India, 1938. The existence of Abhayraj, the princely state of Begwad's king and Maharaj Hiroji's heir, is similar to that of many other young princes stuck between two worlds or perhaps two periods. The traditions of the feudal, tightly knit community that his father rules, which he is obligated to uphold, are on the one hand, and the pressures of independence as British sovereignty over begins to diminish are on the other. Abhay enlists in the Indian army and participates in the Burma campaign during World War II in an effort to forge his own path. However, upon his return, he is compelled to enter a traditional marriage, and following his father's tragic passing, he becomes the Maharaja, ruling for only 49 days before being forced to combine his state. Hailed as an unusual historical saga at the time of its release, The Princes was first published in New York in 1963 and was selected by the Literary Guild of America as a novel of the month that year. Available now in a beautiful new edition, it offers an enthralling, intimate glimpse into life in India's princely states through the story of a royal family caught in a struggle for survival, in a nation embracing democracy for the very first time.