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The breaking of the engagement was accomplished, but this defiance of her parents did not serve to reconcile them to her marrying
Jitendra. Indira's parents apparently regarded Jitendra as a playboy from a feckless family; they even ventured to summon him and give him a personal warning to stay away.
388:
Indira circumvented her parents by taking the initiative in breaking her engagement herself, a daring act for an 18-year-old Indian maiden of that era. She wrote to her fiancé saying that she did not wish to marry him. In Baroda, Indira's father received a single-sentence telegram from the
Maharaja
563:
Indira's elder son assumed full powers as ruler of Cooch Behar in 1936. Indira thereafter spent a major portion of her time in Europe. Indira Devi faced many tragedies in her lifetime. Indira Devi lost two of her children: Princess Ila Devi who died at a very young age and Prince
Indrajit Narayan
441:
Indira was now not only a young widow and the mother of five, but also regent of Cooch Behar during the minority of her elder son. She faced her situation not merely with courage but indeed with verve. Her administrative skills were deemed by observers very mediocre, but Indira quickly gained a
403:
Nothing worked; Indira and
Jitendra were equally adamant. Eventually, perhaps also in recognition of the fact that respectable alliances for Indira were now unlikely, her parents made a half-way compromise. They allowed Indira to leave their roof, proceed to London and wed Jitendra.
393:
This was the first inkling her stunned parents had of Indira's intentions. The
Maharaja behaved in exemplary fashion, writing an understanding letter to Indira's father which he signed off as "your son"; however, the disgrace was great and was felt keenly by Indira's parents.
434:, was grievously ill. Within days of the wedding, he died of ailments arising from alcohol abuse, and Jitendra became maharaja of Cooch Behar. The couple lived a relatively happy life and rapidly became the parents of five children. However,
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reputation for her highly-active social life, and spent prolonged periods of time in Europe and away from Cooch Behar. She was not known to remain chaste in widowhood, being variously linked to
385:
of India; the scandal and universal opprobrium that would certainly ensue; also the fact that
Jitendra was the younger son and thus unlikely ever to become king.
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Indira knew that her parents would be aghast; many issues were involved: the diplomatic repercussions of breaking a standing engagement with the
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Poddar, Abhishek; Gaskell, Nathaniel; Pramod Kumar, K. G; Museum of Art & Photography (Bangalore, India) (2015). "Cooch Behar".
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505:, succeeded his father as Maharaja of Cooch Behar, and was the last ruling prince of his dynasty; Cooch Behar was merged with the
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Indira and
Jitendra were wed at a hotel in London with no member of Indira's family present. They were wed by the rites of the
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Following the death of her husband she became regent of Cooch Behar in 1922-1936 during the minority of her elder son
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656:"8. Memoirs of Maharanis: the politics of marriage, companionship, and love in late-colonial princely India"
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568:. Maharani Indira Devi spent the last years of her life in Mumbai and died there in September 1968.
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513:) during his reign. He had no legitimate children, and was succeeded by his nephew Virajendra.
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was endemic in
Jitendra's family, and he died at a young age, within a decade of the wedding.
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458:- with the princely dalliances ultimately the likely source of the cryptic message
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Bhup, who died in an accidental fire leaving behind his wife
Princess Kamala of
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524:. They were the parents of Virajendra and also of Uttara Devi, Maharani of
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Maharani: Memoirs of a rebellious princess. Brinda, Maharani of
Kapurthala
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Maharanis: the lives and times of three generations of Indian princesses
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It happened that at the time of the wedding, Jitendra's elder brother,
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361:, where she met the Jitendra, younger brother of the then Maharaja of
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The second son, Indrajitendra, married a daughter of the Maharaja of
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30:"Indira Devi" redirects here. For other people with the name, see
486:, Ramendra Kishore Dev Varma. Her son took for wife the actress
264:; 19 February 1892 – 6 September 1968) was the Maharani of the
813:"Watch For the Aga Khan's Prize: video footage of Indira Devi"
38:
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New Readings in the Literature of British India, c. 1780–1947
662:. Vol. 9. Columbia University Press. pp. 193–209.
365:. Within days, they were in love and had decided to marry.
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Indira's youngest daughter Menaka married the Maharaja of
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Indira was the mother of three daughters and two sons.
353:. During the period of engagement, Indira attended the
341:. She grew up with her several brothers at the opulent
466:, in effect asking her to leave Europe and return to
482:Indira's eldest daughter, Ila, married a prince of
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696:. Ahmedabad: Mapin Publishing. pp. 100–105.
345:in Baroda, and was betrothed at a young age to
317:, would later go on to become the Maharani of
302:. Previously her engagement had been fixed to
543:, and was a noted celebrity in her own right.
