The Half Empress

by Tripti Pandey

Among the rulers of Jaipur, Maharaja Sawai Jagat’s name is taken with contempt, because of his affair with a tawaif, or courtesan, Raskapoor, the daughter of a Muslim mother and a Brahmin father.

The Maharaja defied all norms and bestowed upon her the title of ‘Half Empress’. With little experience, Raskapoor resiliently navigated her way through the cobwebs of the royal life. But, pitched against a fleet of plotters in an atmosphere filled with deceit, she finally fell into their trap and was imprisoned.

There are many stories about how her life ended—the compassionate prison chief allowed her to flee or she flung herself on to the pyre of Jagat Singh. But today, she is best remembered by the guides who routinely mention her as a celebrity prisoner at the famous Nahargarh Fort.

In her historical novel The Half Empress, Tripti Pandey transports the reader to the royal corridors of nineteenth-century Jaipur and brings to life the story of a formidable woman who has been deliberately omitted from history.

384 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 9, 2023

Reviews

[Craartology · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Half Empress, the title understandably denotes “half” power to a woman who is wise, intelligent, strikingly beautiful and capable to rule a kingdom bestowed upon her.

Who is this “half empress”?

Raskapoor, the courtesan and daughter of a Muslim mother and a Brahmin father and the favourite concubine of Maharaja Sawai Jagat Singh, the ruler of 19th century Jaipur, formally titled “Ardhrajan” against all norms of the state. She is fated to make her way into the royal palace through the motives of ambition and a strong political career of an aunt and her father, unlike her mother who wished a simple life of a married and dignified woman for her daughter.

Tripti Pandey has penned a gripping book of able and wise, an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and a talented artist who establishes herself in the royal arena. A character in history who is remembered more than the king no matter how earnestly they tried to keep her away from historical archives and memories of the time. A visual and aesthetic time travel to the royal palace of Jaipur, its intrigues, politics and social norms and a keen attention to the lives of the women of the “zenana deorhi” or “rawala” (women’s apartments).

What hurts me after reading these stories is about the status of women in society and the biases that define their presence-either within the confines of a home or at the margins of the society braving curious glances, cruel taunts and questioning about their chastity. Evidently this has been the way of this world for the longest time and somehow most women have accepted this way of life.

This novelized biography is lucid, enlightening and a book that urges readers to discover, remember and honor women in all their glory.

Verdict: Must read!

[Atul Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙖𝙡𝙛 𝙀𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙗𝙮 𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙥𝙩𝙞 𝙋𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙮

♠️ The monarchies have always been a significant amount of love for the patriarchal system, not only that but some had obsession over it also. Though there were rulers who were not defined by their genders but by their character, intelligence and qualities.

♠️ No matter what era it is, the struggles of women doesn't change drastically, yet on the other hand the changes are slightly different from each era. On top of that being born with a not so normal social status makes it next to impossible, yet there are some cases of achieving impossible.

♠️ The book also features the story of such a women named Raskapoor, the daughter of a Muslim mother and a Brahmin father. Bestowed the title of Half Empress by Maharaja Sawai Jagat Singh, of Jaipur. The one who resided in the Amer Fort. It's the life story of the woman who found her way through the royals and all societal norms and standards.

♠️It's the story of her, written in the form of a Non-fiction novel, which vividly describes her character, qualities, interests, her journey to proclaiming her titles which ultimately leads to her unknown whereabouts, after her imprisonment. Her story sure does have a beginning yet the end is still a mystery.

📌 The character of Raskapoor has been portrayed finely which helps with the description of her social life as well as personal life. Tripti has done an impressiv job in converting the tale into a novel, while preserving the cultural significance and presenting the event equally.

📌 If you are interested in reading the stories of women in turbulent times, in Indian History, then this might be a good fit for your Bookshelf.

[Yash Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Half Empress by Tripti Pandey is the intriguing love story of Raskapoor, who was a nautch girl's daughter, and the Maharaja of Jaipur, Sawai Jagat Singh. Maharaja Sawai Jagat Singh, who ruled from 1803 to 1818, had an affair with a courtesan (tawaif), Raskapoor. In fact, he not only bestowed upon her the title of 'Ardhrajan,' or 'Half Empress,' but also gave her the territory of Amber to rule. Raskapoor was not only Sawai Jagat Singh's lover but also his spiritual teacher and a political adviser. But the queens of Jagat Singh and his vassals had only contempt and malice for Raskapoor. That's why they hatched a vicious plan to remove her from the life of Sawai Jagat Singh. Eventually, Raskapoor was convicted on charges of betrayal and attempting to take over the throne from her paramour, the Maharaja, and imprisoned and sent to the Sudarshangarh, which was also called Nahargarh Fort. It's a tale of love, spirituality, royal court politics, and betrayal.

[Suruchi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The half empress is the story of Raskapoor who is the daughter of a Brahmin and a Tawaif. But she is more than being half of each world. She is a strong woman who is a true devotee of lord Krishna and Shiva, a talented artist and admirer of art, knows well about the political and economic scenario of the world around her and knows how to rule kingdoms as well as hearts.

But the status of women in this patriarchal society push her to act as a concubine of the then king of Jaipur.
The novel is a proof of how women have been subjected to differences and atrocities since time immemorial. They are treated as an object, something to be kept inside the house like a trophy and later discarded as the same.

This historical tale of a woman not known to many but still loved to death by the king serves as a beautiful yet painful example of the politics that goes into running a kingdom. Tripti Pandey has penned it down beautifully and it has a lot of information about Hindu gods, its rituals, about various temples and their significance, about statues and ideals and a lot more.

One thing that swayed me away from giving it a four or five star is a lot of explanations and going too deep in the history. The book centres around Raskapoor but at times it feels like she is not in the picture. The story sways away from her time to time and that just creates a lot of confusion.

All in all this book is a treat for history buffs.

[Roopa Prabhu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Please skip..