Authors > Indu Sundaresan >
Author Voices

Indu Sundaresan
Photo Credit:

Indu Sundaresan

Indu Sundaresan was born in India and grew up on Air Force bases all over the country. Her father, a fighter pilot, was also a storyteller—managing to keep his audiences captive and rapt with his flair for drama and timing. He got this from his father, Indu's grandfather, whose visits were always eagerly awaited. Sundaresan’s love of stories comes from both of them, from hearing their stories based on imagination and rich Hindu mythology, and from her father's writings.After an undergraduate degree in economics from India, Sundaresan came to the U.S. for graduate school at the University of Delaware and has an MS in operations research and an MA in... Read full bio

Where does SHADOW PRINCESS fall in the Trilogy?
By Indu Sundaresan - April 21, 2010
More Posts by Indu Sundaresan
I constructed a family tree for the Mughal kings of India (dynasty ruled 1526-1858) and the Persian immigrant family of Ghias Beg who fled his homeland in 1577.

Ghias's daughter, Mehrunnisa became the most powerful woman of the Mughal dynasty (The Twentieth Wife; The Feast of Roses).  His granddaughter, Empress Mumtaz Mahal had the Taj Mahal built for her.  His great-granddaughter, Princess Jahanara, is the main protagonist of Shadow Princess.  (Not bad, eh, for a man who fled his homeland in 1577, penniless, destitute, dogged by debt.)

Here's a link to the Main Players in the Taj Trilogy--it will show you where the books are in the timeline and the two most important (and lasting) monuments to come out of this time period. (Click on map/family tree to expand.)

http://www.indusundaresan.com/Trilogy.aspx