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The Twentieth Wife (Taj Mahal Trilogy #1)

by Indu Sundaresan (Goodreads Author)

4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 · rating details · 5,014 ratings · 718 reviews

An enchanting seventeenth-century epic of grand passion and adventure, this debut novel tells the captivating story of one of India's most legendary and controversial empresses -- a woman whose brilliance and determination trumped myriad obstacles, and whose love shaped the course of the Mughal empire. She came into the world in the year 1577, to the howling accompaniment...more An enchanting seventeenth-century epic of grand passion and adventure, this debut novel tells the captivating story of one of India's most legendary and controversial empresses -- a woman whose brilliance and determination trumped myriad obstacles, and whose love shaped the course of the Mughal empire. She came into the world in the year 1577, to the howling accompaniment of a ferocious winter storm. As the daughter of starving refugees fleeing violent persecution in Persia, her fateful birth in a roadside tent sparked a miraculous reversal of family fortune, culminating in her father's introduction to the court of Emperor Akbar. She is called Mehrunnisa, the Sun of Women. This is her story.

Growing up on the fringes of Emperor Akbar's opulent palace grounds, Mehrunnisa blossoms into a sapphire-eyed child blessed with a precocious intelligence, luminous beauty, and a powerful ambition far surpassing the bounds of her family's station. Mehrunnisa first encounters young Prince Salim on his wedding day. In that instant, even as a royal gala swirls around her in celebration of the future emperor's first marriage, Mehrunnisa foresees the path of her own destiny. One day, she decides with uncompromising surety, she too will become Salim's wife. She is all of eight years old -- and wholly unaware of the great price she and her family will pay for this dream.

Skillfully blending the textures of historical reality with the rich and sensuous imaginings of a timeless fairy tale, "The Twentieth Wife sweeps readers up in the emotional pageant of Salim and Mehrunnisa's embattled love. First-time novelist Indu Sundaresan charts her heroine's enthralling journey across the years, froman ill-fated first marriage through motherhood and into a dangerous maze of power struggles and political machinations. Through it all, Mehrunnisa and Salim long with fiery intensity for the true, redemptive love they've never known -- and their mutual quest ultimately takes them, and the vast empire that hangs in the balance, to places they never dreamed possible.

Shot through with wonder and suspense, "The Twentieth Wife is at once a fascinating portrait of one woman's convention-defying life behind the veil and a transporting saga of the astonishing potency of love.(less)

Hardcover, 384 pages

Published January 29th 2002 by Atria Books (first published January 1st 2002)

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Jan 05, 2010 Matthew rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. John Irving says that negative reviews are absurd because adults should have the sense to not finish any books they aren't enjoying. Unfortunately, at the time I was writing this, I had not yet heard his advice.

The Twentieth Wife's historicity is its only redeeming quality. From the two-dimensional characters to the insultingly predictable plot, this novel is best left unread.

It opens with Ghias Beg and his wife Asmat deciding what to do with their new daughter, Mehrunnisa. Due to the dire econ...more John Irving says that negative reviews are absurd because adults should have the sense to not finish any books they aren't enjoying. Unfortunately, at the time I was writing this, I had not yet heard his advice.

The Twentieth Wife's historicity is its only redeeming quality. From the two-dimensional characters to the insultingly predictable plot, this novel is best left unread.

It opens with Ghias Beg and his wife Asmat deciding what to do with their new daughter, Mehrunnisa. Due to the dire economic straits they're in, they decide to leave her by the side of the road. A kind-hearted merchant rescues the girl and returns her to her family, covering her living expenses. Ghias and Asmat thank Allah for their good fortune. Of course, they would have been better off thanking Allah for not sending Child Protection Services.

Mehrunnisa grows into quite the gold digger; she is fixated with becoming an Empress and marrying a powerful man. When she first meets Prince Salim, an alcoholic whose ego is only matched by his drive to kill his father and ascend the throne, it's stereotypical teenage love at first sight. As expected, the drunk pissmidget can't take his mind off of Nisa. It's understandable that as heir he would be enjoying all of the amenities of palace life. That being said, for the entire first half of the book he does nothing but get wasted and have sex with the harem girls.

Emperor Akbar rewards Ghias for his hard work and gives permission for Mehrunnisa to marry a soldier, Ali Quli. Angry and c*ckblocked, Salim makes two murder attempts on his father in order to become Emperor and claim Nisa for himself. One assassination attempt would be forgivable to some extent, but by the second you can't help but laugh at how pathetic it all is. Akbar dies of old age and Salim becomes Emperor Jahangir, with his wife Jagat Gosini as Empress.

Sundaresan tries to sweep all of Salim's history under the rug, but she fails miserably. Anyone who doesn't suffer from severe attention deficit disorder will struggle to empathize with Jahangir, who only a few chapters ago proved himself a petulant, patricidal maniac who obsesses over women he barely knows. Nisa, already married to Ali Quli, continues to dream about Salim and what could have been, the unfaithful wench. In the meantime, Jahangir has had multiple children, most notably Khusrau. To the surprise of no one, Khusrau is as much of a jerk as Salim is.

Khusrau decides to kill Jahangir and seize power. I guess he was just sick of sharing the harem with his father. Jahangir captures Khusrau, forcing him to watch his own soldiers being hanged, thinking that it would teach the stupid boy a lesson. Khusrau rebels again, but this time Jahangir shows no mercy and gouges out Khusrau's eyes. Good parenting, right there. Ali Quli, a supporter of the rebellion, goes insane. Then, Indu Sundaresan realizes that she might have taken things a little too far with Jahangir and says that his doctors restore Khusrau's sight, but they are only successful in repairing one eye. How advanced ocular regeneration would have been possible given the technology of the time is beyond me, and probably beyond Sundaresan as well.

In a fit of rage, Ali Quli takes on the Imperial Army single-handedly. He dies in the conflict. Nisa and Jahangir confess their mutual love to each other. However, Mehrunnisa refuses to join Jahangir's harem; she wants to be his wife. As anyone who has read the title could have told you, Nisa becomes Salim's twentieth wife and they all live happily ever after. (Except Akbar, arguably the only tolerable character in the entire story.)

There is no reason to subject yourself to this artistic abortion of a novel. Please do yourself a favour and read something else. The book is shallow, insulting, and offensive to women. It fails on every conceivable level. Do you know why children today don't enjoy reading? It's because we give them boring, sterile dreck like this. The Twentieth Wife tries hard yet ultimately appeals to no one. Sort of depressing, really.(less)

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Jul 17, 2007 Yosita Oramahi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I finished reading this book quite some time ago back in 2004 and it left quite a deep impact on me and the way I see things. The genre is still historical fiction, one of my favourites, written by a very talented Indian author, Indu Sundaresan. The story takes us to 15th century Mughal India, about the journey of a remarkable woman that would later in her life play a great role in the ruling of one of India’s greatest emperor, Jahangir, or formerly known as Prince Salim. Like most Indian author...more

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Aug 29, 2007 Candace added it · review of another edition

Shelves: literature-fiction

Great summer read with all the pomp and circumstance you'd expect for a novel about the royal court of 15th century Moghul Empire (which included what today is Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan and most of India)

Mehrunnisa aka Empress Nur Jahan was one of the most powerful empresses of the Moghul Empire only her story is just now coming to light based on a pulling together of anecdotal mentions in books on the country and famous men at that time.

This is the first of two books on her life. This first,...more

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May 16, 2013 Mizuki Genshou rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't like the romance between Mehrunnisa (a.k.a Empress Nur Jahan) and the Emperor much, but the rest of the book: the struggle of a young girl finding a place for herself and her family in a male-centered ancient Indian society, the power struggle within the harem, the politic at the royal court, the description of the Mughal Empire, is pretty intriguing.

Seriously speaking, I can understand somehow Prince Salim(later Emperor Jahangir) developed a strong crush on the young and charming Mehru...more

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Aug 29, 2009 Khaya rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of Philippa Gregory-style historical romance who don't need great character development

Shelves: southasia, historicalfiction, marysues, chicklit, should-ve-been-shorter, maybe-it-s-me

If you like Philippa Gregory and her genre of Harlequin romance-cum-historical fiction, there’s a good possibility you’ll like this book. Personally, I just couldn’t get into it. I read the first 50 pages, skimmed the next 240 just for the sake of writing a better-informed review, and couldn’t make myself plod through the last 90. That should tell you something.

The setting, late 1500s India, was definitely original and interesting but wasn’t enough to carry the story for me, especially when it b...more If you like Philippa Gregory and her genre of Harlequin romance-cum-historical fiction, there’s a good possibility you’ll like this book. Personally, I just couldn’t get into it. I read the first 50 pages, skimmed the next 240 just for the sake of writing a better-informed review, and couldn’t make myself plod through the last 90. That should tell you something.

The setting, late 1500s India, was definitely original and interesting but wasn’t enough to carry the story for me, especially when it became anachronistic or just plain inconsistent. I assume Sundaresen did her research and knows more than I do about it, but many things just didn’t ring true. Sixteenth century women reading, writing, and talking back to their husbands? Muslims drinking alcohol regularly, with no one batting an eyelash? Veiled women conveniently unveiled when it comes to being observed by their love interests?

The story: Mehrunnisa, our heroine, has a suitably dramatic birth – her parents are impoverished refuges who almost abandon her at the roadside because they can’t take care of her. But fear not – both Mehrunnisa and her parents are rescued by a benevolent merchant with powerful connections. Charmed by Mehrunnisa’s father, he not only adopts the family as part of the caravan, but presents Mehrunnisa’s father at the emperor’s court! The emperor is then charmed by Mehrunnisa’s father and gives him a position! And later, the emperor’s favorite wife is charmed by Mehrunnisa herself, and invites the eight-year-old to visit her regularly in the harem! Wow – that’s a lot of charm. Too bad it was lost on me.

But that’s okay, because it all served to place Mehrunnisa in the perfect position to become enmeshed with the royal family even though she wasn’t a royal. So there they are at the first wedding of Prince Salim, the emperor’s son. Eight-year-old Mehrunnisa, at an age when most little girls would be studying the bride’s gown or bored out of their minds, is taken with Prince Salim’s handsomeness and dreams of marrying him. And sure enough, Prince Salim spots her a few years later and wants her too! But of course multiple obstacles keep the couple apart and, over the next decade or two, they carry the torch for each other despite the fact that their relationship only consists of a few brief early encounters. (Meanwhile, this doesn’t stop Prince Salim from marrying multiple women and enjoying the services of slave girls. But, even with all that libido-sating activity over the decades, he simply can’t forget beautiful Mehrunnisa.) Yup – that’s realistic. Must have been one deep relationship.

Prince Salim himself starts out as a dissolute drinker and opium imbiber, not to mention a complete and total pawn in his advisors’ hands. Gee, I really want to be emperor, thinks Salim. Why can’t my father just die already? My friends think I should poison him – should I listen to them? Hmmm, maybe I’ll try it. The plot is then foiled, and the royal doctor blamed and punished. It gets confusing as Salim alternates between self-recrimination and further plotting against his father. But after all is said and done, he does become emperor and – get this – proves to be a strong, responsible ruler. In fact, other than his good looks, Mehrunnisa claims to be attracted to his strength and leadership. Well, it clearly wasn’t his intelligence, and I guess we’re supposed to believe that Mehrunnisa is too deep to just be enamored of his looks. After all, she is not only beautiful but spirited!

What can I tell you? Lots of people liked this book, and maybe I’m just a cynical curmudgeon. To me, it was a dressed-up Harlequin and not a particularly good one. Harlequins, at least, don’t drag on for 400 pages.
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Dec 01, 2008 Roossy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

The Twentieth Wife was Mehrunissa.
Her father was almost abandoned her when she was just an infant for he could not afford her. Luckily, Mehrunissa was picked up by a Persian man who was also the savior of her family.
The Twentieth Wife, the story of Mehrunissa’s love to her prince, Salim.
It was also a story of politics in Mughal India kingdom and its harem.
After Mehrunissa’s father accepted a position in the kingdom, she was noticed by the Queen and was asked to be a lady in waiting.
During her se...more The Twentieth Wife was Mehrunissa.
Her father was almost abandoned her when she was just an infant for he could not afford her. Luckily, Mehrunissa was picked up by a Persian man who was also the savior of her family.
The Twentieth Wife, the story of Mehrunissa’s love to her prince, Salim.
It was also a story of politics in Mughal India kingdom and its harem.
After Mehrunissa’s father accepted a position in the kingdom, she was noticed by the Queen and was asked to be a lady in waiting.
During her service, she took a noticed of Prince Salim and fell in love with him.
Her love and admiration were reciprocated however it was too late as Mehrunissa was engaged to be married.
The Twentieth Wife was also the story about power struggle between fathers and sons. A persuasion to get the throne was fired up by Prince Salim advisors and he rebelled against his father. While this happened, Prince Salim’s older son was also thirsty for the throne and challenged his father.
Mehrunissa’s life was described in details in this novel. From her suffering for not able to marry the man she loved to the humiliation of not able to bear a baby for her husband. Finally after enduring a few miscarriages, she gave birth to a baby girl. Mehrunissa’s life changed after a tragic death of her husband. She then went back to be a lady in waiting for the Queen (now a former Queen) and supported herself and her daughter for four years. The love between her and Emperor Jahangir had never ceased even though many people against it. Mehrunissa was the last wife of Jahangir.
I found out about this novel from my contact in Flickr. Just a few months before, I finished a novel titled “Taj”. In it, there was a short story about Mehrunissa and her marriage to Jahangir. The Twentieth Wife is a sequel of The Feast of Roses in which the story of Mehrunissa as an empress continued.
The author of this novel researched many history books to obtain the facts for this story. Indu Sundaresan was born and raised in India and currently lives in Bellevue, Washington, USA.(less)

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Dec 20, 2007 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: lovers of Memoirs of A Geisha

The first thing that I thought once I put this book down was that it would be great to recommend to people who read "Memoirs of A Geisha" (I work in a bookstore). It has all the same basic elements: girl overcoming difficult childhood, unrequited love, obstacle after obstacle, etc. The setting for this novel is India and while it is similar to "Memoirs" the book is not merely a duplication in a different country. If you do read this book and enjoy it there is also a follow-up book: Feast of Rose...more

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Apr 13, 2007 Shama rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alreadyread

Took me a long time to read. It was interesting to learn about the Mogul Empire, but because there is a sequel (Feast of Roses), I don't know if I can comment on the entire story yet since this story ends so abruptly. I would recommend this for people who want to learn more about that time, but I don't think I would classify this as a 'must-read.' I don't think I will read the sequel. Her third book, Splendor of Silence, is much better. You can really see how her writing as improved. I would rec...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Marcy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the beginning of the story of a Persian family who was immigrating to an unknown country due to the loss of position due to a ruler change in Persia. The mother of the family was about to give birth. The father had no money for milk or food for his family. With great unhappiness, the father took the baby and left her under a nearby tree, to hopefully be adopted. The baby came back to the father due to the generosity of a leader of a caravan, bound for India. He offered to present the fat...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Shweta rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, favourites, kickass-heroines

During Emperor Akbar's reign when Hindustan was going through its Golden period, destiny was preparing an ordinary girl to take on the role of an empress. By the virtue of her sharp mind, wit and beauty she would one day become Emperor Jehangir's most trusted and loved consort. Mehrunnisa better known as Nur Jahan, the woman who becomes Emperor Jehangir's twentieth wife and his one true love was an ordinary girl, daughter of a Persian refugee Ghias Beg, who fell for Prince Salim ( later known as...more During Emperor Akbar's reign when Hindustan was going through its Golden period, destiny was preparing an ordinary girl to take on the role of an empress. By the virtue of her sharp mind, wit and beauty she would one day become Emperor Jehangir's most trusted and loved consort. Mehrunnisa better known as Nur Jahan, the woman who becomes Emperor Jehangir's twentieth wife and his one true love was an ordinary girl, daughter of a Persian refugee Ghias Beg, who fell for Prince Salim ( later known as Jehangir) while looking at him through the zenana balcony at the age of eight. When Salim fell hopelessly in love with her later in her youth all didn't go well for them. It took a failed loveless political marriage, years of separation and lots of political turmoil to bring them together.

The beauty of this book does not lie in knowing what happens next. That part we already know. Jehangir married Mehrunnissa, their marriage lasted a lifetime. What makes this book one perfect read is the beauty of its unfolding. Author spins a tapestry of romance, opulence, zenana politics, rivalry and treachery which calls out to the reader. I remember reading it without letting it out of my sight for more than a few minutes.

I have observed that people are in awe of Taj Mahal which was testimonial for Shah Jahan's love towards his wife Mumtaz Mahal but somewhere in the magnanimity of this mausoleum, we have forgotten that there was another love story in the same era, where the emperor might not have built his beloved a marble tomb but he did something that no other ruler had done until then. He made her his equal . An Empress not just in name but in the truest form. This love story lost to our generation is recreated by Indu Sunderesan in this beautiful book.

The Twentieth Wife has been sort of a bench mark for historical fiction in India. One of the very few that avid readers would ask you to pick up when you say you are interested in Indian historical fiction genre. I would suggest the same.

Source: Personal Copy(less)

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Feb 19, 2012 Helen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction

Follows Mehrunnisa, an intelligent young woman forced to live within the social constraints of 16th century Mughul India, and the relationships and intrigues within the royal family in which she becomes entangled.

This one had the potential to be really good--I love historical fiction, especially when it surrounds real historical figures, and I love reading about cultures foreign to my own. Unfortunately, Much of the first two-thirds of this book was very slow. Events would threaten to happen . ....more

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May 20, 2011 Cyndy Aleo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: upmarket, historical-fiction

Every so often, you'll find a gem in the bargain books section of a bookstore. So it was with The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan, a novel based on actual events in the history of the Mughal Empire of India.

::: The Plot :::

Ghias Beg flees from Persia after his father's estates revert to the government, and he cannot pay his debts. During his journey from Persia, his wife gives birth to a daughter, Mehrunissa (meaning Sun of Women), but there is no way they can afford to care for her as well as...more Every so often, you'll find a gem in the bargain books section of a bookstore. So it was with The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan, a novel based on actual events in the history of the Mughal Empire of India.

::: The Plot :::

Ghias Beg flees from Persia after his father's estates revert to the government, and he cannot pay his debts. During his journey from Persia, his wife gives birth to a daughter, Mehrunissa (meaning Sun of Women), but there is no way they can afford to care for her as well as the children they already have. Joining caravans, they find luck in a nobleman who is heading to the court of Emperor Akbar. He asks Ghias Beg to go with him, promises to present him at court, and finally, saves Mehrunissa's life with his generosity.

So begins the apparently charmed life of Mehrunissa in The Twentieth Wife. Her father lands a position as treasurer to the Emperor, her mother and she are invited to visit the Imperial zenana where the wifes and concubines of the Emperor live, and she not only gains the favor of the Emperor's favorite wife, head of the harem, but she also catches the eye of his son, Prince Salim. So begins a love story that will take the two through political intrigue, assassination plots, wars, power struggles within the harem, and Salim's ascent to the throne.

The Twentieth Wife is a fictionalized account of the life of actual Empress Når Jahån, consort to Jahangir, Emperor of Hindustan, and father of Shah Jahan (best known for building the Taj Mahal.

::: Five Stars :::

I read the other reviews of this book as soon as I brought it home, and was pleasantly surprised by my own experience with this book. From Mehrunissa's favorite status with her father and his education of her beyond the usual education provided to girls at the time, we see a character that couldn't help be enchanting as well as intelligent and wanting a higher station in life. Mehrunissa knows that women in power are the ones who have favored status in the Emperor's zenana for they have the most freedom, and examples are given in the book of how the women in the harem often influenced the Emperor's decisions, from marriage arrangements to punishment of would-be assassins.

Vivid descriptions of clothing, food, and decor serve to set the tone, giving the reader a taste for how those in the Mughal Empire lived. The wealth and style of living is fascinating, and the small mentions of both the Portuguese Jesuits and the English traders demonstrate the future that is to come for India.

The cast of characters can be difficult to follow at times, but standouts are Emperor Akbar's favored wife, Ruquyya; the scheming Jagat Gosini, who will stop at nothing to remain Jahangir's favored wife; and Ali Quli, the soldier who conspires against Jahangir at every turn.

The only downside to this book is the characterization of Salim/Jahangir. We never see what changes him from the selfish, callow youth to the mature Emperor, nor what drives a drinking, opium-smoking boy to become a morals-wielding Emperor. However, all is forgiven because this is a book about Mehrunissa, and we see her hopes and desires, laugh and cry with her, and wish right along with her that she will finally get to live the life of her dreams.

This review previously published at Epinions: http://www.epinions.com/review/_20011...(less)

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May 17, 2011 Hannah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

In The Twentieth Wife, Indu Sundaressen introduces her readers to the opulent court of 16th century India. Mehrunissa, the daughter of a Persian refugee comes to live at the court when she is eight years old. There she encounters the zenana, the royal harem, full of concubines, wives, and female servants of the Emporer. Her first glimpse of the royal palace and the ladies who live there spark in her the ambition to one day rule the zenana as chief wife. In a world where women were always veiled...more

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Mar 16, 2011 Danielle Adams rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

The Twentieth Wife is a fictional account based off reports and rumors of the life of Mehrunnisa before she became Empress Nur Jahan. The reports recall the drama of her birth, a love affair with Salim before he became emperor and the suspicion on Salim for her first husband’s death. Sundarsean manages to weave an intriguing tale of what Mehrunnisa’s life would have been like in seventeenth century India.
The novel begins at Mehrunnisa’s birth as her family is fleeing from Persia to India, as Gh...more The Twentieth Wife is a fictional account based off reports and rumors of the life of Mehrunnisa before she became Empress Nur Jahan. The reports recall the drama of her birth, a love affair with Salim before he became emperor and the suspicion on Salim for her first husband’s death. Sundarsean manages to weave an intriguing tale of what Mehrunnisa’s life would have been like in seventeenth century India.
The novel begins at Mehrunnisa’s birth as her family is fleeing from Persia to India, as Ghias, her father and courtier, has been exiled. Left with hardly anything after being robbed he does not believe they will be able to keep the baby. However, after Mehrunnisa’s birth the luck of the family begins to change. The next day after spending the last of the money on food that will only last a few days Ghias meets a man named Masud on his way to India, who insists that Ghias and his family accompany him and then introduces him to the emperor when they arrive ensuring a place in court for the family.
Mehrunnisa grows up believing that she will one day be a princess, though everyone tells her that it is impossible. As a young child, she becomes a close companion to the empress, which leads to her short affair with Salim. However, an arranged marriage is already planned by the emperor’s wishes.
Year’s later fate intervenes and the two meet again, but this time Salim is emperor. He requests Mehrunnisa to be his bride but is refused by her husband, who is a known enemy of the thrown. He dies by Salim’s soldiers, though he initiated the fight, rumors start that Salim had him assassinated. Despite speculations they marry, and become the love that ballads are sung about.
The Twentieth Wife is full of historical details of seventeenth century culture that make the reader feel as though they are there witnessing the story take place. Even though many may already know the famous love story, the novel gives so much more depth with the characters allowing the reader to sympathies with Mehrunnisa. Over all a powerful book, leaving you wishing you had the sequel.
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Jan 24, 2011 Mary rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, world

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Meh.

I really was quite interested in the historical part; the details of what the royal court was like in that era (assuming accuracy, of course) really kept me reading. That's the main reason it got a 3. But...the love story really wasn't. Kinda boring, really. Don't read it if you are hoping to get swept away in feelings. Yours OR theirs. I kinda feel bad for the author, trying to invent a passionate love affair from history book info.

Spoiler Alert!
---------------------------------
The main cha...more

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Jan 28, 2010 Ehrrin marked it as to-read · review of another edition

from the Powell's Daily Dose:

The Twentieth Wife

by Indu Sundaresan

Esme's Comments:
"[B:]eautifully told, weaving together the rich history of India and the Mughal empire along with the love story of Mehrunnisa and Salim. While Mehrunnisa is the Prince's twentieth wife she quickly rises above his other wives to become his favorite. Their love story comes to life.... [T:]his book is written so well that readers can see the colors of the women's sari's, smell the scents of the streets and hear the c...more

