The Raja The Rebel and The Monk
About the book
In late eighteenth century India, an obscure king who ruled over Huseypur in northwest Bihar, challenged the might of the British. When overpowered by the East India Company forces, he escaped into the jungles of Gorakhpur, raised a people’s army and fought a guerilla war against them for nearly thirty years. Beaten many times, he always bounced back and did not surrender ever. He was Maharaja Fateh Bahadur Sahi. A warrior, patriot and innovator, Sahi visualised the dangers of impending imperialism and rose to meet the challenge. He devised new war logistics and resorted to guerilla warfare, including ascetics, destitute and bandits in his unique army. This happened years before the Indian Revolt of 1857 and the revolutions in America and France. Mainstream history is yet to look at him, but in the middle-Ganga valley, Sahi is remembered as a folk hero and a people’s king. This work is an effort to unravel Sahi’s unusual life. How did he operate and survive for so long? Could he be considered the progenitor of India’s first war of independence? The Raja, the Rebel and the Monk attempts to answer.
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About the Book
In late eighteenth century India, an obscure king who ruled over Huseypur in northwest Bihar, challenged the might of the British. When overpowered by the East India Company forces, he escaped into the jungles of Gorakhpur, raised a people’s army and fought a guerilla war against them for nearly thirty years. Beaten many times, he always bounced back and did not surrender ever.
He was Maharaja Fateh Bahadur Sahi.
A warrior, patriot and innovator, Sahi visualised the dangers of impending imperialism and rose to meet the challenge. He devised new war logistics and resorted to guerilla warfare, including ascetics, destitute and bandits in his unique army. This happened years before the Indian Revolt of 1857 and the revolutions in America and France.
Mainstream history is yet to look at him, but in the middle-Ganga valley, Sahi is remembered as a folk hero and a people’s king.
This work is an effort to unravel Sahi’s unusual life. How did he operate and survive for so long? Could he be considered the progenitor of India’s first war of independence? The Raja, the Rebel and the Monk attempts to answer.
Book details
- Format
- Paperback
- Publisher
- Penguin India
- Weight
- 250 grams
- ISBN-13
- 9780143468370
- Pages
- 224
- Reading time
- ~7 hrs
- Age
- 18+
- Country of origin
- IN
- Dimensions
- 17 × 21 cm
- Language
- English
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1. What is The Raja, the Rebel and the Monk about?
The Raja, the Rebel and the Monk tells the story of Maharaja Fateh Bahadur Sahi, a resilient Indian king who fought a prolonged guerrilla campaign against the British East India Company in the late 1700s — decades before the 1857 uprising — blending historical narrative with scholarly insight.
2. Who should read this book?
This book is ideal for readers interested in Indian history, early colonial resistance, historical narratives grounded in research, and those who enjoy nuanced accounts of lesser-known figures from the past.
3. Is this book based on real history?
Yes — the story is rooted in historical research about Maharaja Fateh Bahadur Sahi’s resistance against British expansion, drawing from documented events, regional history, and popular memory.

