The Exile - A Novel based on the life of Maharaja Duleep Singh

by Navtej Sarna

In 1839, maharaja ranjit singh of punjab died and his empire was plunged into chaos less than a decade later, weakened by internecine rivalry, punjab fell into the hands of the british the ruler who signed away the kingdom and its treasures, including the famed koh-i-noor diamond, was the eleven-year-old duleep singh, the youngest of ranjit singh’s acknowledged sons in this nuanced and poignant novel, navtej sarna tells the unusual story of the last maharaja of punjab soon after the british annexed his kingdom, duleep was separated from his mother and his people, taken under british guardianship and converted to christianity at sixteen, he was transported to england to live the life of a country squire—an exile that he had been schooled to seek himself but disillusionment with the treatment meted out to him and a late realization of his lost legacy turned duleep into a rebel he became a sikh again and sought to return to and lead his people the attempt would drag him into the murky politics of nineteenth-century europe, leaving him depleted and vulnerable to every kind of deceit and ridicule his end came in a cheap hotel room in paris, but not before one last act of betrayal and humiliation

Genres: Nonfiction, Historical, Biography

251 pages, Hardcover

First published February 15, 2010

About the author

Navtej Sarna is an Indian author-columnist, and diplomat, who is the present Indian Ambassador to Israel.
He was born in Jalandhar, India to noted writer in Punjabi, Mohinder Singh Sarna, and passed out of the 1980 Class of Indian Foreign Service. Before holding this post, he was Joint Secretary for external publicity at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) , since October 2002, and holds the distinction of being the longest-serving spokesperson of the ministry, and served two prime ministers, three foreign ministers and four foreign secretaries, till the end of his term in September, 2008.
Previously as a diplomat served in Moscow, Warsaw, Thimphu, Geneva, Teheran and Washington, DC .
He also writes short stories, and book reviews. His first novel published was 'We Weren't Lovers Like That' in 2003, followed by 'The Book of Nanak' in the same year, his latest,' The Exile', published in 2008, is based on the life of Duleep Singh, the last Maharaja of Lahore, and son Raja Ranjit Singh. Currently, 'Zafarnama', an epistle of victory written to Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, by the Tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh, has been translated by him into English from Persian.

Reviews

[Kumam · Rating 5 out of 5]

a book about the story of a sikh prince in exile. a heartbreaking tale narrated by a master storyteller, navtej.

[HadiDee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story of Duleep Singh, the last Maharajah of Punjab, is an amazing one. I looked forward to reading creative non-fiction take on Duleep SIngh's life but found it quite hard going, and found myself skimming over a fair few sections. Sarna has researched the story and stayed close to the known facts, to the extent of including some historical letters and reports exactly as they were written, but it made the book read like a history text book. I would have liked more of the creative element and less history.

[A Kaur · Rating 5 out of 5]

The exile is a beautifully written book, weaving through the emotional and courageous story of Maharaja Duleep Singh. Written in the perspectives of the Maharaja on his death bed in Paris, the Maharaja’s close confidante, valet, childhood carers, and his mother’s, Maharani Jind Kaur’s maid, the author conveys the life of Maharaja Duleep Singh in a realistic way. This book was so, so well written and helps the reader connect to the Maharaja and his story of loss, defiance and bravery. A solid five stars, I enjoyed this book so much!!

[Vikas Datta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up due to the lingering effects of the Flashman take on early events of this book... But this melancholy account of a young prince, caught between court intrigues and a rising colonial power, and then later in his life, caught in the swirls of great power rivalry is a powerful read. Mr Sarna very adroitly presents this as a collection of recollections by principal characters, thus avoiding the question of who is right or wrong.... An extraordinarily powerful book despite its languid approach

[Pragya Bhatt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love how the writer has created a story based on the little we know about the Maharaja Duleep Singh. It makes for very dark and dreary reading. Also, sometimes history glosses over certain characters because they seem insignificant or inconsequential, but in hindsight we realize the importance of giving them their place in the sun.

I would recommend this book to everyone who is interested in Indian history, particularly the history of the kingdom of Punjab.

[Jaideep Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The poignant tale of the Maharaja of Lahore, son of the lion of Punjab, who was robbed of his kingdom at a tender age, baptized deceptively and sent to a foreign land away from his mother and his people. He was never to come back to his homeland, though he would at least return to his faith and finally suffered a lonely death in Paris, thousands of miles from his homeland.

[SUBRATA DATTA · Rating 4 out of 5]

The worth of a historical fiction lies in its ability to inspire the reader to try to elevate herself from fiction to fact.

To look for the history as it happened.

