In The City of Gold and Silver

By Kenizé Mourad

Here is the long-forgotten story of Begum Hazrat Mahal, queen of Awadh and the soul of the Indian revolt against the British, brought to vivid life by a writer whose own story reads like a novel.

Begum was an orphan and a poetess who captured the attentions of King Waiid Ali Shah of Awadh and became his fourth wife. As his wife, she incited and led a popular uprising that would eventually prove to be the first step toward Indian independence. Begum was the very incarnation of resistance: as chief of the army and the government in Lucknow, she fought battles on the field for two years; she was a freedom fighter, a misunderstood mother, and an illicit lover. A remarkable woman who risked everything only to face the greatest betrayal of all.

Begum is a fitting subject for Kenizé Mourad, whose mother was a Turkish princess and father an Indian Raj. When Mourad’s mother moved to Paris in the company of a eunuch and died shortly after, the eunuch entrusted the child to the care of Catholic nuns. The nuns hid Mourad from her father, not wanting the child to be raised Muslim. Mourad only discovered her true identity and her parents’ tragic fate in her twenties. Her story is the subject of an autobiographical novel, Regards from the Dead Princess, to be published by Europa in 2015.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Europa Editions
• Release date: Nov 4, 2014
• ISBN: 9781609452421

Kenizé Mourad

For almost fifteen years, Kenize´ Mourad was a reporter and war correspondent, working, most notably, at Le Nouvel Observateur. Her autobiographical novel, Regards from the Dead Princess, has sold over a million copies worldwide and has been translated into over thirty languages. In the City of Gold and Silver is her second novel.

Reviews for In The City of Gold and Silver

[rajivc_18 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is an excellent book. It is a romanticized story of Begum Hazrat Mahal of Lucknow, who was married to Wajid Ali Shah, "The Last King Of India". Unlike him, who was a foppish character, the Begum was an extremely admirable character. It is a pity that not too many people remember her.The Begum was one of the key players in the Indian Mutiny of 1857, not that too many of the British historians who have covered the events of the times mention her adequately.The book traces her history from that of a young child to her imprisonment in Nepal. The character development is masterful, and the book has a steady pace. This is an extremely good tribute to an extraordinary woman, one who gave up her life and her riches for her ideals, but never compromised on her ideals. A highly recommended book.

[dream24-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received a free copy through Goodreads.
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I love reading historical fictions, especially when it involves royals.

I knew India was culturally rich and full of long standing history, but I never know how culturally rich until a glimpse into the lives of Hazrat Mahal and those around her during that time period.

Hazrat Mahal is such a strong woman, just like so many others in history. Naturally history is written by the victors, so to have history told through a strong contender but was unsuccessfully able to change history is certainly fascinating. Hazrat Mahal is certainly admirable, to have risen up to so high and at such a young age and not to let power corrupt her. Her determination knows no bounds and inspired loyalty.

Like I said, history is written by the victors. In this novel, we had a glimpse of the horrors and atrocities that the Indians were going through under the rule of the British. Naturally I would have liked some more details and character development of some of the famous and infamous generals and countless other people involved in the mutiny to liberate India from itself or the foreigners (British), but it's fine since the man focus was Hazrat Mahal.

After finishing this book, I eagerly looked up more information about Hazrat Mahal, in the hopes of learning more about this fascinating woman, who played a role in changing and shaping India during that time period.