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The Bandit Queen Of India: An Indian Woman's Amazing Journey From Peasant To International Legend
She was born in India to the lowest caste, a group with few rights and even fewer prospects. Enduring cruel poverty, Phoolan Devi survived the humiliation of an abusive marriage, the savage killing of her bandit-lover and horrifying gang rape to claim retribution for herself and all low-caste women of the Indian plains. In a three-year campaign that rocked the government, she delivered justice to rape victims and stole from the rich to give to the poor, before negotiating surrender on her own terms. Throughout her years of imprisonment without trial, Phoolan Devi remained a beacon of hope for the poor and the downtrodden. In 1996, amidst both popular support and media controversy, she was elected to the Parliament.
On July 25th, 2001, Phoolan Devi was shot dead in Delhi. The identity of her killers is unknown, but it is thought that they may include relatives of villagers killed by her gang nearly twenty years ago. For over a decade millions have found the power and scope of Phoolan Devi's myth irresistible. Now she finally tells the story of her life through her eyes and in her own voice.
On July 25th, 2001, Phoolan Devi was shot dead in Delhi. The identity of her killers is unknown, but it is thought that they may include relatives of villagers killed by her gang nearly twenty years ago. For over a decade millions have found the power and scope of Phoolan Devi's myth irresistible. Now she finally tells the story of her life through her eyes and in her own voice.
497 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
February 16, 2009
This is an amazing book. Well, I should say that this is an amazing story of survival because it is an autobiography (an oral autobiography then written down by the authors).
it tells the story of Phoolan Devi, an indian girl born into the lowest caste (other than the untouchables), poor of course, in a village of India. As a girl she had no rights and no protection other than what her father could give. She was married off at age 11 to a middle-aged man who raped and tortured her. She escaped that situation to be beaten, raped and shamed by her fellow villagers and the upper caste members who controlled her village.
She was kidnapped by a band of bandits and saved only because the leader of the bandits fell in love with her. That part may sound romantic but it was anything but. She still was not allowed to return to her family. She still had to live the life of a bandit. She was branded a criminal. Her bandit husband was murdered by another bandit who then kidnapped her and took her from village to village, bound and naked, saying to the men of the villages, "Use her as you like." And they did, publicly, brutally, continuously.
She survived all this, escaped, became the leader of her own band of bandits and finally surrendered herself to the Indian authorities.
She spend 11 years in Indian prison, was finally released and was voted into the Indian Parliament. Several years later she was assassinated on the steps of her house.
She has become a myth and a legend to millions of lower caste people, women in particular, for fighting for their rights, for trying to bring justice to the poor people who have no justice.
This book tells her story in her words. It is told in simple sentences, with great detail and is filled with personal emotions. It also gives the reader a very involved understanding of how the lives of millions of people in India work from day to day. The most gripping aspect of this story is that, except for her ability to rise above her place in her world, it is not an exceptional tale. It is the story of millions of people, no more singular and no more spectacular in the poverty, the lack of justice, the powerlessness of these people.
it tells the story of Phoolan Devi, an indian girl born into the lowest caste (other than the untouchables), poor of course, in a village of India. As a girl she had no rights and no protection other than what her father could give. She was married off at age 11 to a middle-aged man who raped and tortured her. She escaped that situation to be beaten, raped and shamed by her fellow villagers and the upper caste members who controlled her village.
She was kidnapped by a band of bandits and saved only because the leader of the bandits fell in love with her. That part may sound romantic but it was anything but. She still was not allowed to return to her family. She still had to live the life of a bandit. She was branded a criminal. Her bandit husband was murdered by another bandit who then kidnapped her and took her from village to village, bound and naked, saying to the men of the villages, "Use her as you like." And they did, publicly, brutally, continuously.
She survived all this, escaped, became the leader of her own band of bandits and finally surrendered herself to the Indian authorities.
She spend 11 years in Indian prison, was finally released and was voted into the Indian Parliament. Several years later she was assassinated on the steps of her house.
She has become a myth and a legend to millions of lower caste people, women in particular, for fighting for their rights, for trying to bring justice to the poor people who have no justice.
