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Rani Padmini
Rani The Heroine of Chittor was consulted extensively by film-maker Sanjay Leela Bhansali for his magnum opus Padmaavat (2018) and both author and publisher are acknowledged prominently in the film’s credits. An insightful and comprehensive account of the life and times of Rani Padmini, this best-seller continues to be the go-to book on this subject. Even though not much is known about Padmini, she has emerged as an icon of national honour over the centuries. This book offers fascinating vignettes of her life— her superlative beauty, high sense of virtue, valour and wisdom—and the times she lived in. The politics among Rajput kingdoms and the danger and humiliation that the queens were exposed to is captured in the book. After researching every relevant literary, archaeological, epigraphic, numismatic and other sources of information, the author not only proves that the illustrious queen of Chittor was, indeed, a historical reality, but also reveals fascinating and multiple facets of her personality.
- GenresHistory
262 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 25, 2018
The author tries to establish that the story of Padmini or Padmavati of Chittor of the thirteenth/fourteenth centuries is not a piece of fiction, created by poets, but a historical reality.
The argument is that, as the incidents involving the fall of the Rajput principality and the self-immolation of its queen did not bring glory to either of the warring sides, attempts were made to erase the episode from history.
Karkra has relied heavily on the oblique reference made by Amir Khusrao to Padmini in his narrative of the siege and fall of Chittor.
Has the author succeeded in his attempt?
That may be debatable.
But the book makes for an interesting reading.
The argument is that, as the incidents involving the fall of the Rajput principality and the self-immolation of its queen did not bring glory to either of the warring sides, attempts were made to erase the episode from history.
Karkra has relied heavily on the oblique reference made by Amir Khusrao to Padmini in his narrative of the siege and fall of Chittor.
Has the author succeeded in his attempt?
That may be debatable.
But the book makes for an interesting reading.
August 3, 2019
I read this book when the movie Padmavat was about to release and I wanted to know Rani Padmini's story. There are so many versions of her story which the author has tried to incorporate the book which makes it a bit tedious to read as it results in repeating the story again and again with minor changes in characters and incidents. After finishing three-fourths of the book and having read her story over and over again I quit reading.
October 20, 2017
a very well researched and written book. the author carefully dissects the historical evidence that is available to him and very logically goes about proving the authenticity of Padmini and the events surrounding her. at the end we are presented with the historically correct version of the story. a great effort.
November 27, 2017
Well researched
Well researched and informative book on one of the most popular queen in the history of Rajput. Must read for history buffs
Well researched and informative book on one of the most popular queen in the history of Rajput. Must read for history buffs
February 6, 2022
A painstaking research work of high calibre on the historicity of Rani Padmini.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews