Private life of an Indian prince;

by Mulk Raj Anand

The book is classified as one of Anand's most impressive and important works.In keeping with his other writings dealing with the topic of social and political reform, this book deals with the abolition of the princely states system in India. While the novel is not an autobiography, like many of his earlier novels, it follows an autobiographical tone.

Genres: India, Indian Literature, Fiction

365 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1953

About the author

Mulk Raj Anand was an Indian writer in English, notable for his depiction of the lives of the poorer castes in traditional Indian society. One of the pioneers of Indo-Anglian fiction, he, together with R.K. Narayan, Ahmed Ali and Raja Rao, was one of the first India-based writers in English to gain an international readership. Anand is admired for his novels and short stories, which have acquired the status of being classic works of modern Indian English literature, noted for their perceptive insight into the lives of the oppressed and their analyses of impoverishment, exploitation and misfortune. He is also notable for being among the first writers to incorporate Punjabi and Hindustani idioms into English.

Reviews

[Philip Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable tale of the final days of the Maharajahs as the Indian Union is formed. The important historic events provide the background for the story of one Maharajah's private life. His obsession with one of his mistresses is all encompassing and to some extent this created a flaw for me, it began to get rather tedious to hear about him obsessing about her once again. However there are enough other incidents, including a tiger hunt and a shopping spree in London, to make the thing move along. The narrator, the prince's personal doctor, is in many ways the more interesting character as he philosophies about the moral issues of governance. An interesting and somewhat unusual setting.

[Prabhat sharma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Private life of an Indian Prince (Hardcover) by Mulk Raj Anand- novel- Mulkraj Anand is an Indian writer- a humanist- this book scribes the time of independence of India from British. During this period, on one side the country was partitioined into India and Pakistan while on the other side, Princely States were provided an option to merge with either India or with Pakistan by signing an instrument of accession with either government. The story is about Prince Victor Ashok Kumar of Shampur. As usual, lust is his primary nature. Sardar Patel has invited him to sign an the Hiinstrument and inform him about the faciliies which can be ofered in independent India. It is found that he has eloped with a eur-asian girl in Simla. In his State, Praja Mandal and the communal forces want to merge with India as the governance of the state law and order his not been able to be restored. Dr Hari Shankar a medic is his advisor who is aware of the reality for partition and accession and tenders proper advice but the Prnice has no time to bother about this. He knows about the petty bad postion of jails and poverty of his people, and the brutal ways of the police handling people, still he is bothered about his lavish life. He is more interested in arranging Shikar with his Amerian friends. With changing circumstances, his lady Ganga Dasi beds with his Amerian friend and later elopes with his friend. Prince visits London and plan to murder his friend with whom Ganga Dasi is living. He succeeds but the crime is caught. He is broght back before the authorities where he is declared lunatic and sent to an Asylum in Pune. The book does not create much interest in the reader. People have accepted the life of people who have joined the mainstream of Indian life. It is quite an interesting book about a speicfic period in the life of India.

[Nirmal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read good feedback about this book from Soros Kowasjee and bought the book. It shows the decay and decadent life of an indian prince in 1940s and early 50's. Raja of Shampur , victor , is a vain character with all the vices including a lusty picadillo nature , sloth , vanity , hubris ... He has two ranis and 1 permanent mistress. Mistress is able to keep him under her spell and under her control. He is unable to avoid her open manipulation and Instead caught by his jealousy for her thinly veiled promiscuity, he tries to win her over. This ultimately becomes his undoing. This is aggravated by end of princely states due to indian freedom resulting in dissolving of princely states into democratic india.

Story has connections with real life events and characters, used sufficient creative licence of fiction.

[Anupama Sarkar · Rating 2 out of 5]

The novel disappointed me. It was incredibly long and boring, and I felt like abandoning it in the middle. Despite all the praises doled out by Cawosjee in his Intro, the novel failed to meet my expectations. I would any day prefer the novels of R.K. Narayan, a contemporary of Anand than this one-sided tale of foolish lust, leading to the downfall of a worthless Prince.

[Phani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poignant, moving. But often verbose. Many of the extensive philosophical discussions were lost on me. Most of all though, I couldn't find any "central aspect" of the book that I could relate to.

[Prachi Pranamya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about Maharaja Ashok Kumar of Sham Pur, who falls in love with a Brahman woman he cannot legally marry. The woman manipulates him for her personal gains as long as she can and eventually leaves him, which drives the Maharaja to madness. When you look at it from the story's point of view, although it's not entirely a love story, it definitely gets across its point that love can make or break you.


And from the storytelling perspective, oh, it contains beautiful imagery and details; it feels like everything is happening right in front of your eyes. The writer has put in so much effort to describe each and every scene but never lets it get boring or too far-fetched. It is easy to read, keeps you on the edge of your seat, and gives a detailed perspective on the post independence political scenario and unrest in India. A slight understanding of the political dynamics mentioned would help one connect with the story better.

The story also made me wonder how the people who want to feel powerful do not do so by standing against the authority more powerful than them but by exploiting those who are weaker.

The narrator not only narrates the story plainly but also leaves hints of his own philosophical perspective. The one part I particularly liked is where he talks about free will:
"...desire is an essential element in us and all our actions are motivated by it; and we feel that we can choose to do this or that freely; that is to say, we feel the illusion that our will is free. And thus we go on, until we realise that, though there is free will in a limited sense, we are really bound by responsibilities, duties, even as we have a certain number of rights - and then we are freed in a higher sense by the recognition of our responsibilities in a universe which is determined by the acts, thoughts and feelings of other peoples both in the past and the present."

[Prajapati · Rating 2 out of 5]

Please provide Online Book for reading

[Adam · Rating 1 out of 5]

It did not grab me.

[Yousuff · Rating 1 out of 5]

Highly over rate book. A big disappointment from Mulk Raj after coolie.

[Vinod · Rating 3 out of 5]

life wasnt too easy for the royals in India who cooperated with the Raj.

[Neena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though the book is based on India soon after independence, reading the book proves that history repeats itself in India. In the book, the cunning selfish greedy bania and brahmin combine to drive the Rajput prince of Shampur mad, and in 2018 also brahmin, bania intelligence and security agency employees, their associates combine to have honest hardworking kshatriya engineers from top colleges, declared mentally unsound, to steal their resume, savings, correspondence and memory