This book tells her story in her words. It is told in simple sentences, with great detail and is filled with personal emotions. It also gives the reader a very involved understanding of how the lives of millions of people in India work from day to day. The most gripping aspect of this story is that, except for her ability to rise above her place in her world, it is not an exceptional tale. It is the story of millions of people, no more singular and no more spectacular in the poverty, the lack of justice, the powerlessness of these people.
August 14, 2022
One word: girlboss
April 28, 2022
what an amazing true story and what resilience this woman had to advewrsity
November 29, 2008
i probably wouldn't have chosen to read this book if left to my own devices, but it was the first book selected for this anarcha-feminist reading group i used to be in, so i went & checked it out, & i'm glad i did, because i liked it a lot. i'm not going to pretend that it was easy to read. phoolan devi had a really rough life. & she pulls no bunches in addressing some of the awful things that have happened to her. she was born very lower-caste in india. her family struggled a lot to take care of their plot of farmland in an effort to not starve to death, & weather & political machinations often worked against them. when phoolan was still really young, like eleven, her parents married her off to a local rich man, who subjected her to sexual abuse. she escaped from him & was persecuted by the townspeople & the law for abnadoning her husband. her husband conspired to have her kidnapped by bandits with the thought that they would rape her & hopefully kill her. but one of the bandits took a shine to her & wouldn't allow the other bandits to hurt her. he trained her in the way of being a bandit & she joined their bandit tribe, stealing from the rich, giving to the poor, & avenging herself & other women across the indian countryside, castrating rapists & such forth. she & the bandit who protected her fall in love & have a bandit wedding. but eventually she is captured & subjected to all kinds of horrors. she was eventually cleared & elected to parliament in india, but was assassinated at the age of 42 or so. she didn't write this book so much as she reported it to a ghostwriter, & i have heard some people say that the book is exploitative because it was written by white english people. i don't know the details of this argument. i just liked the parts where phoolan went around cutting off the dicks of rapists. go phoolan!
July 2, 2007
There is nothing about this book that isn't phenomenal and miraculous. Phoolan Devi fought against an entire community and religious dogma that insisted that she was sub-human for being dark-skinned, poor, and female. Everyone she had ever known in her entire life tried to bend her or break her, but her sense of personal justice was so strong that she refused. This is what really strikes me-- she was all alone in an unjust system which was all she had ever known and yet she was still strong enough to know right from wrong and fight for her own justice. She became India's most notorious bandit, redistributing wealth and castrating rapists, before surrendering on her own terms, doing jail time, being the subject of a highly inaccurate and grossly exploitative movie, being elected to parliament, and sadly being assassinated. This book is the autobiography of an illiterate woman- dictated in its entirety. It is truly humbling.
March 11, 2010
She was born in India to the lowest caste, a group with few rights and even fewer prospects. Enduring cruel poverty, Phoolan Devi survived the humiliation of an abusive marriage, the savage killing of her bandit-lover and horrifying gang rape to claim retribution for herself and all low-caste women of the Indian plains. In a three-year campaign that rocked the government, she delivered justice to rape victims and stole from the rich to give to the poor, before negotiating surrender on her own terms. Throughout her years of imprisonment without trial, Phoolan Devi remained a beacon of hope for the poor and the downtrodden. In 1996, amidst both popular support and media controversy, she was elected to the Parliament.
On July 25th, 2001, Phoolan Devi was shot dead in Delhi. The identity of her killers is unknown, but it is thought that they may include relatives of villagers killed by her gang nearly twenty years ago. For over a decade millions have found the power and scope of Phoolan Devi's myth irresistible. Now she finally tells the story of her life through her eyes and in her own voice.
On July 25th, 2001, Phoolan Devi was shot dead in Delhi. The identity of her killers is unknown, but it is thought that they may include relatives of villagers killed by her gang nearly twenty years ago. For over a decade millions have found the power and scope of Phoolan Devi's myth irresistible. Now she finally tells the story of her life through her eyes and in her own voice.
