While the first two told the story of Mehrunnisa, the iron-willed Empress of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, Shadow Princess unveils the strong character, princess Jahanara, who wielded great power and influence during the reign of her father, Emperor Shah Jahan.
While the lives of Mughal rulers of India have been extensively documented, their women have mostly remained an enigma to historians due to the strictly guarded lives they lived.
With one such Mughal princess as her protagonist in Shadow Princess, Indu Sundaresan weaves a shimmering web of fiction around the historical facts at her disposal. Emperor Shah Jahan, devastated by the death of his most beloved begum Mumtaz Mahal, decides to give up his throne but none of his sons is old enough to shoulder the responsibility of managing one of the world’s biggest empires.
Amidst the shaky political situation, Jahanara, the 17-year-old eldest daughter of the emperor, exhibits extraordinary strength of character in keeping her grieving family united and ably assisting her father in managing the court’s affairs at the expense of her own happiness. Shadow Princess tells the story of this gutsy princess forced by circumstances to mature beyond her age and shape the destiny of the Mughal empire from behind the curtains of the imperial zenana (harem).
Serving a feast of magnificence and sensuousness of the royal life , the book depicts Mughal India of the 16th century to the reader easily. The author’s avid interest in history and her extensive research into her subject are evident in the convincing reconstruction of the complex political drama and the day-to-day affairs of the royal family.
Her poetic narration brings to life the bold, sensuous, resilient self of Jahanara in all hues. Though her filial responsibility denies Jahanara the pleasure of marriage, it cannot deny her the bliss of love.
She finds her love in an amir (commander) in her father’s court, Mirza Najabat Khan. Indu Sundaresan portrays this secret love affair in the most enchanting manner.
All characters of Shadow Princess including Shah Jahan, Jahanara’s favourite but ineffective brother Dara Shikoh, her vengeful sister Roshanara who is perpetually engaged in maligning her sister, and ruthlessly ambitious Aurangzeb enrich the drama of love, hatred, betrayal, intrigue, murder, oppression, makes this book engrossing.
A follower of the Sufi tradition, her brother Dara Shikoh sympathises with Jahanara while her sister Roshanara sides with the very intolerant Aurangzeb, and this alignment of loyalty continues till the end.
The author presents in elaborate details the architectural splendour of the Taj Mahal which forms a leitmotif of the book. History and fiction intertwine beautifully in her presentation of the grandeur of Shah Jahan’s glorious tribute to his beloved’s memory.
The story of Taj Mahal, a symbol of purity and sublime love, provides an engaging contrast to the story of rivalry between Jahanara’s brothers and the subsequent bloody battle for throne which culminates in Aurangzeb killing his brothers and incarcerating Jahanara and Shah Jahan.
However, despite her loathsome attitude towards him, it is Jahanara whom Aurangzeb makes his Padshah Begum (the chief lady of the harem) when she finally agrees to live with him after their father’s death. Thus, continues to occupy the most influential position in the harem till the end.
Indu Sundaresan’s Shadow Princess is has an engaging style and sensuous prose present to the reader a passionate life that was anything but ordinary.