The Lost World of Rani Jindan: Rewriting Women’s History in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s the Last Queen

Abstract

The paper aims to look at the politics of representation and the importance of historical fiction in renegotiating women’s position in history by focusing on the representation of Rani Jindan Kaur in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Last Queen (2021). The book is written from Rani Jindan Kaur’s perspective who was the last wife of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the last regent queen of the Sikh Empire to reclaim her lost identity. This analysis begins with a brief description of Sikh empire and its glorious past with a special focus on a woman who equally contributed and shaped it. It then traces how historians have always been partial towards women for not giving them enough space in the annals of history. This underrepresentation was the systematic erasure as not only were they punished for stepping outside the limited roles offered to them but if they achieve great things they were often ignored or forced to submit to the prevailing gender norms of their times. It then focuses on how Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni has used the erasure of women representation in history as a winning chance to rewrite the lost world of Rani Jindan that is not much talked about in historical documents. It further points out how this systemic bias has perpetuated a skewed historical narrative that failed to recognize the full extent of women's contributions and resilience throughout history.