Bombay Characters
P. J. “Perveen” Mistry, Esq.—a Bombay solicitor working in her father’s law firm, Mistry Law; she has taken back her maiden name after separating from her husband, Cyrus Sodawalla
Jamshedji Mistry, Esq.—Perveen’s father and owner of Mistry Law
Camellia Mistry—Perveen’s mother
Gulnaz Mistry—Perveen’s sister-in-law
Alice Hobson-Jones—Perveen’s friend and classmate from Oxford
Sir David Hobson-Jones—Alice’s father; one of the British governor’s top three councilors in India
Associated with the Kolhapur Agency
Colin Wythe Sandringham—the Kolhapur Agency’s British political agent for Satapur; he lives at the circuit house
Rama—Colin’s cook and assistant at the circuit house
Dr. Graham Andrews—British doctor for the Satapur region
Owen McLaughlin—Colin’s predecessor as political agent for Satapur
Yazad and Vendana Mehta—a couple who live near the circuit house (in an estate they call “Heaven’s Rest”); Vendana has mysterious ties to the Satapur royal family
Roderick Ames—despite his English-sounding name and Welsh accent, an Indian electrical engineer who is doing work for the Kolhapur Agency
Members of the Satapur Royal Family
Prince Jiva Rao—the 10-year-old son of the late Maharaja Mahendra Rao; he is next in line of succession when he comes of age at 18
Prince Pratap Rao—the older son of the late Mahendra Rao; he was briefly maharaja until he was mysteriously killed in what looked like a hunting accident
Princess Padmabai Rao—the youngest child of the late Mahendra Rao
Maharani Mirabai Rao—the wife of the late Mahendra Rao and the mother of Pratap, Jiva, and Padmabai; she’s also referred to as the choti-rani; before her marriage, she was Keya of Bhor
Maharaja Mahendra Rao—the next-to-last maharaja, son of Mohan and Putlabai Rao and younger brother of Prince Swaroop
Prince Swaroop—Mahendra Rao’s older brother, the current “prime minister” of Satapur
Maharani Putlabai Rao—the “dowager maharani,” Mahendra and Swaroop Rao’s mother and the widow of their father Mohan Rao; she’s also referred to as the rajmata
Maharaja Mohan Rao—Mahendra and Swaroop Rao’s father; he signed the original agreement between the British government and the royal family for the administration of Satapur
Members of the Satapur Royal Court
Aditya—the jester (buffoon or “yerda”) at the royal palace
Mr. Basu—the aging tutor to two generations of Rao children, currently Jiva and Padmabai; he is also officially the palace officer
Chitra—the maid assigned to assist Perveen at the palace
Jaginder Dhillon—Swaroop’s employee, formerly the palace officer at the Satapur palace
Archana—Putlabai Rao’s favorite lady-in-waiting
Swagata—one of Putlabai’s ladies-in-waiting; Chitra’s mother
Other Satapur Characters
Pratik—the postman who delivers the mail in Satapur
Charan—Pratik’s assistant
Lakshman—the village businessman who runs the palanquin rental
Baburam—responsible for maintaining the hunting lodge
