The Culture of any nation is shaped by legacies it inherits. That is why recording and reading of history is so critical. People tend to live in the present, plan or worry about the future, but forget the examples and lessons of the past. That is why this novel, Lost Dynasty is a vital contribution to the cultural assets of our country. The novel comprises 13 chapters – stories of Maharanas (Rajput Kings) and their valiant queens. It is a saga of courage, conviction, loyalty, dignity, suffering and sacrifice.
In her introductory note, Dr. Singh makes a point through the characters she presents. The capacity for both love and hate, courage and cruelty, salvation and savagery has influenced the collective and individual mindsets across the generations. She argues, whether it is war-torn medieval period or the contemporary Indian society, the ultimate battlefield is what we experience within ourselves. That self-struggle has always been there, yesterday, it exists today, and it will remain so tomorrow.
A reading of the novel in the present context vindicates the spiritual thinking and cultural practices across the world. What the Maharanas experienced and exuded were reflection of the spiritual prescriptions about human lives – the battle between sin and salvation, insaan and shaitan (human and the devil), dharma and adharma (right conduct and evil-doing). Maharanas played this inner battle heroically by staying till their last breath with Raj dharma, Swadharma of loyalty, dignity and freedom. This is a call to our present generation of leadership, public actors and citizens to uphold our respective dharma, that is enshrined in our Constitution and evidenced in our history like in the Lost Dynasty, Freedom Struggle and subsequent social movements.
Leading the comments published in the book, Farooq Wani, Editor, Brighter Kashmir says, “The Lost Dynasty of Chittor depicts uncommon human qualities, typical of Rajput Kings and their kins. The sense of pride, dignity, loyalty and commitment etc. are rare in the current culture of convenience and compromise”. Mr. Wani adds, “Dr. Santosh Singh’s novel reminds us of strong and uncompromising characters who lived and ruled in India. More important, it also points to the possibility of living with pride and honour”.
Dr. Santosh Singh, a student of History and Sociology, and an author, focused her writings on women and their empowerment. Having written several academic books and articles, she delved into the realm of literature portraying historical characters. Some of her interesting books include Violence against Rural Women, Combatant Women, Passion for Flames. She has also contributed a longish chapter, “Women and Civil Society, in Indian women’s journey: The Last Five Decades.
In this novel, Dr. Singh engages in a passionatic exercise of presenting stories of bravery, struggles and sacrifices of royals. Most of them were strong characters whose qualities are worthy of emulation by the people of the present generation and the future. Dr. Singh says, “they chose death over displace, embracing rare courage, conviction and kinship pride”. Each of the chapters in the book is hair-raising as well as heart-wrenching. It is strongly recommended for those interested in cultivating character, leadership and patriotism in contemporary times.