The Shadow Princess by Indu Sundaresan

Life is too short to read crappy books. Before I started on this book, I was pushing myself to finish a book called Angelology by Danielle Trussoni and gave up half way through. Then, took up The Shadow Princess and finished the book in two days -primarily because there was just too much description about the Taj Mahal, totally unrelated to the plot, that I happily skipped. Seriously! It was just getting boringly descriptive.

For my honeymoon, one of our destinations was the Taj Mahal and the Agra fort. Seeing the Taj Mahal for the first time is definitely an experience to cherish. The grandeur just makes your jaw drop. Such perfection and such beauty! But more than the Taj Mahal, the Agra fort captivated me, because it gave me a glimpse of the opulent life style of the Mughals. We had such a wonderful and knowledgeable guide. I strongly recommend to take a guide when you are visiting historical places, because, they can really make you form a connection with the past and the monument. Otherwise, we will just end up taking the customary pictures and walk away.

It was during that trip that I came to know about the existence of a Mughal princess called Jahanara. At the Agra Fort, you get to see the rooms of Shah Jahan, the place where he was imprisoned, the view from the fort through which Shah Jahan saw the Taj Mahal for the last 9 years of his life, the quarters of Jahanara, the place where the courtesans sang and dance, the grounds where elephant fights took place -it was as if you could see the life of the Mughals unfold infront of your eyes. And the history buff inside me was in seventh heaven. My husband had to literally drag me out of the fort with a gag over my mouth. I just couldn't stop gushing with enthusiasm.
After coming home, I did the obvious thing that we all do when we want to know more about something that has piqued our curiosity -google the heck out of it. I was even tempted to write a short story on Jahanara. But then, I came to know that Indu Sundaresan has written a novel based on her life and I promptly lost interest on writing that short story.

Shadow Princess is the third book in the Mughal trilogy by Indu Sundaresan. The first is called "The Twentieth Wife" and the second is called "The Feast of Roses". These two books are about how Meherunissa becomes the powerful empress Nur Jahan. The third book skips a generation and is about the life of Jahanara, first born daughter of Emporer Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. And before I proceed further, let me be honest and state that I am not a big fan of Indu Sundaresan. She does not weave her plot tightly and she gets too descriptive. But there are so little literature available on Indian history, that I gobbled up her books. Though nowhere near my all time favourite historical author Jean Plaidy, Indu Sundaresan provides great insight into the Mughal period. She captures their way of life, customs, administration, actual historical facts and even the kind of dress and jewelry that was worn by the kings and queens.

You can read this book without reading the first two of the trilogy. The book begins with the death of Mumtaz Mahal and ends with the death of Shah Jahan. It traces the life of Princess Jahanara and the struggle of succession between Dara Shikoh and Aurangazeb. As the book progresses, the building of Taj Mahal also takes shape. From the thought of a luminous tomb germinating as an idea in Shah Jahan's mind till it takes shape as the marble magnificence, Indu Sundaresan traces Taj's journey and also introduces us to its architect, its calligrapher and other people involved in giving life to the vision in the Emperor's mind.


I would recommend this book to those who love history and want to know more about the life and times of Shah Jahan. For those who have visited the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort and are fascinated by it, this book is definitely worth your time, as you get many interesting behind the scene insights of those monuments from this book. If you are reading this book for its plot or romance or intrigue, then please don't have high hopes.