000			02723nam a22002177a 4500
008			160323b xxu||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d
020			_a9789351776420
082			_223 _a920.05483 _bMAN/I
084			_aV212 _2CC
100			_aManu S. Pillai
245			_aIvory throne : _bchronicles of the house of Travancore / _cManu S. Pillai.
260			_aNoida : _bHarperCollins, _c2015.
500			_aIncludes bibliographical references (pages 557-662) and index.
505			_aA painter prince -- The queen of the Kupakas -- Three consorts -- The second favourite -- Her highness the Maharajah -- A Christian minister -- Malice domestique -- Tea and troubles -- The Boudoir Dewan -- Black magic -- In letters of gold -- Mother and son -- La revanche -- A real little grande dame -- A palace coup -- The ultimate eclipse -- The villain of the piece -- Rivers of blood -- The reluctant princess -- Once I had a kingdom.
520			_aIn 1498, when Vasco da Gama set foot in Kerala looking for Christians and spices, he unleashed a wave of political fury that would topple local powers like a house of cards. The cosmopolitan fabric of a vibrant trading society with its Jewish and Arab merchants, Chinese pirate heroes and masterful Hindu Zamorins was ripped apart, heralding an age of violence and bloodshed. One prince, however, emerged triumphant from this descent into chaos. Shrewdly marrying Western arms to Eastern strategy, Martanda Varma consecrated the dominion of Travancore, destined to become one of the most dutiful pillars of the British Raj. What followed was two centuries of internecine conflict in one of India's premier princely states, culminating in a dynastic feud between two sisters battling to steer the fortunes of their house on the eve of Independence. Manu S. Pillai's retelling of this sprawling saga focuses on the remarkable life and work of Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, the last, and forgotten, queen of the House of Travancore. The supporting cast includes the flamboyant painter Raja Ravi Varma and his wrathful wife, scheming matriarchs of violent, profligate and sordid character, wifeswapping court favourites, vigilant English agents, quarrelling consorts and lustful kings. Extensively researched and vividly rendered, The Ivory Throne conjures up a dramatic world of political intrigues and factions, black magic and conspiracies, crafty ceremonies and splendorous temple treasures, all harnessed in a tragic contest for power and authority in the age of empire."
653			_aTravancore (India) - Kings and Rulers
653			_aTravancore (India) - History
653			_aSetu Lakshmi Bai - Maharani of Travancore, 1895 - 1985
942			_cBK
999			_c81 _d81