August 7, 2008
One of my very favorite books. I first heard about Phoolan Devi on NPR shortly after she was assassinated, and was so fascinated by her character that I searched for information on her. I pre-ordered this book while it was still in printing, and it is not widely available now. Unfortunately, I lent it out to numerous people and one day it did not come back. It is an incredible story of survival against the odds: against a deadly caste system in India, against the practice of marrying female children to grown men, and against the myriad disadvantages of being female in the third world. You may find the story extremely disturbing, with shocking descriptions of abuse, but out of it rises one of the most amazing and improbable characters in history, as far as I know. A must read for folks who are fascinated by ordinary people who persevered and changed the world as we know it. It is one of the handful of books I have read that I literally could not put down, and finished all of its 500 or so pages in 2 days.
April 11, 2013
A remarkable book ultimately about power and the powerless. Phoolan Devi endured many horrific acts on her that some can not even imagine but she always fought and never gave up in her battles which make a heroine in so many eyes. There were times when I did not wish to continue because it was too emotional and I felt distraught knowing there is so much evil in the world but I kept on hoping for some sort of recompense. I was also sad to have finished the book and not knowing how she dealt with the life outside of the village and jungle. The book ended with her coming out of prison I would love to have read her journey into politics and about how she met her husband Umed Singh. I think her story is so remarkable in telling of India's struggle that more than half the population go through daily and even today nobody seems to care. I am happy that she had the courage to test it. I felt if she was alive today she would have made a great politician because not only of her drive in justice but because no matter what life threw at her she always strived to come out of it stronger.
January 1, 2018
Because of the life that she was born into, and the harsh situational realities that she endured, this book was extremely hard to read. Yet, her life story is intriguing.
November 30, 2021
This is probably one of my favourite stories I've ever read. If I could give it 10 stars, I would. At times it is extremely brutal, but Phoolan's story of redemption blows any other out the water (literally, she loved that rifle). If anyone ever asks me the question "if you could have a dinner party with anyone, dead or alive", Phoolan Devi will have the top spot.
March 18, 2024
excited to read - based off of a true story!
Finished - such a hard read, very wordy, and could barely finish but I did! Expected alot more from this book but I expected too much. Giving 3 stars bc based on true story but I wouldn’t recommend to read.
Finished - such a hard read, very wordy, and could barely finish but I did! Expected alot more from this book but I expected too much. Giving 3 stars bc based on true story but I wouldn’t recommend to read.
August 29, 2007
I became intersested in the story of Phoolan Devi after a book I read by professional traveler Holly Morris. Phoolan never learned to read or write and this is her oral account of her life up until her surrender to Indria Ghandi. Some of the content of the book was questionable and toward the end it lost me a bit. It definately reads like an oral account and in some places a little tedious in the way it reads but over all pretty good. I wasn't able to put it down until I was done with it.
April 24, 2008
This book changed my life actually. Giving me strength when I desperately needed it.
Phoolan was an incredibly courageous young girl, then woman, in India who fought hard for justice for herself and other women of lower caste throughout India.
She was voted into the house of Parliament in the 90s then her life was cut short in July, 2001. She was 38 years old.
It is a VERY important read regarding the current rights and living conditions of women in India, as well as other cultures.
Phoolan was an incredibly courageous young girl, then woman, in India who fought hard for justice for herself and other women of lower caste throughout India.
She was voted into the house of Parliament in the 90s then her life was cut short in July, 2001. She was 38 years old.
It is a VERY important read regarding the current rights and living conditions of women in India, as well as other cultures.
February 16, 2012
Overall it was an interesting book, but it left me hanging and somewhat disappointed. I read the book because the woman went from bandit to an Indian member of parliament, and I thought the book would talk about this. It really just focused on the time from her childhood until she was released from jail, which was interesting but not what I expected.
January 5, 2017
I would highly suggest everyone read this book. Phoolan Devi was a survivor, a fighter, and a true warrior. She went through absolute horror and yet never lost her passion for helping those in need. She was truly an inspiring woman and it breaks my heart that she met her end so soon.
August 4, 2017
Riveting, heartbreaking, yet inspiring.
March 22, 2024
I'd never heard about Phoolan Devi until I came across this book in a little free library in Todos Santos. The infamous "Bandit Queen" of India, as a low-caste girl, Phoolan suffered unbelievable violence (sexual and otherwise)--to the extent it's hard to believe she lived through it. Phoolan's wealthy uncle kept her family in poverty by hoarding to himself land that should have been split. She was married off to a sadist at age 11 and later gang raped and paraded throughout towns naked.
