The Princess and the Political Agent || Binodini Devi, L. Somi Roy

In 1979, Binodini won the Sahitya Akademi Award for her groundbreaking feminist novel Boro Saheb Ongbi Sanatombi, a work of historical fiction based on the life of her rebellious aunt, Princess Sanatombi of Manipur. Now translated into English by Binodini’s son L. Somi Roy, this is the love story of Sanatombi and Lt Col. Henry St
P. Maxwell, the British representative in the Tibeto-Burman kingdom of Manipur.
A poignant tale of love and fealty, treachery and valour, it is set in the midst of the imperialist intrigues of the Raj, the glory of kings, warring princes, clever queens and loyal retainers. Reviving front-page global headlines of the Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891, Binodini’s perspective sparkles with wit, empathy and beauty, vividly bringing to life the court and manners of a little-known kingdom. In doing so, she recovers its extraordinary history and a forgotten chapter of the British Raj.