8:
685:
683:
681:
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391:"What does the princess mean by her letter?"
539:, became the third wife of the Maharaja of
294:She broke her arranged engagement to marry
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100:
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89:Learn how and when to remove this message
490:; they are the parents of Indian actors
313:. Her fourth child and second daughter,
52:This article includes a list of general
728:Maharanis: A Family Saga of Four Queens
643:
575:
410:, the sect to which Jitendra's mother,
176: 1913; died 1922)
369:"The Letter that broke the engagement"
27:Maharani of British Indian Cooch Behar
329:Indira was born the only daughter of
223:Gaekwad (by birth) Koch (by marriage)
7:
779:. Boston : D. Estes & Co.
58:it lacks sufficient corresponding
25:
776:A year with the Gaekwar of Baroda
444:Hugh Molyneux, 7th Earl of Sefton
773:Weeden, Edward St Clair (1911).
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609:
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693:Maharanis: women of royal India
173:
658:. In Towheed, Shafquat (ed.).
339:Maharani Chimnabai (1872–1958)
298:and became daughter-in-law to
1:
276:. She was born a princess of
790:. New Delhi: Rupa & Co.
725:Moore, Lucy (27 June 2006).
201:Prince Indrajitendra Narayan
32:Indira Devi (disambiguation)
452:Prince George, Duke of Kent
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882:20th-century women regents
872:20th-century Indian people
535:Indira's second daughter,
143:6 September 1968 (aged 76)
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867:20th-century Indian women
784:Williams, Elaine (2003).
654:Jhala, Angma Dey (2014).
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603:Philip Alexius de László
862:Queens consort of India
585:Indira Raje Gaikwad by
448:Sir C.P. Ramaswami Iyer
349:, the then Maharaja of
306:, Maharaja of Gwalior.
110:Maharani of Cooch Behar
73:more precise citations.
454:, and even the future
632:Jagaddipendra Narayan
503:Jagaddipendra Narayan
383:21-gun-salute princes
381:, one of the premier
331:Sayajirao Gaekwad III
315:Princess Gayatri Devi
311:Jagaddipendra Narayan
287:, by his second wife
285:Sayajirao Gaekwad III
232:Sayajirao Gaekwad III
197:Jagaddipendra Narayan
887:20th-century regents
857:People from Vadodara
343:Lakshmi Vilas Palace
337:and his second wife
210:Princess Menaka Devi
280:as the daughter of
122:Indira Devi in 1935
430:, the Maharaja of
416:Keshub Chunder Sen
852:Indian princesses
762:. London: Viking
738:978-1-101-17483-8
703:978-93-85360-06-0
669:978-3-8382-5673-3
518:Pithapuram estate
511:Republic of India
507:Dominion of India
347:Madho Rao Scindia
304:Madho Rao Scindia
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131:19 February 1892
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389:of Gwalior:
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289:Chimnabai II
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242:Chimnabai II
206:Gayatri Devi
109:
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79:October 2015
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36:
842:1968 deaths
837:1892 births
756:Moore, Lucy
731:. Penguin.
509:(later the
468:Cooch Behar
456:Edward VIII
432:Cooch Behar
418:, adhered.
412:Suniti Devi
363:Cooch Behar
300:Suniti Devi
270:Cooch Behar
262:Indira Raje
258:Indira Devi
104:Indira Devi
71:introducing
18:Indira Devi
831:Categories
817:BFI Player
638:References
616:Devi with
566:Pithapuram
559:Later life
436:alcoholism
54:references
712:932267190
530:Rajasthan
377:ruler of
325:In Baroda
260:(born as
204:Princess
601:Devi by
548:Dewas Jr
474:Children
460:George V
282:Maharaja
251:Hinduism
248:Religion
758:(2004)
572:Gallery
537:Gayatri
484:Tripura
398:Wedding
379:Gwalior
375:Scindia
359:of 1911
351:Gwalior
195:Prince
178:
170:
166:
67:improve
794:
766:
735:
710:
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666:
589:(1911)
541:Jaipur
357:durbar
355:Delhi
335:Baroda
319:Jaipur
278:Baroda
238:Mother
228:Father
156:Spouse
146:Bombay
134:Baroda
56:, but
526:Kotah
492:Raima
219:House
185:Issue
172:(
168:
150:India
792:ISBN
764:ISBN
733:ISBN
708:OCLC
698:ISBN
664:ISBN
496:Riya
494:and
140:Died
128:Born
550:in
528:in
333:of
268:of
833::
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678:^
646:^
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321:.
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174:m.
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