Sophia: Princess, Suffragette, Revolutionary by Anand Anita

Author:Anand, Anita [Anand, Anita]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2015-01-12T22:00:00+00:00

Leaving the seething political landscape of Lahore behind them for a while, the princesses set out once again to visit their grandfather’s dominion. Very soon it became clear that their new nationalist friendships had earned them even more unwelcome attention. Sophia had first noticed they were being followed when she and Bamba were waiting for a train. Two English officers tailed them closely and conspicuously: ‘It was the greatest cheek imaginable – followed us right up and sat beside us on the platform. How they dared!!’16 Despite the uninvited entourage, the sisters carried on with their plans. One of their first stops was the princely state of Kapurthala, home of Rajah Harnam Singh, the man they no longer trusted.

His nephew, Maharajah Jagatjit Singh, welcomed them to Kapurthala. A portly man of thirty-five, he greeted them with the latest of his four wives, Maharani Kanari, and invited them to a banquet he was throwing in their honour. Despite his hospitality, during the meal Sophia found that she was growing to dislike Jagatjit Singh intensely. Chiefly, it was his politics that offended her: ‘This Raja is very over privileged and loves Europe, especially France. He does not seem to care much for his own country or people!!!’17 Sophia’s opinion of the Maharajah fell further when she learned of his infidelity. ‘He has an English woman,’18 she noted tersely in her diary.

Sophia was right about the affair, but wrong about the mistress’s nationality. A Spanish flamenco dancer named Anita Delgado had won the Maharajah’s heart and would be the next Maharani of Kapurthala. The Maharajah was hastening the construction of a new palace for her. Designed by a French architect, the magnificent and highly ornate structure would bring a piece of Paris to the Punjab. Sophia found the style and lascivious inspiration behind the building entirely distasteful. Hoping for the worst, she wondered ‘whether it will resist an earthquake or not it will be interesting to know’.19 Anita Delgado would rock the foundations of Jagatjit’s world, and cheat on him enthusiastically throughout their marriage.20

Sophia was keen to leave the kingdom of Kapurthala far behind her; her low opinion of the Maharajah had made it a stressful excursion. On arrival in the city of Jalandhar, the sisters were invited to a garden party by one of the most important British officials in the city. It was the kind of social occasion Sophia had formerly loved, with music, genteel company and the chance to show off her latest dress; however, the event clashed with a nationalist meeting at which Lajpat Rai was slated to appear, and Sophia was desperate to hear him again. Bamba took so long to get ready that they missed their chance, leaving them free to attend the garden party after all.21 Sophia hated every minute of it: ‘We were the only Indians in the place . . . there were the usual English people, we were taken in and sat down inside and some of the English were brought up and introduced to us.

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