Manohar Malgonkar (

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...

: 2 July 1913- 14 June, 2010[karwar district, was an Indian author of both fiction and nonfiction in the English language. He was also an army officer, a big game hunter, a civil servant, a mine owner and a farmer.

Life

Malgonkar was born in Jagalbet village Karwar dist, near Londa in Belgaum district. From his maternal side, his great-grandfather had been governor of Gwalior State. He began his education in Belgaum. He later attended school in Dharwad and graduated from Mumbai University. After, he joined the army and rose to the rank of Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom), Lieutenant Colonel in the

Maratha Light Infantry The Maratha Light Infantry is a light infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It traces its lineage to the Bombay Sepoys, raised in 1768, making it the most senior light infantry regiment in the Indian Army. The class composition of the regiment ...

. He retired from service at the age of 39. He also stood for

parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

. Most of that activity was during the build-up to Indian independence and its aftermath, often the settings for his works. The socio-historical milieux of those times form the backdrop of his novels, which are usually of action and adventure. He also wrote non-fiction, including biography and history. Malgonkar lived in a remote bungalow called 'Burbusa Bungalow' located at Jagalbet in Joida Taluk in

Uttara Kannada District Uttara Kannada is a district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Uttara Kannada District is a major coastal district of Karnataka, and currently holding the title of the largest district in Karnataka. It is bordered by the state of Goa and Belag ...

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

. His only child Suneeta, who was educated at the famous

Lawrence School, Sanawar The Lawrence School, Sanawar, is the oldest Co-Ed boarding school in the world near Solan city. Established in 1847, its history, influence, and wealth have made it one of the most prestigious and oldest schools in Asia. It is located in the ...

, died in 1998.

Works

For many years, Malgonkar wrote a weekly column covering a wide range of topics, which was published in Indian newspapers like ''The Statesman'' and ''Deccan Herald''. Most of his books were published in India by Orient Paperbacks or by Rupa Paperbacks.

Novels

*''The Sea Hawk: Life and Battles of

Kanhoji Angre Kanhoji Angre (Marathi: कान्होजी आंग्रे, Help:IPA/Marathi, anʱod͡ʒiː aːŋɡɾe, also known as Conajee Angria or Sarkhel Angré (August 1669 – 4 July 1729) was a chief of the Maratha Navy in present-day Ind ...

y'' (1959) *''Distant Drum'' (1960) *''A Combat of Shadows'' (1962) *''The Princes'' (1963) * ''

A Bend in the Ganges ''A Bend in the Ganges'' (1964) is a novel by the Indian author Manohar Malgonkar. The novel opens with the civil disobedience movement of the early 1930s and ends with the partition riots in Punjab. It encompasses the Swadeshi movement, the activ ...

'' (1964) * ''Spy in Amber'' (1971) * ''

The Devil’s Wind ''The Devil's Wind'' is a historical novel by Manohar Malgonkar that tells the story of Nana Saheb, the heir of the last Peshwa of the Maratha Empire, Maratha Confederacy, who played a leading role in the 1857 War of Independence. It provides a sy ...

'' (on the life on

Peshwa The Peshwa (Pronunciation: e(ː)ʃʋaː was the appointed (later becoming hereditary) prime minister of the Maratha Empire of the Indian subcontinent. Originally, the Peshwas served as subordinates to the Chhatrapati (the Maratha king); later, ...

Nana Sahib Nana Saheb Peshwa II (19 May 1824 – 24 September 1859), born as Dhondu Pant, was an Indian Peshwa of the Maratha empire, aristocrat and fighter, who led the rebellion in Kanpur (Cawnpore) during the Great Revolt of 1857. As the adopted so ...

) (1972) * ''Shalimar'' (1978)

Shalimar Shalimar or Shalamar refers to three historic royal gardens (or Baghs) of the Mughal Empire in South Asia: * Shalimar Bagh, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India; built in 1619 * Shalimar Gardens, Lahore, Pakistan; a UNESCO World Heritage Site built i ...

] * ''Bandicoot Run'' (1982)

Historical accounts

* ''Puars (Pawars) of Dewas State, Dewas Senior'' (1963) * ''Chhatrapatis of Kolhapur'' (1971) * ''The Men Who Killed Gandhi'' (1978) * ''Cue from the Inner Voice: The Choice Before Big Business'' (1980) * ''Dropping Names'' (1996)

Short Stories

* ''A Teller of Tales'' * ''The Garland Keepers'' * ''Cactus Country'' * ''A Toast in Warm Wine ''and'' Other Short Stories (1974)'' * ''In Uniform'' * ''Bombay Beware (1975)'' * ''Rumble-Tumble (1977)'' * ''Four Graves and Other Stories (1990)'' * ''Inside Goa'' * ''Two Red Roosters''

References

Padmanabhan, A., "The Fictional World of Manohar Malgonkar", Atlantic Publications, 2002. Janet M. Powers. "Manohar Malgonkar" South Asian Novelists in English. Ed. Jaina C. Sanga. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003. 136-143

External links

Officers and Gentlemen, a 2000 article

"Manohar Malgonkar's contribution to Indian writing in English remains largely unacknowledged", DNA (Daily News and Analysis), Bangalore, June 17, 2010
* Padmanabhan, A. "The Fictional World of Manohar Malgonkar." PhD Thesis 1988 at Shodhganga@INFLIBNET {{DEFAULTSORT:Malgonkar, Manohar 20th-century Indian novelists 1913 births 2010 deaths English-language writers from India People from Uttara Kannada Novelists from Karnataka