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Sophia
Sophia: Princess, Suffragette, Revolutionary | Anita Anand
16 posts | 7 read | 28 to read
In 1876 Sophia Duleep Singh was born into royalty. Her father, Maharajah Duleep Singh, was heir to the Kingdom of the Sikhs, a realm that stretched from the lush Kashmir Valley to the craggy foothills of the Khyber Pass and included the mighty cities of Lahore and Peshawar. It was a territory irresistible to the British, who plundered everything, including the fabled Koh-I-Noor diamond. Exiled to England, the dispossessed Maharajah transformed his estate at Elveden in Suffolk into a Moghul palace, its grounds stocked with leopards, monkeys and exotic birds. Sophia, god-daughter of Queen Victoria, was raised a genteel aristocratic Englishwoman: presented at court, afforded grace-and-favour lodgings at Hampton Court Palace and photographed wearing the latest fashions for the society pages. But when, in secret defiance of the British government, she travelled to India, she returned a revolutionary. Sophia transcended her heritage to devote herself to battling injustice and inequality,a far cry from the life to which she was born. Her causes were the struggle for Indian independence, the fate of the Lascars, the welfare of Indian soldiers in the First World War and, above all, the fight for female suffrage. She was bold and fearless, attacking politicians, putting herself in the front line and swapping her silks for a nurse's uniform to tend wounded soldiers evacuated from the battlefields. Meticulously researched and passionately written, this enthralling story of the rise of women and the fall of empire introduces an extraordinary individual and her part in the defining moments of recent British and Indian history.
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review
Niso
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Pickpick

Excellent and extensively researched biography of Sophia Duleep Singh, the “Victorian” princess of Punjab
Read this book if you‘re
- interested in colonialism & British colonisation of India
- can‘t get enough of the reclaimed histories of interesting women, especially the hidden history of the role of women of colour in suffrage and politics in the west
- curious about the life & times of Queen Victoria

#nonfiction #favourites #history #bookly

Lauraandherbooks Sounds very interesting; I like these kind of books 📚 5y
andrew61 It is a book im keen to read having heard her in a couple of podcasts discussing the story behind the book. 5y
49 likes4 stack adds2 comments
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Niso
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Weekend reads
This book is a bio of Sophia Duleep Singh, daughter of Maharajah Duleep Singh; heir to the Kingdom of the Sikhs, and god-daughter of Queen Victoria. Sophia was raised as an aristocratic Englishwoman, but after a secret trip to India, she returned a revolutionary, devoting herself to causes such as the struggle for Indian independence and the fight for female suffrage. #indianhistory #historicalnonfiction #brilliantwomen

Freespirit This sounds really interesting! 5y
Niso It is very interesting. I‘ll post a review once I finish the book. 5y
Weaponxgirl I‘ve been meaning to read this in forever! 5y
Niso @Weaponxgirl it is soooooo good. Part of the British-Indian history very few people are aware of. 5y
24 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Birdsong28
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Itchyfeetreader Oh this one looks interesting 5y
rockpools Just saw this - and it‘s still on offer. Been on my tbr for ages - thank you 😊 5y
31 likes3 comments
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Weaponxgirl
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I've never understood the concept of summer reading. Is it about beach reads, reading more or books that are meant to teach you something whilst out of the education year? So I decided to post a book about an amazing sounding women as I love learning some history through biographies. How amazing does she sound?
#diversespines @spinesvines @Andrew65 @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

CouronneDhiver Stacked! 6y
Weaponxgirl @CouronneDhiver yay, enjoy 😀 6y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks ❤️❤️❤️ 6y
See All 11 Comments
Andrew65 I know, I feel the same about Summer Reading. I don‘t particularly go for any different books then, but as I have more time away from work I do read some bigger books. Second one from you today I have stacked! We are not good for each other‘s TBR! 😂😂😂 6y
2BR02B I've always been confused about what constitutes a "beach read." Thrillers, romance, chick lit... everyone seems to define it differently. And what's the equivalent if you don't live near the beach, or particularly enjoy beaches? ? 6y
Weaponxgirl @Andrew65 we are terrible enablers of each other's tbr 😉 6y
Weaponxgirl @Andrew65 if anything since I work in a respite home for children I work more! And I don't change what I'm reading either in summer unless it's taking part in something like women in translation month in August. 6y
Weaponxgirl @2BR02B I know! Why is what I'll read on a beach be any different from what else I read? I like beaches but tbh not my favourite place to read as I burn really easily. I'm either playing in the sea or looking for rock pools and fossils 6y
Andrew65 @Weaponxgirl @2BR02B I loved reading overlooking the sea, usually in our motor home or car, but not a great one for reading on beaches and certainly not what I would call ‘summer‘ books. (edited) 6y
Weaponxgirl @Andrew65 that sounds more relaxing to me. A nice cafe overlooking the sea or pub is perfection for reading also. 6y
Slajaunie Beach reading but my usual books. 6y
55 likes6 stack adds11 comments
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rockpools
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...and while we're on the subject, has anyone read this? Anita Anand is all over the Beeb this week, talking about this book.

Dispossessed Princess Sophia Duleep Singh was god-daughter to Queen Victoria, & joined the suffragette movement. One of her sisters went to the US to train to be a doctor before it was possible in the uk, but the course was pulled because women=too hysterical. Mixed reviews for the writing but the story sounds fascinating.

DivineDiana It does sound very interesting! 6y
51 likes2 stack adds1 comment
review
leslieisreading
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Pickpick

Granddaughter of a powerful Sikh maharajah, and goddaughter of Queen Victoria, Sophia grew up completely anglicized after the British stole her father's kingdom. She was an important but largely forgotten figure in the suffragette movement. I don't read many biographies, and it took me awhile to get through this one, but once I got into it I found it fascinating, especially the later part of her life, the suffragette years through to her death.

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leslieisreading
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The British suffragettes boycotted the 1911 census. "As women do not count, they refuse to be counted."

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leslieisreading
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I am not usually a reader of biographies but every so often I get it into my head to seek out a book about an awesome lady in history. Reading it a chapter here and a chapter there isn't getting me very far (and reading right before bed doesn't help) - I'm on my third renewal and this time I actually need to finish before it's due. Tonight's chapter is all about British suffragettes and their violent struggles, and I'm fairly fascinated.

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LDavisMunro
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bandigiu
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I think this was my favourite read from August. Unexpected, since I'm not usually the biography type, but it touches on so many interest subjects: suffragette history, British colonialism, the history of India and more.

#somethingforsept #septphotochallenge

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LDavisMunro
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New book started! I don't usually go for biographies but I am already hooked!

MrBook A book up your alley, @BookBabe 😊👍🏻. 8y
BookBabe 😊 8y
LDavisMunro @MrBook You know it! 8y
LDavisMunro @BookBabe that's my face every time I read it! 8y
12 likes4 comments
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bandigiu
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Pickpick

Excellent.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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prowlix
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Pickpick

#TBT - a biography of a woman who was a princess, an advocate for India's rights and independence, a suffragette, and Red Cross volunteer during WWI. This woman is a badass! And the author does a phenomenal job making this story hard to put down!

shawnmooney Sounds so incredibly interesting! 8y
prowlix @shawnmooney Stuff you missed in history podcast also did a two parter on her too! If for some reason you want a brief intro on her before reading the biography 8y
26 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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emarie359
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I cannot wait to dive into this suffragette's biography. She sounds like a fascinating woman. Sorry, Hamilton, you're on the back burner for now.

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FashionableObserver
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I'm so excited to finally read Sophia...! (I'm also pretty pumped to post on Litsy)

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