In the pages of what is known of the Indian royal past, few are as passionate, as controversial, and tragic as the love affair between Maharaja Hanwant Singh of Jodhpur and Zubeidaa Begum. Their marriage, which went against the strict social and religious rules of post-independence India, is a testament to the power of love that conquers all. Though put forward in film in a glamorous light, the reality of their lives was a complex mix of passion, political ambition and ultimate tragedy.

A Fated Encounter

In the 1940s, which saw great change in India, we see the coming together of very different worlds. Prince Hanwant Singh Rathore, the ruler of Jodhpur, was a modern man and very much a political animal. He was married to Maharani Krishna Kumari and had also, for a short time, a marriage with a Scottish nurse; still, his heart was not satisfied. At a social function in Bombay, he met Zubeidaa Begum.

She was an actress, a divorcee and of a different faith. Out of these issues, the connection between the Maharaja and Zubeidaa was immediate and very deep.

Defying Convention: Transforming and Matrimony.

The opposition to their union was great. To close the religious gap and show her dedication, Zubeidaa made what turned out to be a life-changing decision to convert to Hinduism. In late 1950, in a private ceremony in Beawar, Rajasthan, she adopted the new faith. Reports of the time put out that she was very radiant in her traditional clothing, which was very different for her; it marked a new page in her life.

Following her conversion, which was in 1950, the couple did in fact get married by Hindu rites. That marriage created a stir within the royal establishment. The couple, who from then on became outcasts, had to leave the grand Umaid Bhawan Palace for the historical Mehrangarh Fort. That move was a symbol of their exclusion; they were of royal blood but were kept at arm’s length.