The Jasmine Throne

The Jasmine Throne is set in the fictional empire of Parijatdvipa, where the state of Ahiranya is colonized and subjugated by imperial forces. Through the characters and cultures it portrays, it critiques colonial rule and shows its long-lasting impacts, including cultural suppression, economic exploitation, and the brutal enforcement of power structures.

Colonialism in The Jasmine Throne is characterized by systemic violence and exploitation. In response to any kind of resistance, the elite lock down the city and perform raids to find and execute rebels. The violence increases in frequency throughout the story as Lord Santosh grows in power. The burning of the women who are being executed is also a highly specific form of colonial violence that adds a religious element. Religious subjugation is one of the main ways the empire maintains its control. The Ahiranyi people are systematically stripped of their cultural heritage and spiritual practices, including their reverence of the yaksa. The Birch Bark Mantras, an ancient religious text, are also banned by the Parijati regime. This suppression of literature, language, and religion is a common tool of colonial regimes through history, as it prevents colonized people from passing down their histories and identities. The massacre at the Hirana is another clear example of the empire’s brutal attempts at erasing Ahiranya identity. Parijatdvipa sought to obliterate the spiritual and cultural heart of Ahiranya. The massacre of the temple children is an embodiment of this erasure. In this novel, the temple is abandoned and decaying, and the three temple children who survived are forced to live in hiding or assimilate into Parijatdvipa’s oppressive system.

In addition to the damage to its cultural identity, Ahiranya’s economy is also controlled by Parijatdvipa, leading to its people suffering from poverty and deprivation. The highborn enjoy luxurious lives while the Ahiranyi are forced to live in fear of the empire’s punishments, such as the brutal executions of supposed rebels. One crucial point is the pink lantern district, Ahiranya’s red light district—the area’s sex work is central to Ahiranya’s economic activity. However, the Parijati religion makes sexuality taboo, and the colonial powers exploit the bodies of the colonized people for profit.

The damage caused by colonialism on a macro level also shapes the characters of those who live under it. For Priya, the trauma of surviving the Hirana massacre left her identity fractured; her character arc focuses on rediscovering and reclaiming her power. The other two temple children, Ashok and Bhumika, represent opposing facets of the resistance inspired by the oppression of Ahiranya. Ashok’s vision of a free Ahiranya is rooted in a desire to return to the past, before Parijatdvipa’s rule, but it also comes at the cost of his own people. In contrast, Bhumika occupies a position of privilege within the colonial hierarchy as the regent’s wife. However, she uses her influence to protect and support the Ahiranyi people in secret by funding rebel activities. While Ashok seeks to overthrow the empire through force, Bhumika works within the system to mitigate its harm. Ultimately, the consequences of colonialism permeate every aspect of the story, and the characters are caught in the web of these consequences.