Podcast Summary:

New Books Network — Abhimanyu Kumar & Aletta André on The House of Awadh: A Hidden Tragedy

Host: Nicholas Gordon
Date: October 23, 2025
Guests: Aletta André & Abhimanyu Kumar
Book: The House of Awadh: A Hidden Tragedy (HarperCollins India, 2025)

Overview

This episode delves into the enigmatic life of Begum Wilayat Mahal, a woman who claimed descent from the kings of Awadh and spent a decade living in public view at New Delhi railway station before retreating to a decaying hunting lodge. The co-authors, Aletta André and Abhimanyu Kumar, discuss not only the factuality behind Wilayat’s claims but also the deeper social, political, and personal histories that her story reveals—touching on postcolonial identity, Partition, and changing narratives in Indian politics and media.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Popular Portrayals of Begum Wilayat Mahal

• Indian press initially reported Wilayat’s claims factually, while international coverage was more romantic and sympathetic, focusing on the loss of royal privilege and old-world charm.
• Over time, coverage shifted, becoming more skeptical and portraying her as eccentric or an outsider.
• This aligned with changing political climates in India, especially with the rise of Hindu nationalism.
• Quote:
  • “The Indian and international press became more aligned... An eccentric person to look at from outside, someone who's not part of society.”
    — Aletta Andre [03:21]
• Notable Event: In 2015, Wilayat's family faced harassment from right-wing media and police, portrayed as "suspicious" and increasingly scrutinized for their Muslim identity.
  • “Their being Muslim became more important I think later on.”
    — Abhimanyu Kumar [05:56]

2. Motivations and Approach Behind the Book

• Both authors sensed deeper issues underlying Wilayat’s story—her resistance contrasted with broader narratives of Indian democracy and postcolonial struggles.
• The investigation sought to look past binaries of true/false, focusing instead on her experience of marginalization and identity.
• Quote:
  • “Her life was a critique of how there are gaps in the narratives of liberal democracy or post colonialism.”
    — Abhimanyu Kumar [06:32]

3. Wilayat Mahal’s Claims to Royalty and Government Reactions

• Claimed descent from King Wajid Ali Shah and Hazrat Mahal (“the Rebel Queen”), though these claims are not supported by traditional family records.
• Following Partition and the abolition of royal privileges, her claims were met with skepticism and bureaucratic indifference, though some local authorities in Lucknow showed sympathy.
• Historical Context:
  • The House of Awadh’s annexation by the British in 1856 led to the decline of its royal family—a history still viewed with suspicion and negative stereotypes in contemporary India.
  • “Even until today when you hear politicians of the ruling party, BJP... they speak about the Nawabs in a very negative sense.”
    — Aletta Andre [13:45]

4. Life at the New Delhi Railway Station

• Wilayat, her children, and servants squatted in the first-class waiting room for a decade, attracting attention from media, writers, and even politicians like Indira Gandhi.
• The railway station was both a refuge and a space of harassment, shaping their psychological and physical lives.
• Quote:
  • “They were not left with any options. So coming to the railway station was not really much of a choice, but a lack of choice...”
    — Abhimanyu Kumar [16:59]

5. Malcha Mahal: Retreat and Isolation

• Eventually, the family was granted residence at Malcha Mahal, a derelict 14th-century hunting lodge on Delhi’s outskirts.
• Life there was marked by extreme hardship and growing isolation but also by moments of natural beauty. Utilities were scarce; safety remained a concern.
• Quote:
  • “They had no windows... always cold... There were jackals, bats... There was no water. They tried to dig a hole in the ground... but it didn’t work out.”
    — Aletta Andre [19:44]

6. Connections to Kashmir, Pakistan, and Partition

• Wilayat’s story spans India, Pakistan, and Kashmir—her family lived in Lahore (now Pakistan), then Kashmir, before ending up in Delhi.
• Partition shaped her identity and trajectory: she, a Kashmiri activist, moved between the two countries, at times aligning with both and at others, with neither.
• Quote:
  • “Partition is the key to all of this... she had her roots there in Lahore, her husband as well as her father had their roots in Kashmir.”
    — Aletta Andre [23:22]
• In Pakistan, her activism made her a target—she petitioned for Kashmiri independence and publicly challenged the government, leading to harassment and eventual institutionalization.
• Notable Event:
  • At a public event, Wilayat confronted the Prime Minister of Pakistan, leading to her arrest and a forced stay in a mental institution.
  • “She confronted the prime minister during a public speech... created disturbance and kind of insulted him... She was arrested for it. So that was the beginning of the end for her...”
    — Aletta Andre [29:23]

