"Maharanis" by Lucy Moore is a must read for all those who want a peek into the lavish and extravagant lives of Indian
princesses
of the late nineteenth and the early twentieth century and also the social and personal problems faced by them at the time.
The book focusses on the real life incidents of four most powerful
princesses of pre-independence India; Maharani Sunity Devi of Cooch Behar, Maharani Chimnabai of Baroda, Maharani Indira Devi of Cooch Behar and Maharani Gayatri (Ayesha) Devi of Jaipur.
It tells the story of how these four great women, inspite of the social mal-practices of purdah,sati and polygamy, emerged winners in their own fields and made achievments and improvements in their as well as the life of their subjects. They emerged winners in their own right, overcoming thier personal grieviences and working for the betterment of their fellow women, thier children,abolishing purdah,sati; even if they had to bear the brunt of their spouses anger at many times. Even if these women were tradational in the way they dressed, but they were very moders in their outlook, some of them even smoked and drank in public, married the men they loved, even if it meant to go against their parents wishes.
They clearly demarcated the beginning of growth of indivisualty and confidence in the Indian woman, which was an unknown thing those days.