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The House of Jaipur: The Inside Story of India's Most Glamorous Royal Family
The House of Jaipur has been synonymous with exquisite maharanis, polo-playing maharajas and playboy princes, fabulous jewels and opulent palaces. But behind the glittering facades lie stories of forbidden love, forged wills and missing treasures, of lives cut short by alcoholism and of bitter family feuds over assets worth thousands of crores. Revealed for the first time are the untold stories of life behind the palace doors.
365 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 15, 2020
67 people are currently reading
819 people want to read
About the author
John Zubrzycki
10 books45 followersJohn Zubrzycki is an award-winning journalist whose long association with India has included stints as a Hindi student, diplomat, consultant and foreign correspondent. He is the world commentary editor at the Australian newspaper and lives in Sydney.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
October 15, 2020
A more serious account compared to Gayatri Devi’s ‘A Princess Remembers’. If her memoir was fairytale this was a historical tome - (although that has more to do with the storyteller than the storytelling). The book reveals at best the double standards, subservience and scandal that surrounds the most famous royal family in India. Indrajits death and alcoholism, the unspoken rumoured affair between Indira and Jai, the bitter family feud between grandmother and grandson and step brothers are either left out completely or barely rate for a few paragraphs in the maharanis version. While I’m still amused and in awe of the rajmata, through her memoir and this book, I still wonder... What is it about Jaipur’s First Lady that modern women are so enamoured by? She was the most liberated Indian princess of the twentieth century and yet, she never once questioned her husbands philandering and readily accepted her role as his third wife?! Her naïveté and sycophancy make her less likeable, but then again... there’s so much more to like than dislike. It’s hard not to be intrigued by the mystique, aura and legacy around the desert princess that made “Jacky Kennedy look like a slop”.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2024
The House of Jaipur: The Inside Story of India’s Most Glamorous Royal Family by John Zubrzycki.
I spotted this book on a friend’s coffee table and borrowed it as my interest in the royal family of Jaipur sky- rocketed after I read Gayatri Devi’s autobiography, “A Princess Remembers”. Although not as detailed as the latter, this book projects a fascinating and realistic picture of the Jaipur royal family with all their ups and downs, good and bad, positives and negatives, enhancements and blemishes. For many generations, the royal family of Jaipur has been known for its opulence and flamboyance - the polo- playing maharajahs famous for their multiple affairs, alcoholism, and fascination for Western society, the beautifully bedecked maharanis who surrendered to the ultraconservative norms of Rajput society, the luxurious palaces, the sprawling luscious gardens, and the elaborate, elegant parties. Within these pages, the author reveals the glamorous life in the princely states pre and post independence, with all the internal feuds, tragedies, and calamities that afflicted these families.
Of all the royal couples of the House of Jaipur, Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II (Jai) and his wife Gayatri Devi (Ayesha) were the most popular, idolized duo. Jai loved polo, beautiful women, and cars in that order! Their fairy tale wedding took place in May 1940. Gayatri Devi was Jai’s third and favorite wife. The first half of the book focuses on the fame and fortunes of Jai, a charming, handsome, beloved king who was not without his drawbacks. The second half deals more with his accomplished, beautiful, stellar wife. Unlike her predecessors, she was extremely fashionable and did not observe purdah. She took over the management of the Rambagh Palace, opened a school for girls, became President of the Badminton Association of India, and Vice President of the Tennis Association of India. She was opposed to the Congress Party’s policies and aligned herself with the Swatantara Party under C. Rajagopalachari, who believed that the future prosperity of India lay in private ownership of property and economic freedom. She eventually became a formidable member of the Lok Sabha. A series of tragedies, beginning with the death of her mother Indira Devi in 1968, followed by the death of her husband in 1970, and later her imprisonment ordered by Indira Gandhi in 1975, made her give up her decade-long stint in politics. She chose to spend her later years with her only son, Jagat, and her husband’s other children despite the many family disputes that centered around inheritance. Gayatri Devi died at the ripe old age of ninety surrounded by her grandchildren and stepsons.
