Penguin presents The Glory of Patan by K.M. Munshi, translated by Rita and Abhijit Kothari.
The kingdom of Patan faces an ominous future. King Karnadev lies on his deathbed. His son, Jaydev, is too young to ascend the throne. Rumours abound of scheming warlords intent on establishing their own independence and powerful merchants plotting to wrest control from Patan Fort. There is also the shadowy monk Anandsuri and his vision to unite Patan under one religion: Jainism.
In the eye of this gathering storm are Queen Minaldevi and the shrewd chief minister, Munjal Mehta. Both have striven to maintain order in Patan and ensure that Jaydev’s succession is secure. But the growing attraction between them is threatened by betrayal and intrigue, with dramatic consequences for the future of Patan.
A sprawling, fast-paced saga in the oeuvre of Alexandre Dumas, The Glory of Patan is the first book in an epic trilogy about the exploits of the magnificent Chalukya dynasty at a crucial period in the history of Gujarat.
The Author:
K.M. Munshi is one of Gujarat’s most well-known literary writers. His historical novels have contributed profoundly to the sense of past that Gujarat lives with. A multi-faceted personality, he was a prominent lawyer, freedom fighter and politician. He was also the founder of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
The Translators:
Rita Kothari teaches humanities at the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar. She is a leading theoretician in translation studies and has also written extensively on Sindh, Gujarat and language politics in India. Her notable translations include Angaliyat: The Stepchild, Unbordered Memories: Partition Stories from Sindh and Fence.
Abhijit Kothari combines sociology, business and management in his research and teaching. He lives in Ahmedabad where he runs his own business.