The Far Pavilions – the ultimate romance
If you have the time and the inclination for a saga of war and romance, then The Far Pavilions is the book for you. If you are an Indophile, all the better; for The far Pavilions is set against the backdrop of the 1857 Mutiny (alternatively called the First War of Independence by the Indians ) of the Indian soldiers against the army of the East India Company. The agitation deepened the mistrust and the divide between the colonizers and the colonized.
The
novel unabashedly takes sides. Although written by British born M.M. Kaye, it looks at the political scenario and
human relations through eyes of a very fair-minded, quintessentially Indian Brit, Ashton Pelham-Martyn. Born to British parents, raised by an Indian ayah,
sent back to his estranged and alien homeland at the age of twelve subsequent to the death of the ayah and then returning again to India as an officer in the British army, it traces Ashton’s development as a human, at the same time painting a lucid picture of political turmoil in India and Afghanistan, as also the social relationship, or lack of it, between ruler and the ruled.
Ashton’s sensibilities are very Indian, which is why he has staunch bearers who serve him till they die, which is also why he is sent on missions where close liaison is required with the Indian ruling princes. This is where he meets his childhood friend, a ‘half-caste princess’, falls in love with her and eventually rescues her from a cruel fate. He is also sent on dangerous espionage missions, where his inputs prove invaluable and ignoring his warning proves fatal for his best friend.
An absorbing story and a skilful plot are truly brought alive by vivid descriptions of colourful India and Indians. The
reader find himself transported to an earlier era, interacting with the characters as if they were real flesh and blood. There is also a tacit suggestion that history is not an unbiased record of facts, but that it is necessarily biased. Also implicit in the novel is the typical colonial fatalism – the events in the lives of the characters seem almost totally beyond their control. The Far Pavilions is essentially a book written by an Indian mind conveying an Indian perspective – but it has undeniable universal appeal because human passions and foibles remain the same the world over.
After having lived a lifetime of completely polar experiences in his twenty-five odd years, Ashton finally reaches a crossroad. In spite of his obvious merits, his marriage to an Indian princess forces him to decide between his career and his wife. He chooses the latter, opts out of active service and looks ahead to life with Juli, his wife. Just as the reader hopes for a glimpse of Ashton and Juli’s matrimonial bliss, the novel ends, leaving the reader in a state of expectation and definitely wanting more. Unforgettable and unputdownable, The Far Pavilions succeeds in finding a permanent place in the minds of its readers. One can visit and revisit it just like one would a good friend.
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