The House of Jaipur remains a house divided even today but the legacy of Gayatri Devi lives on in her memoir, biographies, and stories about Jaipur such as this. This book is for anyone interested in the life of Indian royalty during the British Raj and the dissolution of the princely states after India gained independence. It is well researched and narrated.
I spotted this book on a friend’s coffee table and borrowed it as my interest in the royal family of Jaipur sky- rocketed after I read Gayatri Devi’s autobiography, “A Princess Remembers”. Although not as detailed as the latter, this book projects a fascinating and realistic picture of the Jaipur royal family with all their ups and downs, good and bad, positives and negatives, enhancements and blemishes. For many generations, the royal family of Jaipur has been known for its opulence and flamboyance - the polo- playing maharajahs famous for their multiple affairs, alcoholism, and fascination for Western society, the beautifully bedecked maharanis who surrendered to the ultraconservative norms of Rajput society, the luxurious palaces, the sprawling luscious gardens, and the elaborate, elegant parties. Within these pages, the author reveals the glamorous life in the princely states pre and post independence, with all the internal feuds, tragedies, and calamities that afflicted these families.
Of all the royal couples of the House of Jaipur, Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II (Jai) and his wife Gayatri Devi (Ayesha) were the most popular, idolized duo. Jai loved polo, beautiful women, and cars in that order! Their fairy tale wedding took place in May 1940. Gayatri Devi was Jai’s third and favorite wife. The first half of the book focuses on the fame and fortunes of Jai, a charming, handsome, beloved king who was not without his drawbacks. The second half deals more with his accomplished, beautiful, stellar wife. Unlike her predecessors, she was extremely fashionable and did not observe purdah. She took over the management of the Rambagh Palace, opened a school for girls, became President of the Badminton Association of India, and Vice President of the Tennis Association of India. She was opposed to the Congress Party’s policies and aligned herself with the Swatantara Party under C. Rajagopalachari, who believed that the future prosperity of India lay in private ownership of property and economic freedom. She eventually became a formidable member of the Lok Sabha. A series of tragedies, beginning with the death of her mother Indira Devi in 1968, followed by the death of her husband in 1970, and later her imprisonment ordered by Indira Gandhi in 1975, made her give up her decade-long stint in politics. She chose to spend her later years with her only son, Jagat, and her husband’s other children despite the many family disputes that centered around inheritance. Gayatri Devi died at the ripe old age of ninety surrounded by her grandchildren and stepsons.
The House of Jaipur remains a house divided even today but the legacy of Gayatri Devi lives on in her memoir, biographies, and stories about Jaipur such as this. This book is for anyone interested in the life of Indian royalty during the British Raj and the dissolution of the princely states after India gained independence. It is well researched and narrated.
July 29, 2023
Beautifully written book. Details of drama, controversies and privileges of the Royal Family of Jaipur. One get to know how the princely states thrived during pre-independence era and how it was dissolved after the independence. One time read to understand the who's who of Jaipur Family and their life stories.
May 4, 2023
Such drama. And, I learnt many new words some of which are perfidy, internecine, sanguine, and vicissitude. I liked the author, very objective. You should read.
September 20, 2020
It’s extremely insightful into the royal house of Jaipur with central point of Ayesha, the Late Gayatri Devi of Jaipur. A woman who was all the gossiping of the fashionista in London, Paris, and Calcutta.
December 19, 2020
Drama unfolds at every stage of the transition from feudalism to imperialism and surrendering their royalty to democratic rule.
Successions and countless claims still undergoing legal disputes to no end. Yet, the current living royals have to continue finding their relevance in the today's world.
Princess Gayatri Devi had been an enigma in this entire maelstrom but one who lived her life on her terms. I've been fascinated with her style and panache, beauty and the rebel she had been. "Her other weapon was 'snubbery for snobbery' she could ignore people into oblivion...I don't think she forgave anyone easily, but when it was prudent she preferred to be conveniently forgetful. Her life had taught her that. This was to remain her strength in the changing times she straddled like a female colossus." Some conviction she had.
