International Research Journal of Education and Technology

Manohar Malgonkar (1913–2010) occupies an important place in the canons of Indian literature in English, particularly for his historical fiction with political undertones. But to focus on him only as a novelist or story-teller with historical leanings would be to limit his versatility and slot him as a spinner of tales. The corpus of his work is rich with eleven novels that have a blend of history, romance and military life, two light romances, a detective novel, a play, innumerable essays/articles, two historical accounts, a travelogue and a large number of short stories collected in several anthologies. Malgonkar’s novels saw the light of the day after India’s independence in 1947. His urge for recreating the contemporary history through his writings is a part of his desire to awake the nation and to help it to build an individual character. His novels have heroes who go for heroism and their heroic deeds are in accordance with the traditions of historical periods. Written in autobiographical mode, The Devil’s Wind    is the story of Nana Saheb placed within the happenings like the Doctrine of Annexation, the aggrieved Indian rulers, the oppressed Indian masses and their joint reaction to British hostilities. The historical context plays a pivotal role in The Devil’s Wind, as Malgonkar skilfully weaves the intricacies of the 1857 uprising into the fabric of his narrative. The novel captures the spirit of rebellion, portraying the diverse motivations that fueled the insurgents. Through the characters, readers are transported to a time of political upheaval, social unrest, and The novel beautifully blends facts and fiction, art and history to create a character who is generous, noble, understanding and affectionate but weak, albeit, unwilling to shed blood.

Keywords: Realism, Tradition, Modernity, Historical Account