Book review: K. Natwar Singh's 'The Magnificent Maharaja'

The Magnificent MaharajaBy K. Natwar SinghHarperCollinsPages: 317Price: Rs 295It is not easy for an author to be objective in writing the biography of his grandfather-in-law. This is particularly so when the biography is of someone like Bhupinder Singh, the ruler of Patiala for whom the word "colourful" was an inane description, and the biographer is K. Natwar Singh, self-acknowledged upholder of "family values" and admirer of the rich and the powerful, the bold and the beautiful.Thus, even the bizarre Maharaja, a character almost straight out of the fabulous Arabian Nights - fantastic and cruel, extravagant and self-indulgent, a fawning toady vis-a-vis his superior paramount power - becomes a mere two-dimensional cardboard cut-out in the hands of such a biographer.It is necessary to refer to other accounts of The Magnificent Maharaja to recognise the injustice that the author has done to him by "defending him". John Gunther talked of the charges "ranging from lechery to murder" that were made against Bhupinder Singh. Explicit descriptions of the Maharaja's hedonism and debauchery are given by a former employee of the Maharaja, Dewan Jarmani Das. Natwar Singh, of course, describes Jarmani Das as an "ungrateful courtier" and dismisses his book Maharaja as a "medley of quarter truths and malignant fiction". Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins, authors of Freedom at Midnight, write that "it had been the custom of the Maharaja of Patiala to appear once a year before his subjects naked, except for his diamond breastplate, his organ in full and glorious erection. His performance was judged a kind of temporal manifestation of the Shivalinga, the phallic representation of Lord Shiva's organ". Natwar Singh calls this "most debasing" and prefers to focus on "warts and all" of his ancestor by marriage, whom he refers to as MBS.Bhupinder Singh was not a true patriotThe familial biographer-hagiographer is similarly disingenuous on other aspects of the Maharaja's life too. He is described as a "multi-dimensional personality - prince, patriot, philanthropist, polygamist, sportsman, soldier, statesman, lover of music, manuscripts, medals, father of Indian cricket and crafty politician".If this is not hyperbole, one wonders what is. Take the Maharaja's role as a soldier and references to his bravery in warfare. The fact is that although he preened himself in his military uniforms and took great delight in the martial ranks bestowed on him by a gracious sovereign, the nearest MBS got to actual participation in war was when he attended the Imperial War Conference in London where he "made a quintessential Raj speech" in praise of British colonialism.Take the reference to him as a patriot. Natwar Singh does point out that the meaning of nationalism has changed from the time the earlier rulers of Patiala opportunistically allied with Ahmad Shah Abdali and other raiders. But there are many instances of the abject approach adopted by MBS towards the British, including the fact that even in the context of the Jallianwala massacre "MBS gave full support to the Raj. Lt-Governor O'Dwyer acknowledged this in his autobiography". Otherwise, the book is replete with instances of introduction of the irrelevant, outright ignorance and disregard for the rules of grammar and punctuation.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Mar 2, 1998--- ENDS ---

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Book review: K. Natwar Singh's 'The Magnificent Maharaja'

A drooling book which masks many truths in an attempt to canonise a decadent prince.

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