New Delhi, Aug 7 (PTI) Inspired by the legendary Bhawal sannyasi case and evocative in its recreation of pre-Partition Bengal, new book "The Mendicant Prince: A Novel" presents an intriguing tale of dual identity and the inexplicable quirks of fate.The historical novel, published by Pan Macmillan India, is written by award-winning author Aruna Chakravarti. It is a fictionalised account of the Bhawal sannyasi case -- one of the longest cases ever fought during the British Raj.The Bhawal court case was a pre-Independence case that revolved around the identity of a sannyasi (or Hindu religious ascetic), rumoured to be the heir of one of the last great zamindari estates in Dhaka (now modern Bangladesh)."I first heard the Bhawal story when I was only ten. But, even at that tender age, it made a powerful impact and stayed with me for decades afterwards... Some friends distantly related to the Bhawal family urged me to write a book on the famous legal case" Chakravarti told PTI."It seemed too difficult, too complex a project. But in the complete silence and isolation in which I was encapsulated during COVID, I was able to find the discipline and concentration needed to undertake the project. Once I decided to write the book, it literally took over my life. I could think of nothing else," she added.In 1921, a half-naked and ash-smeared sannyasi appeared in eastern British Bengal. The residents soon identified him as the Second Kumar of Bhawal – a man believed to have died twelve years earlier. So began one of the most extraordinary and mind-boggling legal cases in Indian and Raj-era history.Having written fictional histories before, including the likes of critically-acclaimed and bestselling "The Inheritors", "Jorasanko" and "Daughters of Jorasanko", Chakravarti said the "blending of history and fiction has to be seamless" while writing a historical novel."Intensive research is a must because facts about well-known persons are out in the public domain. There is no way one can take liberties with them. The fictional component is tricky. The ethos of the period, characters and situations are conceived within a factual framework to begin with, then allowed to grow and evolve with the flow of the novel. "The process is not planned. There is no strategy involved. The world the author is recreating, from a partially known past, grows in depth and richness as the work progresses," explained the Sahitya Akademi Award-winning author."The Mendicant Prince" is currently available for sale across offline and online books stores. PTI MG RB RB