary queen.

Being passionate and dedicated towards protecting her son’s heritage and their rights, Jindan fought hard to keep Britishers away from her land. She stepped out of the customary boundaries and limitations of zenana, set aside the veil, conducted state business in a male dominated Diwan-i-aam, MUCH AGAINST THE TRADITION!!! She stood against the sati pratha as when her friend and one of Ranjit Singh’s wife Rani Guddan, decided to be Sati after Maharaja’s demise, she decided to stay back and fulfil Maharaja’s wishes and protect his kingdom.

She used to address her Khalsa troops herself and inspired her men in two wars against the British. Her power and influence were so formidable and her spirit so indomitable that the British, fearing an uprising, snatched everything that the queen had including her son.

Her revolt began when her husband, the last Maharaja of the Punjab, died of a stroke in 1839 and the British tried to wrest the kingdom from the heir to the throne, her infant son, Duleep Singh. During her rule as regent, Jindan waged two disastrous wars against the British that led to the annexation of the Punjab. She may have made huge strategic errors due to her military inexperience and young age (she was in her early 20s), but Jindan was a fierce ruler. British historian Peter Bance describes her as a "very gutsy woman". "She stood her ground against the British . . . she actively took charge of the Punjab."

Imprisoned, exiled, dragged out of the court by her hair, thrown into the fortress of Sheikhupura in Lahore and then Chunar Fort in UP, didn’t crush her indomitable will.

An amazing but largely forgotten woman, Maharani Jindan kaur, one of the most fierce and fearless woman of the nineteenth century, is an inspiration for all of us, especially the women. Her life bears witness to the fact that being a feminist is a way of life and Jindan can be every woman, while also being outside the lot.

A woman who dreams, believes, achieves, falters, loses, but never allows life to dictate her. Being a girl next door, she transformed herself into a magnanimous queen who is rooted, intelligent, beautiful, feisty, who bows to no external force but only to her passionate love for her dear ones and her Punjab.