It's saddening to learn the once magnificent forts, gilded palaces, extravagant art and architecture have now become capitalist havens. An entire Kingdom along with the monarchy abolished, displaced, ruined, and destroyed. Infighting, legal disputes, political scheming, and evils such as Indira Gandhi and the Emergency.
A tantalizing royal satire evocatively written by the brilliant John Zubrzycki
5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Successions and countless claims still undergoing legal disputes to no end. Yet, the current living royals have to continue finding their relevance in the today's world.
Princess Gayatri Devi had been an enigma in this entire maelstrom but one who lived her life on her terms. I've been fascinated with her style and panache, beauty and the rebel she had been. "Her other weapon was 'snubbery for snobbery' she could ignore people into oblivion...I don't think she forgave anyone easily, but when it was prudent she preferred to be conveniently forgetful. Her life had taught her that. This was to remain her strength in the changing times she straddled like a female colossus." Some conviction she had.
It's saddening to learn the once magnificent forts, gilded palaces, extravagant art and architecture have now become capitalist havens. An entire Kingdom along with the monarchy abolished, displaced, ruined, and destroyed. Infighting, legal disputes, political scheming, and evils such as Indira Gandhi and the Emergency.
A tantalizing royal satire evocatively written by the brilliant John Zubrzycki
5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
July 23, 2025
Loved this - a real example of the truth being stranger than fiction! A fascinating history that covered everything from the maharajas under the British Raj to antics in Old Hollywood. Dense in parts, but extremely well researched and narrated (almost reads as gossip and I mean that as a compliment).
May 13, 2021
The book gave me a good insight into the lives of Jaipur royals about which I knew very little. But it was dragging and a long read. It also felt very informal in its approach to the history of the family when compared to my previous read, The Ivory Throne.
October 5, 2020
3.5 ⭐
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮'𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆.
Deeply RESEARCHED and COMPELLINGLY NARRATED, The House of Jaipur is a GRIPPING saga studded with unforgettable characters, their charmed lives often crossed by misfortune and tragedy.
REVEALED for the first time are the untold stories of life behind the palace doors.
___________
MY TAKE:
This bk, was on my tbr since it's release on 15th Aug.
I have always adored, Rajmata Gayatri Devi. Her beauty, her aura, her grandeur..all exude grace & respect. The cover intrigued me..
BUT
The book is much more than her beauty & does not solely revolve around her.
It is true to it's title, The House Of Jaipur.
📌This well researched bk talks about so much in mere 384 pages!
From history of this Rajput Clan, to their ascendents, their legacy, history, lavish lifestyles, wealth, jewellery, to indulgence in women & alcohol, polo, horses & affairs.
It talks about lawsuits, wills, bitterness in relations, politics, weddings and Britishers.
It scrapes down the outer facade & dogs deep.
📌Ayesha was the 3rd wife of Jai..how they met and how their love transpired into marriage..& what followed afterwards..was my favorite part of the book.
Why did Ayesha, marry Jai even after warning from her mother, brother & knowledge of his alleged affairs & heart-on-sleeve attitude..?
How did she cope with everything/ responsibilities that came with her marriage..is interesting to note..
📌The book provides a complete picture from scratch, including both facts & rumours, backed by solid investigation🔎.
The later part talks about the family tree, the court cases, the property, the cold war & the sour relations..esp. after Gayatri Devi death..
___________
FROM THE AUTHOR:
The more I delved into the subject the more I realized there was a paucity of recent historical books on Jaipur aside from Giles Tillotson’s Jaipur Nama and Aman Nath’s Jaipur: The Last Destination. Quentin Crewe’s biography of Sawai Man Singh II has long been out of print and Robert Stern’s excellent monograph The Cat and the Lion hardly exists outside a handful of libraries.
I hope this book fills a much-needed gap, telling both the social and political history of Jaipur and the extraordinary family that shaped its evolution over the last century.