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Aug 23, 2009 Ariela rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Empress Nur Jahan was the twentieth and favorite wife of Mogul Emperor Jahangir. Born into an aristocratic Persian family who had immigrated to India, her birth name was Mehrunnisa. She was a remarkable beauty, with blue eyes and pale skin, who fell in love with Jahangir as a young girl serving Empress Ruqayya Sultan Begam (chief wife of Jahangir’s father, Emperor Akbar) in the Imperial harem. Then a prince, Jahangir was likewise enamored with her, but at seventeen she was married off to a soldi...more Empress Nur Jahan was the twentieth and favorite wife of Mogul Emperor Jahangir. Born into an aristocratic Persian family who had immigrated to India, her birth name was Mehrunnisa. She was a remarkable beauty, with blue eyes and pale skin, who fell in love with Jahangir as a young girl serving Empress Ruqayya Sultan Begam (chief wife of Jahangir’s father, Emperor Akbar) in the Imperial harem. Then a prince, Jahangir was likewise enamored with her, but at seventeen she was married off to a soldier named Ali Quli as a sign of favor from the Emperor. Numerous rebellions against Jahangir eventually led to Ali Quli’s death, however, and as a widow the now twenty-something Mehrunnisa was returned to Empress Ruqayya Sultan Begam’s side. Inside the imperial harem again, Mehrunnisa’s love for Jahangir was finally allowed to bloom, and after some clever scheming on Ruqayya’s part Jahangir and Mehrunnisa married. Upon ascension to the throne Jahangir renamed her Nur Jahan, which means “Light of the World.” She had formidable skills in administration, politics, economics, and culture, all of which she could now use as Jahangir’s favorite wife. Her power and influence were unprecedented in the Moghul empire, where women remained veiled behind the harem walls. Nevertheless Nur Jahan was able to reach beyond the harem through determination, intelligence, and her passionate relationship with Emeperor Jahangir. “The Twentieth Wife” begins with the birth of Mehrunnisa on a dusty side road as her family flees Persia, and ends with her ascension to the throne as Nur Jahan. In between these two events is a remarkable story about love, destiny and the resilience of the human spirit. Sundaresan’s attention to historical detail and largely accurate representation of Nur Jahan’s life creates a vivid narrative that is hard to put down. As soon as I finished “The Twentieth Wife” I couldn’t help but leap right into “The Feast of Roses,” which continues Nur Jahan’s story.(less)

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Mar 16, 2012 Maria rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: schlechte-historische-romane

Kurz zusammengefasst: Kann man lesen. Wenn man zuviel Zeit hat oder ABSOLUT nichts zu tun. Ansonsten kann mans nämlich auch lassen, selbst wenn dieses Buch auf dem Klappentext "als detailreich recherchiert und mitreißend" angepriesen wurde. Es wird schon seinen Grund gehabt haben dass ich dieses Buch im HAUSFLUR als "zum Mitnehmen" fand.

Das Buch tut so als wäre es super recherchiert, aber spätestens das ständige Verzehren von Erdnüssen, Chilis und Tomaten (erst um das Jahr 1650/1700 oder noch sp...more

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Nov 07, 2011 Angela rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bad-reads, riverview-book-club, didn-t-finish

It took over a week for me to figure out why I was having such a tough time with The Twentieth Wife, a story of a pair of star-crossed lovers in imperial Mughal India in the 16th century. The protagonist Mehrunnisa is everything a feminist would want: intelligent, head-strong, gorgeous, and independent. However, I'm half-way through the book and it seems to me that the author has marginalized her just as much as the culture she lives in does. Her only act of bravery has been to smile through her...more It took over a week for me to figure out why I was having such a tough time with The Twentieth Wife, a story of a pair of star-crossed lovers in imperial Mughal India in the 16th century. The protagonist Mehrunnisa is everything a feminist would want: intelligent, head-strong, gorgeous, and independent. However, I'm half-way through the book and it seems to me that the author has marginalized her just as much as the culture she lives in does. Her only act of bravery has been to smile through her emotional pain, and let's not fault her that. This is based on a true story and sometimes the bravest thing to do is deal with the situation you're in. I was just hoping for a little more action, some cultural rebellion, something worthy of the Disney-esque princess Sundaresan seems to be writing. (That is exactly what this feels like: a book written to be animated and put to a soundtrack written by MIA and Phil Collins with uplifting lyrics and a bodacious babe in gold lamé.)

Thus far, the author has spent way too much time telling me about the prince that Mehrunnisa is over the moon for and not giving me a reason to care. He's kind of a jackass to be honest: drug-addled, impressionable, selfish, and without any kind of honor to speak of. In the meantime, the child Mehrunnisa was thrilling to read about, but as soon as she grew up Sundaresan began ignoring her and only checking in each year as she doubled over in pain with another miscarriage. I've stopped caring whether she meets this Prince (not so) Charming or not. She's probably better off; her husband tends to be away a lot anyway and I think there are probably books somewhere she could liberate.

I can only hope she's building to a triumphant finish but I'm too tired to care and I want to move on. Perhaps I'm being impatient, it has happened before; but I've usually enjoyed the journey toward the climax and in this case it has become tiring. I don't want to read about Indian military history or another sentence so full of unfamiliar terms that I have to use the glossary six times to translate it to a place where I can understand it. Tell me the story, cut out the unnecessary minutes of what went on in court each day, and cut to the chase. And make it romantic if that's what it should be! Don't make me wade through red tape to get to a beautiful story and quit marginalizing your own heroine!

