Nandini Sengupta is a Pondicherry-based journalist and an author of historical fiction and narrative history. After a chance visit to Ajanta Ellora caves, she became fascinated with India's past in general and ancient and early medieval India in particular. For the next ten years, she read history for fun and when she began to write, it was history she turned to for material. Her book credits include the bestselling
The Blue Horse And Other Amazing Animals from Indian History (Hachette, 2020), the Gupta Empire Trilogy-
The King Within ,
The Poisoned Heart and
The Ocean's Own (HarperCollins India, 2017, 2019 and 2021 respectively) and
The Story of Kalidas: The Gem Among Poets (Eicher Goodearth Publications, 2019).
Rani Durgawati is her first narrative non-fiction biography.
Gond Rani Veerangana Durgawati, queen of the tribal kingdom of Garha Mandla, ruled more than 450 years ago and died fighting for her dharma. A survivor who was not afraid to stand up for her rights, she was a warrior smart enough to use terrain to counter much larger manpower and artillery strength, a devoted mother and a model monarch who looked after her people till her last breath-the fact that she lived in blood-soaked medieval India, makes her story even more remarkable.
The feisty and formidable Rani Durgawati lives on in the folk tales and songs of her people. These songs and tales have now been used by Nandini Sengupta to create a meticulously researched and accessibly written biography of a forgotten female hero and one of India's most underrated monarchs.
