Book Reviewed: Maharani by Diwan Jarmani Dass

The extravaganza of Indian Royalty during the British Raj

Diwan Jarmani Dass was a minister in the state of Karputhala and Patiala and travaelled widely in India and Europe. He played into the hands of the British Empire who used Indian intellectuals in the administration of the British Colony. In exchange he had numerous opportunities to travel to Europe, and be close with British aristocracy and have numerous European friends. It worked both ways for the British and also individuals like Jarmani Dass. He got to enjoy the riches in the company of very adorable females in the Western World. At the same time he was also the witness to the opulent and sensual life styles of the members of Indian royal families. Their lives were morally and spiritually corrupt, and they demonstrated it very well.

There are 48 chapters, some as short as two pages. The narratives does not go into much detail, and in some cases doesn’t mention the names of the Maharaja and Maharani involved in scandalous affairs. Several chapters are devoted to the royal families of European countries, which is not directly relevant to the scope of the book.

On the positive note, there are some rare black and white pictures; photograph of H.H. Jagatjit Singh and H.H. Maharaja of Mysore and his cricket team; H.H. Jagatjit Singh in Hollywood; Rani Germaine Pellegrino; Rani Parvathi Devi; Maharani Sita Devi; Rani Kanari of Kangra; and Maharani Anita Delgado with Jarmani Dass.

This book is a disorganized collection of essays (chapters) that flow aimlessly from chapter to chapter without connecting to each other. The writing is not focused and each chapter reads like a column written for a newspaper. I wished the editor had reviewed this work before it went to the press. For readers interested in the extraordinary tales of Indian Maharani and Maharajas, I would recommend Lucy Moore’s “Maharanis,” and Coralie Younger’s “Wicked Women of the Raj.” The latter book is largely focused on Western women married into the Indian Royalty; the former book focuses on the incredible tale of four Indian Maharanis.