___________
READ IT if you want to know more about Gayatri Devi, about the Royal Family, their history, their adjustments post independence & their situation at present.
Read it if you like biographies.
___________
JOHN ZUBRZYCKI is an award-winning journalist and acclaimed author specializing in South Asia.
His books include The Last Nizam: The Rise and Fall of India’s Greatest Princely State, The Mysterious Mr. Jacob: Diamond Merchant, Magician and Spy and Jadoowallahs, Jugglers and Jinns: A Magical History of India.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮'𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆.
Deeply RESEARCHED and COMPELLINGLY NARRATED, The House of Jaipur is a GRIPPING saga studded with unforgettable characters, their charmed lives often crossed by misfortune and tragedy.
REVEALED for the first time are the untold stories of life behind the palace doors.
___________
MY TAKE:
This bk, was on my tbr since it's release on 15th Aug.
I have always adored, Rajmata Gayatri Devi. Her beauty, her aura, her grandeur..all exude grace & respect. The cover intrigued me..
BUT
The book is much more than her beauty & does not solely revolve around her.
It is true to it's title, The House Of Jaipur.
📌This well researched bk talks about so much in mere 384 pages!
From history of this Rajput Clan, to their ascendents, their legacy, history, lavish lifestyles, wealth, jewellery, to indulgence in women & alcohol, polo, horses & affairs.
It talks about lawsuits, wills, bitterness in relations, politics, weddings and Britishers.
It scrapes down the outer facade & dogs deep.
📌Ayesha was the 3rd wife of Jai..how they met and how their love transpired into marriage..& what followed afterwards..was my favorite part of the book.
Why did Ayesha, marry Jai even after warning from her mother, brother & knowledge of his alleged affairs & heart-on-sleeve attitude..?
How did she cope with everything/ responsibilities that came with her marriage..is interesting to note..
📌The book provides a complete picture from scratch, including both facts & rumours, backed by solid investigation🔎.
The later part talks about the family tree, the court cases, the property, the cold war & the sour relations..esp. after Gayatri Devi death..
___________
FROM THE AUTHOR:
The more I delved into the subject the more I realized there was a paucity of recent historical books on Jaipur aside from Giles Tillotson’s Jaipur Nama and Aman Nath’s Jaipur: The Last Destination. Quentin Crewe’s biography of Sawai Man Singh II has long been out of print and Robert Stern’s excellent monograph The Cat and the Lion hardly exists outside a handful of libraries.
I hope this book fills a much-needed gap, telling both the social and political history of Jaipur and the extraordinary family that shaped its evolution over the last century.
___________
READ IT if you want to know more about Gayatri Devi, about the Royal Family, their history, their adjustments post independence & their situation at present.
Read it if you like biographies.
___________
JOHN ZUBRZYCKI is an award-winning journalist and acclaimed author specializing in South Asia.
His books include The Last Nizam: The Rise and Fall of India’s Greatest Princely State, The Mysterious Mr. Jacob: Diamond Merchant, Magician and Spy and Jadoowallahs, Jugglers and Jinns: A Magical History of India.
March 29, 2022
I didn’t get much from this book. I expected this book to be a celebratory writing on the most important members of the house of Jaipur.
I was more invested in the lives of Sawai Man Singh II and Maharani Gayatri Devi. But this book turned out to be a lot of gossip, not just on all the generations of this complicated family tree but also, on a lot of incoming and outgoing characters who were shortly associated with the family. This makes a torturously slow to read as it gives to much information on every single page and nothing noteworthy.
If you read this book, you will mostly learn that most of them died out of alcoholism, wasted their lives partying and became the victims of disputes over inheritance.
I am pretty sure there is more to the house of Jaipur and especially Maharani Gayatri Devi, who till date remains one of the most influential maharani of India.
Her legacy is indisputable when it comes to the empowerment of women. This book is quite depressing if you want to learn about the royal family of Jaipur!
