Here is a review of a book written by a dear friend and guide, Rakesh Kaul.  Rakesh has spent a lot of effort in researching for this book.  For that alone, he should be commended and read.  Recent India does not have a rich tradition of historical fiction.  Every now and then we see something like Sea of Poppies, but even that only went to the British time.  We do examine the recent past, mostly after the British time, but even that is fairly limited.  Compared to the books written on American Revolutionary War and details of the personalities involved like Washington, Ben Franklin, Jefferson, we know very little of Siraj-ud-Daulah or Mir Jafar (almost the same time period) or the Mughal or Maratha rulers.  And periods before the Mughal are almost mythological.  There is little history written or studied.  It is only through revisiting our history we can understand who we are as people.  Our deep seated beliefs and rituals need interpretation and a look with fresh eyes with every generation.

The book is set in fourteenth century Kashmir and is a story of Kota Rani, a queen who ruled over Kashmir and dealt with the first incursion of Muslim people from Central Asia.  Rakesh weaves a detailed tapestry, rich in details of education system, food, dress, music, instruments, trees, and even smells and sounds of Kashmir.

Kota was the daughter of the general in the Kashmir court.  Through a turn of events, she finds herself as the most eligible person to lead the country and she takes the challenge, even though she has to marry the person who killed her father.  She shows tremendous clarity of purpose throughout her life.  Making choice after choice which must not have been easy, but was in line with her dharma to lead her people.

The examination of Kota in the first chapter by her teachers is an interesting read.  I wonder if our education system prepares us for anything like this.  The questions like–how much wealth should a person have, or why is sex so satisfying? Our current education system has become to focused on developing skills–the how of life, we have given up teaching the why.

The essence of the story is the struggle between emergent Islam and the Hindu/Kashmiri way of life.  There is constant threat of invasion from across the mountain passes.  Islam is beckoning the lower class people who have felt oppressed in the society.  It is melting pot of thoughts, motivations and ambitions.  Kota does her best to sustain the kingdom through several wars, revolts and treacherous acts.  I won’t spoil the story by revealing the end, but it is fitting for a life lived with purpose and clarity of ones dharma.