November nonfiction: Six recently published books about triumphs and disagreements in Indian history
A biography of a forgotten queen, voices of dissent in the 21st century, a book of essays on art, and more.
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Bhagmati: Why Hyderabad’s Lost Queen Is The Soul of the City, Moupia Basu
16th-century India. The Golconda Sultanate is under the dominion of the Qutb Shahis, whose reign is marked as much by grandeur and power as it is by political intrigue and cultural resurgence. Set against this backdrop, the remarkable love story of Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah, a legendary poet-king, and Bhagmati, a Hindu devadasi from Chinchlam, unfolds.
The stories say that the moment Quli lays eyes on Bhagmati dancing at the Nagamalleswara temple, he becomes utterly captivated by her beauty. He even braves the treacherous flooding Musi river just to be by her side. In defiance of the prevailing societal norms, their love blossoms into a connection so profound that it ignites the conception of a new city, one we know today as Hyderabad.
From the construction of the iconic Purana Pul bridge to the founding of Bhagnagar in Bhagmati’s honour, the story of Bhagmati and Mohammed Quli is one of the enduring power of love. The result of deep research as well as Moupia Basu’s passion for both Hyderabad and poetry, this book pays homage to not only the woman who continues to be the subject of endless debates, but also to the love...