I was more invested in the lives of Sawai Man Singh II and Maharani Gayatri Devi. But this book turned out to be a lot of gossip, not just on all the generations of this complicated family tree but also, on a lot of incoming and outgoing characters who were shortly associated with the family. This makes a torturously slow to read as it gives to much information on every single page and nothing noteworthy.
If you read this book, you will mostly learn that most of them died out of alcoholism, wasted their lives partying and became the victims of disputes over inheritance.
I am pretty sure there is more to the house of Jaipur and especially Maharani Gayatri Devi, who till date remains one of the most influential maharani of India.
Her legacy is indisputable when it comes to the empowerment of women. This book is quite depressing if you want to learn about the royal family of Jaipur!
October 8, 2024
This is a historic account of the Jaipur’s Royal Family. They are the most powerful and influential family. Author has shared everything about them from the beginning of British rule to the present. Each one of them has been through thick and thin. Author has truly shown the reality of being royal. Their lives are even more complicated than commoners. The bigger the responsibility, the bigger the obstacles and risks. Their secrets, rumours and myths always surrounds them. I deeply felt for Maharani Gayatri Devi. Before this, I read Princess Remembers and I am truly inspired by her life. Back to this book, author has taken so many references from A Princess Remembers. If you have heard of Emergency announced by Indira Gandhi, and political tactics to take over their kingdom yet the family remained strong till the end. They did not give in and that truly defines their characters. I am truly inspired by the family and also the secrets can make anyone hate that kind of life but everything comes with pros and cons.
March 19, 2025
I am usually a big fan of historical literature. The insight it offers into the past always piques my interest. I picked up this book because the cover features Gayatri Devi, the most glamorous and significant princess in India's history.
Rajasthan has a glorious past; some Rajas were more British than the Brits themselves. They holidayed in London, Played Polo, and attended and organised lavish banquets (of course, with taxpayers' money).
Two hundred fifty pages into the book, I just couldn't take it anymore. The book is dense with so many characters and happenings that it felt like I was lost in one of the palaces. I had to go back and forth to understand who is who and who is from which royalty.
It's always a regret to leave a book unfinished; this one was no exception. This book can also be turned into a series, making it easier to understand the characters and the events comprehensively. As of now, it's a 'DNF' for me. Whether I will revisit this one remains unclear, but for now, it will adorn my bookshelf like the pretty princess on the cover.
Rajasthan has a glorious past; some Rajas were more British than the Brits themselves. They holidayed in London, Played Polo, and attended and organised lavish banquets (of course, with taxpayers' money).
Two hundred fifty pages into the book, I just couldn't take it anymore. The book is dense with so many characters and happenings that it felt like I was lost in one of the palaces. I had to go back and forth to understand who is who and who is from which royalty.
It's always a regret to leave a book unfinished; this one was no exception. This book can also be turned into a series, making it easier to understand the characters and the events comprehensively. As of now, it's a 'DNF' for me. Whether I will revisit this one remains unclear, but for now, it will adorn my bookshelf like the pretty princess on the cover.
March 25, 2025
Chiffon sarees and champagne, Playboy Maharajas and graceful princesses, Feudalism and Imperialism, vulgar and ostentatious display of wealth and Litigations over distribution of properties going on for almost half a century and a tale of most beautiful woman of the century !
The house of Jaipur by John Zubrzycki is very well researched and sharply written. Gayatri devi ( Aayesha) was epitome of beauty and mystery around her, so was her mother Indira Devi, princess from Baroda. This book encapsulates grand life of these two women and 300 pages filled with utter gossips, one of them being how mother daughter duo shared affection for one man.
PS: @juggernaunt.in has done a brilliant job with the quality of printing and colors of cover.
The house of Jaipur by John Zubrzycki is very well researched and sharply written. Gayatri devi ( Aayesha) was epitome of beauty and mystery around her, so was her mother Indira Devi, princess from Baroda. This book encapsulates grand life of these two women and 300 pages filled with utter gossips, one of them being how mother daughter duo shared affection for one man.