Riverview Book Club
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Jul 17, 2010 Tania rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: yes

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Esta novela histórica está basada en hechos reales a finales del siglo 16, principios del siglo 17. El personaje principal es Mehrunnisa, hija de Ghias Beg y Asmat, persas caídos en desgracia que deciden huir a la India. Asmat está embarazada y da a luz a su hija pero tal es la pobreza de la familia que deciden dejar botada a la bebé porque no tienen como darle de comer, con la suerte que es oída por Malik Masud un mercader que les ha dicho que se unan a su caravana que va en ruta a la India. El...more
Esta novela histórica está basada en hechos reales a finales del siglo 16, principios del siglo 17. El personaje principal es Mehrunnisa, hija de Ghias Beg y Asmat, persas caídos en desgracia que deciden huir a la India. Asmat está embarazada y da a luz a su hija pero tal es la pobreza de la familia que deciden dejar botada a la bebé porque no tienen como darle de comer, con la suerte que es oída por Malik Masud un mercader que les ha dicho que se unan a su caravana que va en ruta a la India. El oye el llanto del bebé y la lleva de vuelta al campamento se la devuelve a Ghias y se compromete a ser su padre adoptivo. Malik presenta a Ghias ante el Emperador Akbar y como Ghias es noble y un tipo culto y erudito inmediatamente encuentra trabajo en la corte. Su suerte le favorece. Mehrunnisa es inteligente y crece recibiendo una educación poco común en las mujeres de su época. Empieza a frecuentar el zenana, el harem del rey donde se gana el cariño de la emperatriz consorte, la Padshah Begam, Ruqayya. Ella se enamora de Salim el principe heredero y en un ocasión que él la ve cuando ya ella tiene 16 años y también se enamora perdídamente de ella. Le pide a su padre autorización para casarse, permiso que se le niega pues ella está pronta a casarse con un soldado destacado del ejército del emperador Ali Quli. Pasan los años sin verse pero ni uno ni otro olvidan el encuentro. Mehrunnisa tiene una hija, Ladli. El emperador Akbar se distancia de su hijo pues este intenta en varias ocasiones hacerse del poder ilegalmente. Finalmente Salim se tranquiliza, su padre lo perdona y cuando este muere asume el poder, no sin antes tener problemas con uno de sus propios hijos, Jusrau quien quiere acceder al trono antes que su padre. Al convertirse en emperador su nombre cambia a Yahangir. Compromete a su hijo Jurram con una nieta de Ghias, hija de Abdul, Arjumand. (Ella murió pocos años después de que Jurram accediera al trono al dar a luz a un hijo y este en su memoria construyó el Taj Mahal.) Mehrunnisa viene al compromiso y ahí, en el zenana Yahangir la vuelve a ver de nuevo. Le manda una nota al esposo de Mehrunnisa donde le invoca el Tura-i-Chingezi por la cual le pedía a Ali Quli que se divorciara de Mehrunnisa para poder casarse con él. Ali recibe la orden pero la desacata. El emperador decide enviar a Jan Koka, el gobernador de Bengala para que hable con Ali. Al presentarse ante el soldado este inmediatamente le clava una espada. Los soldados responden y matan a Ali. Mehrunnisa escapa con Ladli y escoltada por un grupo de soldados imperiales. Se va a vivir al zenana de Ruqayya. Por otro lado la familia de Ghias Beg cae en desgracia pues como tesorero se apropia de un dinero del tesoro además de que Muhammed su hijo mayor apoya una de las tantas insurrecciones de Jusrau. Pasan los años y el emperador perdona a Ghias y este vuelve a recuperar sus privilegios y status.
Mehrunnisa pasa 4 años desapercibida en el zenana de Ruqayya hasta que la encuentra Yahangir un día en el que las damas del harem andan comprando en un bazar (una especie de feria) que les organizaban especialmente a ellas. La emperatriz consorte ahora era la primera esposa de Yahangir, Manmati y ésta trata por todos los medios de que este no vea a Mehrunnisa. Después de este encuentro la empieza a cortejar y el amor que sentía por ella regresa con una gran violencia. Todos sus consejeros tratan de disuadirlo de este enlace que no tiene ninguna ventaja política para él. El le pide que sea su concubina. Mehrunnisa huye a casa de su padre y rechaza el pedido del emperador, que al cabo de 2 semanas regresa pidiéndole que se convierta en su emperatriz.
El libro es super entretenido sobre todo cuando ofrece un vistazo a un tiempo y cultura tan diferente al nuestro. No me es posible verificar en que grado el lenguaje y la historia corresponde o no a la realidad, eso le tocará a otros pero yo disfruté mucho la historia y ya compré el segundo libro.
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Dec 16, 2010 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: conversati-ohm, historical-fiction

The Twentieth Wife a historical novel set in India under the Mughal Empire in the 17th century. It chronicles the love between Mehrunnisa and Prince Salim. The author has stated that she based the story in factual information and took artistic license to fill in gaps where information was not available. This book had a list of main characters at the front, which was very helpful. I wish that it had listed all of the characters though – so many of them had similar names that it could get confusin...more

