Destined To Be Yours

Author's Note

THIS NOVEL IS NOT INTENDED TO HURT THE SENTIMENTS OF ANY CASTE, CREED, RELIGION, RACE, NATIONALITY, GENDER, ETHINICITY ETC.

Since the story is focused around the theme of colonialism, there are bound to be instances which may be triggering.
Especially for people belonging to countries which had faced colonisation.

IT CONTAINS THEMES OF MENATL, EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL VIOLENCE, PREJUDICES, PERSECUTION ETC.
READER'S DESCRETION ADVISED.

This novel is based around the First War of Independence, or the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The entire storyline is going to span around the two decades of 1840-60.

I am in no form whatsoever, intending to malign any country or nationality. In other words, the present generation should not be expected to carry the burden of the sins committed by their forefathers.

Back to the novel-

Since this story takes place in Bhaddaiyan Raj, a former princely state of the Oudh province (presently in Uttar Pradesh), there might be many customs that are specific to that area.
Each region of the Indian subcontinent has its own unique features (with regard to customs, language, people, religion etc.) Hence, it is not uncommon to find some of the instances of the book unrelatable, for even the Indian readers.

I will try to give the relevant information in each chapter.

For the starters, here are a few points to note-

1) The dialogues will all be written in English, except for a few local slangs and words (which will be explained in the chapter itself). However, those dialogues which are supposed in Hindi (the language of the Province) or Urdu, will be in italics for better understanding and distinguishing.

2) The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major, but ultimately unsuccessful, uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown.
It ended up with brutal violence on both sides, resulting in the death of hundreds of officers, civilians (including women and children), rebels and their supporters etc.

3) The sepoys were Indian soldiers who were recruited into the Company's army. Since the rebellion was started by them, it was also called as Sepoy mutiny (mainly by Mangal Pandey of the 34th Bengal Native Infantry (BNI) regiment and the Meerut regiment.)

4) After the war, the power was fully shifted to the British Crown. Queen Victoria, who was the queen of England from 1837 till 1876, adopted the title of the 'Empress of India' on 1861.

5) Although the British East India Company had established a presence in India as far back as 1612, and earlier administered the factory areas established for trading purposes, its victory in the Battle of Plassey in 1757 marked the beginning of its firm foothold in eastern India.

6) The United Provinces, comprising much of the Indo-Gangetic plains, was not established until 3rd January, 1921. From 1857 to 1902, it existed as 2 separate provinces- the North-Western Provinces and the Oudh State.

7) The Oudh state/ Awadh sate was a princely state under Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, until its annexation by the British in 1856 by Lord Dalhousie, under Doctrine of Lapse.

8) The women of all strata of the society, played a very important role in this rebellion. The slaves, courtesans and royals- all women gave their contribution to this, not fearing for their lives.
Some of the most celebrated women freedom fighters of the Indian subcontinent were from this period (including Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, Begum Hazrat Mahel (wife of Wajid Ali Shah), Uda Devi, Azizun Bai (a courtesan from Kanpur) etc. It showed an exceptional unity amongst all religions. According to the records, all these women, with the exception of one Asghari Begum, were in their 20s. They were hanged and, in some cases, burnt alive.

9) There were women from the depressed classes (called dalit veeranganas by scholars), there were numerous bhatiyarins, or innkeepers, in whose inns plots were hatched by the rebels, aided by performers and courtesans who passed on news and information and even financed them.

10) 19th century India was very backward, with the caste system taking ugly forms. Untouchability and Sati system were still in practice, and the illiteracy was very high. Education was denied to women, and veil (purdah) system was in vogue. Child marriage was in practice.

The rest of the details will be given as and when required in the chapters.

# Now, I will be presenting to you an overview of Bhaddaiyan Raj-

1) It was a small princely state located in the present Sultanpur district of Uttar Pradesh. It lied near the Oudh region; and had an area of 3921 sq.km.

2) It was established by Rao Takshah Singh Rajkunwar, a direct descendant of Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan, on the banks of the river Gomti in Sultanpur district (which later became the Fiazabad province of Oudh state)

3) Dynasty- Chauhan; Clan- Rajkunwar.

4) It was during the revolt of 1857, that the state faced tough times by the East India Company because of supporting the native forces.
The ruler at the time, Agniraj Maharaj Bariar Singh Rajkunwar, fought the battle of Ughadpur near Sultanpur and received martyrdom.

6) The state faced much greater loss than territorial ones. The then crown prince was taken away from state for 5 years, the title of the head of Rajkunwars was snatched by the British and given to raja of Deara, who helped them against natives. The fort was also dismantled and all palaces seized.

7) The present king resides in Lucknow, though he still manages the palace in Sultanpur.

Please note that the story will be more focussed on the emotional aspect of the character’s lives rather than historical facts.
So, do not fear for it to be a mere history fest!

That is all for now.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments or by DM.

Till the next time 👋