History unveils the profound social, religious, economic, political and cultural transition that many nations have undergone since long. They have discarded some traditional practices while adopting others, catering to new circumstances as conglomeration of different cultures, emerging as new cultures. The idea of modernity caused the process of accepting and adopting alien cultures, which has acquired global identity. Through migration, displacement of people, translation of works, study of comparative literary perspectives and through innovation, colonial expansion and form of globalisation, and the world continuously has been shaken and invigorated by cultural exchange. It can be said that these are the consequences of colonial encounters.
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The red was for British India; the yellow for the India of the princes...For more than a hundred years, the red and the yellow had remained exactly as they were. Then the British left, and in no time at all, the red had overrun the yellow and coloured the entire map a uniform orange. The princely states were no more. We were the princes; no one mourned over our passing...I realize that it could not have been otherwise, and yet I cannot rid myself of a purely selfish sense of loss... (Malgonkar, 13) The present novel The Princes illustrates the colonial impact on the Indian rulers who played a dual role as rulers and as devoted subjects to the British as well. They had a pathetic ending when the British had to quit India. Malgonkar besides portraying the customs and traditions of the Indian princes realistically gives details of the impact of westernisation on the princely states. He also combines fact and fiction with historical imagination of the merging of 565 states into the totality of India.
The encounter between the Indian princes and the British has been clearly seen from the first chapter itself. All the native princes imagined that they would be safe until they were in the shadow of the British. The strong confidence and faith in the British for the princes is obvious in the words of the Maharaja
The red was for British India; the yellow for the India of the princes...For more than a hundred years, the red and the yellow had remained exactly as they were. Then the British left, and in no time at all, the red had overrun the yellow and coloured the entire map a uniform orange. The princely states were no more. We were the princes; no one mourned over our passing...I realize that it could not have been otherwise, and yet I cannot rid myself of a purely selfish sense of loss... (Malgonkar, 13) The present novel The Princes illustrates the colonial impact on the Indian rulers who played a dual role as rulers and as devoted subjects to the British as well. They had a pathetic ending when the British had to quit India. Malgonkar besides portraying the customs and traditions of the Indian princes realistically gives details of the impact of westernisation on the princely states. He also combines fact and fiction with historical imagination of the merging of 565 states into the totality of India.
The encounter between the Indian princes and the British has been clearly seen from the first chapter itself. All the native princes imagined that they would be safe until they were in the shadow of the British. The strong confidence and faith in the British for the princes is obvious in the words of the Maharaja