Farzana
Subtitle: The Woman Who Saved an Empire
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Published: 2014
Language: eng
Number of pages: 338
ISBN-13: 9781784530556
Subjects: India, kings and rulers; India, politics and government; India, history, 18th century; India, history, 19th century
Description: Amongst the riches of 19th century India, as the British fought their way across Mughal territory, an orphaned street-girl is brought to court to perform for the Emperor. That girl was Farzana, and she would become a courtesan, a leader of armies, a treasured defender of the last Mughal emperor and the head of one of the most legendary courts in history. In this beautifully written book, the author's last, Julia Keay weaves a story which spans the Indian continent and the end of a golden era in Indian history, the story of a nobody who became a teenage seductress and died one of the richest and most prominent woman of her age. Farzana rode into battle atop a stallion, though only 4 1/2 feet tall, and led an army which defended a sickly Mughal empire. She dabbled in witchcraft while gaining favour with the Pope, and died a favourite of the British Raj.