PS: @juggernaunt.in has done a brilliant job with the quality of printing and colors of cover.
February 4, 2021
Quick read which just reconfirms how spoilt and screwed up and privileged the Indian royals were and how still idiot populace of ordinary out of luck people continue to hold them in awe with reverance. Nonsense. All their inherited properties I'll gotten without doubt at some point of time needs to be added to the national Treasury. Now the rights of looting the people remains with the government and politician s.
October 24, 2025
Picked this piece quite randomly at a bookshop. As someone who's very interested in the lives of Indian Royals, their traditions, history etc. this book did not cease to amaze me! It keeps you hooked till the very end and gives out some peculiar facts that offer a peek in the lives of Indian royalty. I have to say, this book is well researched and takes care to not overlook any minute detail. Zubrzycki lifts the veil on the 'supposedly' glamourous and opulent lives of the Jaipur Royal Family.
January 16, 2021
This book is packed with information, drawing reference from a variety of resources and trying to put a perspective to the complex dynamics of the royal family. The history of the house is so complex, and branches so vast that the narration feels hurried.. but I guess there's no other way to pack centuries old information into a 250-300 page book.
May 22, 2021
Was an absolute delight to read this book. Had heard so many rumours and legends about the many royals of Jaipur and after reading this book one understands to a great extent about the veracity of many of these legends, rumours and tales. Plus the description of the lives filled with immaculate wardrobes, tasteful jewellery, delicious food, fast cars makes it seem like watching a movie.
December 2, 2021
Fantastic book. Well researched and so well written, it takes you on a journey from one era to the other and tells you the story of the erstwhile royal family of Jaipur. The book not only informed and changed my views about them, but also Jaipur itself.
Loved reading it and would now be reading other books by the author soon.
.
Loved reading it and would now be reading other books by the author soon.
.
June 14, 2022
A thorough account of one of the most glamorous, controversial, privileged and out-of-touch families in India. The book makes you question their purpose and also the systems that allowed them to exist. Their trials seem trivial in the larger scheme of India's history. But that doesn't mean that the writing is bad or that the research is not in-depth.
February 14, 2024
A classic description of the life of "Ayesha", Maharani Gayatri Devi Ji, it covers all the aspects of her life and makes her undoubtedly great. Trivial details, extravagant lifestyles, and lavishing events this book covers all!
To read and feel the time before she entered the "Zanana Deodhi to her last days in the pink city" is an amazing experience.
To read and feel the time before she entered the "Zanana Deodhi to her last days in the pink city" is an amazing experience.
June 29, 2022
Astonishing
It is quite astonishing to learn how they all fought for property despite having lots of it and money. Nevertheless, I always wanted to learn about Rajmata Gaytri Devi and this book allowed me the opportunity to do so.
It is quite astonishing to learn how they all fought for property despite having lots of it and money. Nevertheless, I always wanted to learn about Rajmata Gaytri Devi and this book allowed me the opportunity to do so.
October 23, 2023
Stories of forbidden love, lost treasures, forged wills and family fueds…life behind glittering palace doors. Definitely recommending this book if you want to dig deeper into the exquisite, royal life of Jaipur maharajas and maharanis!
November 24, 2023
I almost gave up a few times as it was heavy going in places but I'm glad I finished it. I knew next to nothing about the royal families of India before reading this so it was a fascinating insight into their world.
February 24, 2021
Brilliant book. Well researched and so detailed.
March 4, 2022
Salacious, gossipy and in that way a lot of fun. Account of the property dispute seem to be biased to one strand of the family.
January 21, 2024
the tea is so hot but reads like a textbook :/
read at home, good companion to a princess remembers.
read at home, good companion to a princess remembers.
February 7, 2024
fascinating.
November 15, 2024
Easy flow , well researched ,revealing untold and unknown stories of Gayatri Devi and her family.
February 26, 2025
Thank heavens that royalty ended, there were no accountability when they prevailed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews