History remembers its conquerors. But what happens when the women who fought them are left out of the story?
Mona Tewari is a historical fantasy author whose debut novel, Burn the Sea, reimagines the story of Rani Abbakka Chowta, the sixteenth-century queen of Ullal who resisted Portuguese colonisation. A former pediatric dentist with degrees in biology and philosophy from Caltech and master’s degree from UCSF, Tewari turned to fiction after health issues forced her to leave clinical practice. As the daughter of Indian immigrants, she is fascinated by how stories shape our understanding of history, identity, and belonging. So, to celebrate her work, The Bombay Circle Press brings you a conversation about forgotten queens, the politics of storytelling, and turning colonisers into literal monsters.
What inspired your interest in Rani Abbakka Chowta? What resources helped you learn about her?
I truly wish I could say that I had grown up knowing about Rani Abbakka Chowta and her bravery as she faced the Portuguese colonizers, but in truth I came to hear about her when I was an adult. It was at a time when I was quite unwell and had been forced to stop my work as a pediatric dentist in order to protect my health. It was an incredibly difficult transition; I went from seeing hundreds of people every week to being forced to stay isolated at home as my medical condition worsened. I felt like I was being erased.
This is why Rani Abbakka’s story resonated with me so much. Her community has done an absolutely incredible job of keeping her story alive for half a millennium, but she didn’t have the widespread renown I would have expected. Her role was minimized in many of the Euro-centric historical texts that I read, and it felt quite intentional. Her resistance was being erased by the colonizers who eventually emerged victorious in the region.
It bothered me deeply, and it inspired me to learn as much as I could about her and her life. I requested and read a ton of books from my library, and I purchased several that weren’t available to borrow. I also read historical articles (JSTOR is a great resource) and online publications to try to get as much information as I could.
Eventually, the idea came for Burn the Sea and Before I Bow. The duology is a historical fantasy and is more inspired by her life than strictly guided by history (as one would expect in books with a giant winged green lion and half man, half serpents attacking from the sea), but I hope that I’ve honored her tenacious spirit and courageous fight.
Have you ventured further into learning about the lesser known courageous ranis in India? Do you have a personal favourite so far, who might come second to Rani Abbakka?
Yes! I learned about so many incredible women in India’s history while doing my research and am now diving back in to learn more since Before I Bow is finished. I keep getting drawn back to Razia Sultan, who ruled the Delhi Sultanate in the late 1230s. She’s absolutely fascinating!
Why did you choose to tell Rani Abbakka’s story through fantasy?
I have loved fantasy novels ever since I was introduced to Redwall (by Brian Jacques) as a child. The genre offers the opportunity to write incredibly visual stories, and while the worlds in which they take place are imagined, the stories are often a reflection of the world in which we live. Fantasy novels explore ideas in a way that allow people to reexamine their own prejudices in a less confrontational way and hopefully they also open up opportunities for dialogue.
As far as why I chose to write this particular series as a fantasy is concerned, it was largely inspired by the notion of “othering.” Othering is essentially a process wherein one group of people defines another group as fundamentally different (and often inferior) to themselves, and in Western history books, the people who are being colonized were often “othered.” The colonizing nation liked to perpetuate the idea that they were doing the lands they attacked and stripped of value some warped kind of favor, even though the societies they were so dismissive of were well-developed in and of their own rights.
In the Fearless Queen Duology, I wanted to flip the narrative. I wanted to other the colonizer instead and focus on the very human story of the people who were being attacked. This is why the books are written (for the most part) in first person, and a huge part of why they are fantasy novels. Writing them as historical fantasies gave me the opportunity to:
- Turn the colonizers into literal monsters.
- Take more liberties with the narrative.
It was really important to me that people not see this book as a true representation of Rani Abbakka’s life. Her story should be written by someone who grew up knowing about her or at the very least can read the historical documents about her that are written in Tulu/Kannada. But I do hope this duology helps to spread the word about her courageous fight and inspires people to learn more about her true history.
If you had to pick a favourite character from the book, which one would it be?
Parushi, hands down. She’s such a joy to write. She’s filled with fire and a fierce love for the people around her, but she usually shows that in the most violent way possible. Book 2 really pushes her to her limits, and she becomes an instrumental part of the narrative, which was both gratifying and heartbreaking to write.
Now that the duology is complete, are there any other stories of Indian ranis you see yourself covering in the future?
I love to take inspiration from history, and there’s a long list of incredible women in Indian history that I’m learning more about. I don’t know which story will come first, but for now I’m very much enjoying learning about these inspiring ladies and passing their stories on to my own daughters.
What is something about the book that you’re most proud of, and excited for readers to also experience?
I was so thrilled to have the opportunity to write about Rani Abbakka’s fierce pride for her people and her home. Even as part of the diaspora, that pride is something that I carry with me (thanks to my parents), and I am grateful for the opportunity to share that with the world.
That being said, if fierce queens, forgotten histories, and fantastical retellings are your thing, be sure to add Burn the Sea to your cart. The incredible legacy of Rani Abbakka Chowta is not something you want to miss out on! A big thank you to Mona Tewari for sharing her insightful answers with The Bombay Circle Press Bulletin.