Women, Lineage, and Power: A Study of Dynastic Authority in Kavita Kane’s The Fisher Queen’s Dynasty

Abstract

The rewriting of mythological narratives from women’s perspectives has emerged as a significant literary and political intervention in contemporary Indian English literature. Kavita Kane’s The Fisher Queen’s Dynasty (2017) exemplifies this trend by reimagining The Mahabharata through the marginalized voices of women whose contributions to dynastic history have been widely neglected.  This research paper examines the interconnected themes of women, lineage, and power in Kane’s novel, focusing on how dynastic authority is constructed, sustained, and negotiated through female agency rather than masculine heroism alone. Drawing upon feminist literary criticism, intersectional theory, and mythological revisionism, the study argues that Kane challenges patriarchal historiography by repositioning women particularly Satyavati as architects of lineage and political continuity. By foregrounding motherhood, caste, silence, and negotiation as central mechanisms of power, The Fisher Queen’s Dynasty redefines authority as a feminine, ethical, and strategic force. This paper contributes to feminist scholarship by situating Kane’s work within the broader discourse of revisionist mythology and women’s historiography in India.