Sophia's biography published 2015
Anita Anand published her biography of Princess Sophia Duleep Singh in 2015, rescuing a woman who had been completely forgotten by history.
Snapshot · Empire: World History
369. The First British Indians: The Suffragette Princess (Ep 1)
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Jun 17, 2026
Where this was said
Introduction: The First British Indians Mini-Series
At 4:13 · chapter starts 3:03
Anita Anand and William Dalrymple welcome listeners to a new mini-series tracing the extraordinary lives of five sisters — Sophia, Catherine, Bamba, Irene, and Pauline — daughters of the last ruler of the Sikh Empire. Dalrymple hands the reins to Anand, noting that she is not merely telling someone else's story but resurrecting a woman she personally made famous through her 2015 biography. Anand briefly sketches the series arc: suffragettes, mixed-race Edwardian life, lesbian relationships in Nazi Germany, and colonial resistance. She plugs the Empire Club for ad-free access to the complete series, establishing both the emotional and commercial stakes before diving in.
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