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lindamarieaustin110159 's review for:
The Far Pavilions
by M.M. Kaye
Although it is quite lengthy, I enjoyed this action-packed adventure tale. At its end it is pure historical fiction based on the facts surrounding the development and result of the second Afghan War in the late 1870’s.
Ashton Hilary Akbar Pelham-Martyn was born circa 1855 in a camp in the Himalayas, son of Professor Hilary Pelham-Martyn,“a well-known linguist, ethnologist, and botanist” and Isobel Ashton. She died within days of his birth and so he was nursed by Sita, the wife of Dama Ram, who had recently lost her own newborn. The Professor remained in the mountains, studying plants and reporting of the impact of the East India Company on the states of India. When Ashton was still a young boy, contact with a group of pilgrims exposed the party to cholera, which killed his father and many others in the camp. Sita fled with Ashton and soon witnessed the Sepoy rebellion taking place across the country. She feared Ashton’s Engish pedigree would be discovered and he would be killed. They traveled for years to find a safe place to settle. When Ash was about seven they lived in The Palace of the Winds in Gulkote where Ash was a companion and protector of Lalji, Yuveraj, the crown prince. He was befriended by Kairi-Bai (Anjuli) eldest daughter of the Rajah. Janoo-Bai, current wife of the Rajah and mother of the next son in line to the throne, made several attempts to do away with the crown prince which were averted by Ash. After a time she learned that it was he who had foiled her efforts and was overheard threatening his life. Eleven-year-old Ash and Siti then fled immediately leaving in the middle of the night. Sita was unwell and passed away within a short time, but before doing so, gave Ash the papers and money Ash’s father entrusted her with. He had the papers translated and so learned that his uncle was a member of the Corps of Guides. He made his way to Mardan where they were stationed and learned that his uncle had been killed recently. However, the guides saw to it that he was sent back to England for an education and military training. When he reached nineteen years of age, he returned to India as an officer in the Corps. Shortly afterwards he was AWOL for a time while searching for a member of the guides who had disappeared with weaponry and brought disgrace to his relatives among the guides. Upon his return he was commissioned with escorting two Indian princess brides to their wedding in Bhithor. Ash soon discovered that the eldest of the brides is his childhood companion Anjuli and falls madly in love with her. He is helpless to stop the current course of events and leaves Bhithor saddened, knowing that he must not see Anjuli again. ….. The last part of this novel extrapolates on the fate of the Corps of Guides at the British mission in Kabul during the second Afghan war.
Ashton Hilary Akbar Pelham-Martyn was born circa 1855 in a camp in the Himalayas, son of Professor Hilary Pelham-Martyn,“a well-known linguist, ethnologist, and botanist” and Isobel Ashton. She died within days of his birth and so he was nursed by Sita, the wife of Dama Ram, who had recently lost her own newborn. The Professor remained in the mountains, studying plants and reporting of the impact of the East India Company on the states of India. When Ashton was still a young boy, contact with a group of pilgrims exposed the party to cholera, which killed his father and many others in the camp. Sita fled with Ashton and soon witnessed the Sepoy rebellion taking place across the country. She feared Ashton’s Engish pedigree would be discovered and he would be killed. They traveled for years to find a safe place to settle. When Ash was about seven they lived in The Palace of the Winds in Gulkote where Ash was a companion and protector of Lalji, Yuveraj, the crown prince. He was befriended by Kairi-Bai (Anjuli) eldest daughter of the Rajah. Janoo-Bai, current wife of the Rajah and mother of the next son in line to the throne, made several attempts to do away with the crown prince which were averted by Ash. After a time she learned that it was he who had foiled her efforts and was overheard threatening his life. Eleven-year-old Ash and Siti then fled immediately leaving in the middle of the night. Sita was unwell and passed away within a short time, but before doing so, gave Ash the papers and money Ash’s father entrusted her with. He had the papers translated and so learned that his uncle was a member of the Corps of Guides. He made his way to Mardan where they were stationed and learned that his uncle had been killed recently. However, the guides saw to it that he was sent back to England for an education and military training. When he reached nineteen years of age, he returned to India as an officer in the Corps. Shortly afterwards he was AWOL for a time while searching for a member of the guides who had disappeared with weaponry and brought disgrace to his relatives among the guides. Upon his return he was commissioned with escorting two Indian princess brides to their wedding in Bhithor. Ash soon discovered that the eldest of the brides is his childhood companion Anjuli and falls madly in love with her. He is helpless to stop the current course of events and leaves Bhithor saddened, knowing that he must not see Anjuli again. ….. The last part of this novel extrapolates on the fate of the Corps of Guides at the British mission in Kabul during the second Afghan war.