In The Exile (Penguin Viking, 2008) Navtej Sarna has come out of that test with flying colours.

As you finish the novel about the tragic life and death of Duleep Singh, the youngest son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, you yearn to graduate from literature to history.

In the exquisite prose of a master storyteller that Shri Sarna is, the tragedy has acquired a poignancy that saddens and elevates both at the same time.

And the tragedy starts from day one, almost literally. Was Duleep Ranjit Singh’s son at all? The British convinced themselves and convinced others that Duleep was “the son not of the Lion of Punjab, but perhaps of a bhisti who used to walk around the gardens of Lahore fort, into the royal rooms and the harem with a leatherskin full of water on his back…” (p.164)

The British who could not touch the kingdom of Lahore during the lifetime of Ranjit Singh, gobbled it up within a decade of the death of the Sher-e-Punjab.

An infant prince was made to sign away his kingdom and all his wealth including the Koh-i-Noor and his mother incarcerated. The boy was put under the guardianship of a British couple, induced to forsake the faith of his ancestors and convert to Christianity and to grow up as an English gentleman.

When he discovered the wrong done to him and tried to come back – to his country, to his faith, to his own self – it was too late. And the scion of the mighty Kingdom of Lahore died in a cheap Paris hotel, unattended, unloved and unmourned.

In lyrical prose Shri Sarna puts words in the mouth of the dying prince that capture his bitterness and utter helplessness in all their tragic poignancy: “I am alone, as perhaps I deserve to be. This fog of unknowing that I carry inside me, it is a curse. Who, finally, am I? What parts of me are truly mine? What vital flake of my heart was deadened and cut away that I am always on the margin of love, of understanding, of knowledge.” (p. 187)

A sad tale. A delightful novel.

[Divya Pal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-crafted informative book with the ideal mix of fact and fiction.
The British could rule the Indian land mass because they were astute and scheming, exploiting the differences between the squabbling rajahs and chieftains – “divide and rule” using caste and religion. But usurping the Punjab empire, depriving the prince Duleep of his throne and looting the vast treasure was classic British perfidy.

Mrs Fagin. That’s what I once called Queen Victoria. The biggest pickpocket of them all. The receiver of stolen goods. Stolen kingdoms, stolen jewels. Smuggled away to her by her loyal viceroys, men like Dalhousie with immaculate records and long panegyrics. The thousands of pearls and emeralds and rubies and diamonds taken from my toshkhana and presented to her by the East India Company after the Great Exhibition of 1851. To be locked away in the Tower of London, stuck in her tiara, sewn on her dresses. That’s how she received the Koh-i-noor. Dalhousie tucked it away into a chamois bag especially made by his wife, which was then sewn into his belt by Login.

But Duleep Singh too was not blameless – he relinquished his religion, led a dissolute life in England and, when abandoned by the British for his profligacy, reconverted to Shikhism and yearned for his kingdom. He conspired with Russians, Afghans, Turks and French to somehow get his throne back and resume slaking his blood lust – shooting pheasants and other wild-life on a gargantuan scale.
A different perspective is offered in The Last Queen by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.

[Esha Kaur Tiwana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Navtej Sarna's novel is the most exquisite blend of fact and fiction. Drawing upon prominent regal characters of the Sikh empire, the varied points of view each chapter has to offer enables an emotional and authentic insight into each character's life as the Sikh empire crumbles. The novel spans across various lands, Lahore and undivided Punjab, Duleep Singh's residences across England and Europe all with the backdrop of corruption, treason and the onset of the British Raj in Punjab.

Whether you're an avid reader of Sikh history and take interest in learning about Maharaja Ranjit Singh's empire or enjoy reading poetic and evocative texts, this novel is not to be missed.

[Gurkiran Singh]

Intrestring

[Priya Chopra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more like a fact book but a novel. It gives good information about the life of Daleep Singh, but I lost interest by the end of it. The style of writing did not resonate with me.

[Jagdish · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very empathetically written story of a heart in exile! Very moving and heart rendering account of tragic life, lost and searching its way.

[Nikhil Kaundinya · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice book that starts off well but drags on on the final 50 pages. The author tries to be poignant where it matters. But the unfortunate part is he gets poignant in each and every page after the first 5-6 chapters. A little dash of dark humor would have made this a much better read. I skipped the last few pages in this one!!!

[Usha Alvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting history.

[Satinder Juneja · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good read .
Fictional yet deep rooted in research . Keeps interest alive .

[Arnav Abbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched and powerful.

[Jagjot Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

well written, 'jabardast' narrators

[Amina Ahsan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the descriptions of Lahore and the life styles of the Maharajas.