She became part of a group of bandits who exacted revenge on wealthy men who maltreated the poor by not paying them for their work, stealing their land, raping the women, and so on. Some of her reflections on being at the bottom of the heap by being not only poor but female are powerful and moving. I was certainly on her "side", rooting her on as she stole from the rich and gave to the poor. The descriptions of cutting off penises and noses in retaliation were hard for me to read, but they were almost a relief after the brutal stories of the maltreatment of young Phoolan and her ilk. However, this violence-filled book left me stunned and sad at the nature of humans, that we do such horrific things to one another.
The book's Prologue shares that Phoolan, after serving a long prison term, became of member of Parliament--but sadly the book does not cover that part of her life. It also explains that she was assassinated.
She was born in 1963, the year after me--which made me think about what kind of life I would have lived if I'd been born into her world. She insisted on not accepting what had been doled out to her, which meant still living a brutal life...but on her terms.
She became part of a group of bandits who exacted revenge on wealthy men who maltreated the poor by not paying them for their work, stealing their land, raping the women, and so on. Some of her reflections on being at the bottom of the heap by being not only poor but female are powerful and moving. I was certainly on her "side", rooting her on as she stole from the rich and gave to the poor. The descriptions of cutting off penises and noses in retaliation were hard for me to read, but they were almost a relief after the brutal stories of the maltreatment of young Phoolan and her ilk. However, this violence-filled book left me stunned and sad at the nature of humans, that we do such horrific things to one another.
The book's Prologue shares that Phoolan, after serving a long prison term, became of member of Parliament--but sadly the book does not cover that part of her life. It also explains that she was assassinated.
She was born in 1963, the year after me--which made me think about what kind of life I would have lived if I'd been born into her world. She insisted on not accepting what had been doled out to her, which meant still living a brutal life...but on her terms.
February 18, 2024
"One writer put it this way: 'Do not dip your pen in somebody else’s blood. As writers, we often inhabit the lives and experiences of others, weaving their stories into our narratives. Without this ability to empathize and become the 'other,' literature would lack its richness and depth, devoid of the myriad tales that captivate and inspire. Yet, in embodying the 'other,' we must proceed with respect and humility, acknowledging the inherent value of the cultures and perspectives we explore. It is not enough to merely appropriate; we must strive to understand, to honor, and to represent authentically."
The topic of cultural appropriation in writing has led me to reflect on my own experiences with literature. Initially, I was hesitant to read a book that was written by authors who were not from the cultural context they were portraying. However, I realized that it provided a platform for Phoolan Devi to express her experiences and thoughts in her own voice. Although journalists may have assisted in bringing her story to light, it is crucial to recognize that Devi was the true author of her narrative, even if her words were transcribed by others. I wish the story had ended differently, but then I guess it wouldn't be a life story.
June 19, 2021
Incredible story. I'm left feeling both inspired and empowered but somewhat angry too - I wonder: how much has changed since the hunt for Devi first began?
The book could have been shortened by a hundred pages or so but I do understand that the authors wanted to give account of the full spectrum of Devi's suffering and journey towards freedom, so it's not too much of an issue.
Great read!
The book could have been shortened by a hundred pages or so but I do understand that the authors wanted to give account of the full spectrum of Devi's suffering and journey towards freedom, so it's not too much of an issue.
Great read!
December 16, 2021
One of the best books I’ve read this year. Phoolan Devi’s story is incredible and her determination impressive. The ordeals she went through were relentless, but her ability to keep her beliefs and spirit throughout was amazing.
June 2, 2023
Wow what a fantastic autobiography. A true testament to the fighting spirit of a woman who keeps persevering in the face of atrocity. A lesson for us all to never give up and keep the fire within raging.
November 20, 2021
Truly an amazing woman. 10 out of 10 if she were alive today I would fight for her.