7. Assessing the ‘Truth’ of Wilayat’s Claims

• The authors resist the binary of true/false regarding Wilayat's royal lineage, emphasizing how such a framing eclipses her broader identity as a political actor, feminist, and survivor.
• While some aspects of her life story contradict the historical record, these “untruths” do not amount to fraud but rather reflect deeper yearnings, traumas, and missing narratives.
• Quote:
  • “We see it as a trap. We see this whole binary as, you know, hurting her in death as much as it hurt other things, hurt her in life. And we want her to have something like, you know... by removing that binary.”
    — Abhimanyu Kumar [33:17]
• Memorable Moment:
  • The authors discovered moving vignettes—childhood friendships in Kashmir, neighbors’ fond memories, and unexplored records of her activism.
  • “We wanted to find out who she was as a human... We found out so much about that that we haven’t read anywhere else before.”
    — Aletta Andre [34:15]

8. Relevance in Today’s India

• Wilayat Mahal’s fractal identity—Muslim, Kashmiri, royal claimant, activist—clashes with India’s growing Hindu nationalist homogeneity.
• Her life highlights the shrinking space for “others” in contemporary society.
• Quote:
  • “Perhaps there was more space for somebody like her before... but as the Hindu nationalist juggernaut has come... probably the space for somebody who is so much more of an other is not there anymore in India.”
    — Abhimanyu Kumar [38:26]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Media Shifts:
  “An eccentric person to look at from outside, someone who's not part of society, who doesn't fit in.”
  — Aletta Andre [03:21]

• On Historical Injustice:
  “That image of the Nawabs with Ajit Alisha on top... being unfit rulers, that has actually continued into independent India.”
  — Aletta Andre [13:45]

• On the Limitations of Truth:
  “We see this whole binary as, you know, hurting her in death as much as it hurt other things, hurt her in life.”
  — Abhimanyu Kumar [33:17]

• On Intersectional Identity:
  “Being a child of a Sunni father and a Shia mother, that was already a very difficult identity... then being a Kashmiri in the Time of partition... an ambitious woman in... a very conservative society was also difficult.”
  — Aletta Andre [38:58]

• On Today’s Political Climate:
  “As the Hindu nationalist juggernaut has come... probably the space for somebody who is so much more of an other is not there anymore in India.”
  — Abhimanyu Kumar [38:26]

Important Timestamps

• 03:21 — Media portrayal of Wilayat Mahal: early sympathy vs. later eccentricity.
• 05:56 — Shift toward targeting their Muslim identity in the press.
• 06:32 — Authors' motivations and wider historical/political context for writing the book.
• 13:45 — Historical context: Awadh’s annexation and its post-independence legacy.
• 16:59 — Life at New Delhi railway station; forced choices and psychological impacts.
• 19:44 — Harsh realities of life at Malcha Mahal.
• 23:22 — Partition as the axis of Wilayat’s life; trajectory between Lahore, Kashmir, Delhi.
• 29:23 — Wilayat’s activism in Pakistan and ensuing repression.
• 33:17 — Philosophical reflection on “truth” and Wilayat’s complex identity.
• 38:26 — The shrinking space for minorities and “the other” in contemporary India.

Where to Find More

• The House of Awadh: A Hidden Tragedy is available online (Amazon and other retailers).
• Aletta André’s Dutch-language novel and Abhimanyu Kumar’s poetry books can also be found online.
• Nicholas Gordon hosts further interviews at Asia Review of Books and on Twitter @NickRIGordon.

This episode offers a rich, nuanced look at a life lived in the margins and the challenges of writing history when so much remains ambiguous—reflecting on the broader themes of identity, truth, and belonging in South Asia.