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Queen of Earth

Queen of Earth

Devika Rangachari
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‘I am Prithvimahadevi, the goddess of the earth.’

Prithvimahadevi is the daughter of the powerful Somavamshi king of Kosala. Her life is circumscribed by the rules that govern the existence of women of her royal family. She can only hope that she will marry a king whose power matches that of her ambitious father.

Instead she is married to her father’s enemy, the Bhaumakara ruler, Shubhakaradeva, whose way of life she finds alien and austere, and who worships strange gods. There seems to be no hope for her to fulfil her dreams of becoming a great queen-until suddenly one day, there is . . . But is she willing to play the game of sacrifice and betrayal that this will entail?

The story of this ninth-century queen of Odisha by award-winning historical novelist Devika Rangachari will keep you riveted.

Imprint: Duckbill

Published: Sep/2020

ISBN: 9780143451754

Length : 200 Pages

MRP : ₹299.00

Queen of Earth

Devika Rangachari

‘I am Prithvimahadevi, the goddess of the earth.’

Prithvimahadevi is the daughter of the powerful Somavamshi king of Kosala. Her life is circumscribed by the rules that govern the existence of women of her royal family. She can only hope that she will marry a king whose power matches that of her ambitious father.

Instead she is married to her father’s enemy, the Bhaumakara ruler, Shubhakaradeva, whose way of life she finds alien and austere, and who worships strange gods. There seems to be no hope for her to fulfil her dreams of becoming a great queen-until suddenly one day, there is . . . But is she willing to play the game of sacrifice and betrayal that this will entail?

The story of this ninth-century queen of Odisha by award-winning historical novelist Devika Rangachari will keep you riveted.

Buying Options
Paperback / Hardback

Devika Rangachari

Dr Devika Rangachari is an award-winning Indian writer whose Queen of Ice was on the White Raven list, won the Neev Young Adult Book Award, was shortlisted for the Sahitya Akademi Puraskar, has been optioned for a movie and is part of the Penguin Classics series. Her other books include The Mauryas, Queen of Fire (Parag Honour List 2022); Queen of Earth (Parag Honour List 2021; shortlisted for the Neev, Sahitya Akademi and the JK AutHer Awards); The Train to Tanjore (shortlisted for the Neev Award); 10 Indian Monarchs Whose Amazing Stories You May Not Know; Tales of Love and Adventure; Swami Vivekananda—A Man with a Vision; Harsha Vardhana; The Merry Mischief of Gopal Bhand; The Wit of Tenali Raman and Growing Up (on the IBBY Honour List 2002). She was also the recipient of a prestigious national fellowship awarded by the ministry of culture to research aspects of gender and historical fiction in Indian children’s literature.

Devika also writes narrative non-fiction for adults based on her doctoral and post-doctoral research on gender in Indian history. Her academic works include From Obscurity to Light: Women in Early Medieval Orissa (Seventh to Twelfth Centuries ad) and Invisible Women, Visible Histories: Gender, Society and Polity in North India (Seventh to Twelfth Century AD). She has also published widely in academic journals, participated in national and international academic conferences, and been the recipient of several prestigious academic fellowships.

More By The Author

A queen in an unfamiliar kingdom

Prithvimahadevi’s journey is uphill. Having been married off to her father’s enemy in a peace-making gesture, she finds herself betrayed by those closest to her, and ends up alone in an unknown kingdom, alienated among people who are disdainful towards her. Yet her resolve only strengthens. Read an excerpt for a glimpse into Devika Rangachari’s […]

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