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Jan 04, 2011 Sarah rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: indian-writers

Hands down, one of the most annoying pieces of writing I've read. I really wanted to get swept up in the story, but the writer was too busy with all the details except the character development. Could Maherunnisa and Jahangir be so love sick all the time? I hope not. After all, they weren't teenagers throughout the entire book. There were also some other cultural inaccuracies that I just couldn't get past. I find it really hard to believe Jahangir courted her the way Sundaresan described. It jus...more

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Feb 17, 2009 Cara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is based in historical fact although some of the story is the author's fictional account of the characters and their lives. It is ultimately a love story of "soul mates" but also gives the reader a peek at life in the Mughal Empire and the harem of its emperor. I enjoyed this book for it's fairy-tale-like love story and the history behind it. The writer weaves the two effortlessly into one beautiful book.

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Mar 30, 2013 Harley Gee rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: asia

This book was highly recommended by a friend in a discussion of books based on historical events. The Twentieth Wife was a slow start. I gave myself hundred pages, then a hundred and twenty, before actually becoming engaged with the story. It was not until reading the final Afterword chapter that it became clearer what was fiction and what is based on fact. This novel read like a prequel to the next book, dealing more with the time when Mehrunnisa's power behind the throne was at its peak. At ti...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Jaspreet rated it 5 of 5 stars

I began reading The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan for the May meeting of the Boston book club. Given my track record of taking a long time to finish books, I decided to start early. I was immediately swept up into the story. My favorite thing about the novel is the blend of history with personal narrative. I learned a lot about the Mughal empire, but also wanted to know more about the love story. I loved Mehrunnisa's spirit: her bold sense of adventure and determination to find a way for her...more

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Oct 20, 2009 bookczuk rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bookcrossing, somewhat-disappointing

Finally pulled this off the shelf and proceeded to try and plow through it. I love history. No doubt about it. And I love Indian history, especially about places I have been and have happy memories from. I remember sitting at Fatehpur Sikri with my brother Eric and my mother back in 1980, and having him tell me the story of the history of the city and the Taj. Somehow, his enthusiasm enchanted me and carried me away. This book, while there were moments of interest, was often bogged down for me,...more

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Mar 16, 2012 Andreana Sembiring rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

One of my favorite book.. I always amazed with historical book, especially the era that we do not have handphone to communicate, plane to across the continent..

The book tell about love story between Sultan Jahangir and Mehrunissa. Mehrunnisa is Mumtaj Mahal's Aunty. The queen that has named for Taj Mahal. Later, Mumtaj will marry Shah Jahan, Sultan Jahangir's son from his first wife (the story about Shah Jahan and Taj detailed in another book with title "Taj").

Sultan Jahangir and Mehrunissa fall...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Mandi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Mandi by: Pulled It Off the Shelf--Caught My Eye

This book kept my attention, but I have a hard time relating to a character who lives in 14th century India and falls in love with a prince (who falls in love with her too) who is married to 19 other women and has a harem of 30 women at his disposal. That made the book both interesting and also a little inaccessible. Those are my modern/Western sensibilities though. In some ways, the love the two characters have can be seen as strengthened by the other women in the way, as well as her "romantic"...more

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Oct 28, 2011 Octavryna Wridanastiti rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kehidupan bangsawan yang naik turun, kaya kemudian menjadi pelarian tanpa harta benda. Hingga kelahiran putrinya pun dia tidak mampu memberikan sang "Ayah" imbalan persalinan.Meninggalkan bayi perempuan yang baru dilahirkan istrinya di jalan namun ditemukan kembali oleh sahabatnya yang memintanya menjadi orangtua asuh sang anak dengan segala biaya ditanggungnya. Seorang bayi perempuan yang membawa peruntungan baik,pikir mereka. Karena sejak itu hidup mereka berubah. Kembali menjadi bangsawan den...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Kiera K. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Though the descriptions were enchanting and seductive, the novel was often unfocused and suffered from a lack of of belivable dialogue. I fell in love with Mehrunnisa, the strong, charming woman whose life the story revolves, yet even she became irritating after some time. The love between Salim and Mehrunnisa is portrayed in a way that leaves the reader desperatley wanting for their reunion, yet when they eventually meet and can become betrothed, it felt unexciting and dull- I was expecting fir...more

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About Indu Sundaresan

Indu Sundaresan was born in India and grew up on Air Force bases all over the country. Her father, a fighter pilot, was also a storyteller—managing to keep his audiences captive and rapt with his flair for drama and timing. He got this from his father, Indu's grandfather, whose visits were always eagerly awaited. Indu's love of stories comes from both of them, from hearing their stories based on i...more

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Quotes from The Twentieth Wife

“No, no, don’t touch your mother just before the baby is born. Now it will be a girl child, because you are one. Run along now. Take your evil eye with you.”

“Ghias, we must be careful not to teach the girls too much. How will they ever find husbands if they are too learned? The less they know, the less they will want of the outside world.” — 4 people liked it

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The Twentieth Wife (Taj Mahal Trilogy #1)

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