The Last Queen

The last queen

Rani Jindan, is a worthy protagonist. From a dog trainer’s daughter she managed to reach the throne and survive the murky politics and bloody wars. What qualities did she have which led to her name written in golden in the books of history.

Her pictures highlight her beauty but a rose without strength withers with the winds. She must have understood the politics of royal court and the harem to survive it. Finding a place next to her husband and managing to save the only heir to the royal kingdom. She escaped  the blade of the sword and the confines of metaphorical jails, multiple times. She managed to command loyalty and have brave men follow her blindly. How did she survive in a man’s world when women more shrewd and of higher stature fell prey to the worldly ways. 

I sometimes wonder if she was a lucky girl, but fortune favours the brave and strong. She was not a coy woman who hid behind the veil or behind a man. She understood the male ego and managed to get her way on her terms. She was a good wife, a mother and a sister. She was also a good queen but eventually a human blinded by  love and vanity. 

At times I found her ungrateful to the men who protected her and allowed her to live. But then I corrected myself for my ingrained patriarchy where a woman must be thankful to a man for anything he does. They sure had their own vile agenda and cruel plans. She still managed to outwit them and played the game to come out battered but a survivor. 

She carries the flag of Indian women high. We must acknowledge her more for her bravery and strength. Thank you Chitra Banerjee for introducing us to this amazing historical personality. It gives me pride to know that women in history are not lost. They made their mark in a man’s world and we carry the baton for sharing their stories and building strong women of future.