Shes so awesome
Shes so awesome
May 20, 2020
Another book I found for my gifted female students. A young girl is born in India into one of the lowest castes. Her parents cannot afford to feed her, but still she survives, malnourished, long enough to be sold for marriage at the age of nine. The forty year old groom paid extra to have her delivered early. She escapes her wannabe groom, but, by society's rules, she is "used" and thus, available to any male who so desires. She lands in a house for a while, only to be kidnapped by a guerrilla band and carried away. By brains and guile, she is adopted by the band leader, who then dies in a firefight. Then, she becomes the new gang leader. She returns to the scenes of her earlier abuse, to seek revenge. Over time she becomes famous as an outlaw bandit queen, seeking justice for the invisible castes in India who are mistreated by the elites, abused by the police, and ignored by the politicians.
She gets elected to office. Will she create hope, make a difference, or will she be crushed by the existing power structures? A very exciting read.
She gets elected to office. Will she create hope, make a difference, or will she be crushed by the existing power structures? A very exciting read.
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August 27, 2009what can i say? i will never understand what it was like to live through what phoolan devi did. however, this book is an unforgettable portrait of how desperation can lead to such anger that anything is possible. in understanding why terrorists do the things they do, more people should read this book.
however, even through it all, she seems to have kept some of her humanity. she didn't strike out indiscriminately. she always had a reason for what she did, as least in her reasoning.
this book covers her outlaw years. i want to know more about the rest of her life, short as it was. how she continued to fight.
however, even through it all, she seems to have kept some of her humanity. she didn't strike out indiscriminately. she always had a reason for what she did, as least in her reasoning.
this book covers her outlaw years. i want to know more about the rest of her life, short as it was. how she continued to fight.
October 28, 2015
4.5 stars
The book is intense and definitely not for the soft-hearted readers. It goes through the events in Phoolan’s life from her point of view, allowing the reader to admire Phoolan for enduring and surviving the horrific events that took place, and at times even supporting her equally cruel actions to others. It's dark, gritty and sick.
The book could have covered details of any reforms that were made to women’s rights/protection during her time as a dacoit or as a member of the parliament as a consequence of the pain/injustice she had had to endure.
The book is intense and definitely not for the soft-hearted readers. It goes through the events in Phoolan’s life from her point of view, allowing the reader to admire Phoolan for enduring and surviving the horrific events that took place, and at times even supporting her equally cruel actions to others. It's dark, gritty and sick.
The book could have covered details of any reforms that were made to women’s rights/protection during her time as a dacoit or as a member of the parliament as a consequence of the pain/injustice she had had to endure.
December 11, 2016
Amazing story, learned so much about what it would be like to be viewed as lower caste. And always interested the family and social dynamics.
And how cruel people can be to each other, to the point where they can't feed themselves to survive.
Shouldn't books have ratings? Rated R for violence and sexual assault.
And how cruel people can be to each other, to the point where they can't feed themselves to survive.
Shouldn't books have ratings? Rated R for violence and sexual assault.
October 6, 2007
A transcribed oral history, The Bandit Queen of India, is at times confusing sequentially. Still Phoolan Devi shares an amazing voice. Devi shows great determination fighting against the men who marginalize, assault, and rape her and empathy and understanding to other women who remain silent, as men escalate their violence when Devi resists. Unfortunately, Devi works to perpetuate some divisions among women by disparaging some sexual(ized) women.
June 28, 2008
This book is great. It has been an honor to read Phoolan's story in her own words. It's almost 500 pages, but once you get into it, the pages will fly by. Please note that this book contains many scenes of violence and sexual assault, not nearly as graphic as the movie, but you may need to take some time to process the horrific violence this woman was subjected too, and then some more time to process the amazing way in which she fought back.
October 20, 2009
Well if you see the movie it is nice but the book. This book is a page turner, the things this girl had to endure was gruesome. Constantly getting rape, Phoolan Devi is an amazing woman that was born into a lower-caste, her family were very tradition and in my eyes d*ckheads.
The book is a good real, the book just makes you thankful and helps you enjoy what you have and not what you HAD to...
The book is a good real, the book just makes you thankful and helps you enjoy what you have and not what you HAD to...
March 13, 2014
I have been reading since I learned to read, mostly political books, and this book is on my top three most favorite books, if not my most favorite book. I HIGHLY recommend this book for all women, especially women who have been violently exploited or mistreated by the hands of men and/or the state. Phoolan Devi continues to live through the women of the world who continue to struggle against patriarchy rooted in economic oppression. Long live all the Phoolan Devis!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews