biography
| name: |
Devi, Phoolan
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known as Dasyu Sundari (‘Beautiful Bandit’)
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pronunciation:
[devee]
| sex:
| female
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| lived:
| (1957–2001)
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| biography:
| Bandit and folk hero, born to a low-caste family in India. After a childhood of abuse and humiliation, she was kidnapped by bandits in Uttar Pradesh, then joined the gang, becoming the mistress of one of its leaders. Following a period of capture and further abuse, she escaped to become one of India's most notorious criminals, wanted for many robberies and for the revenge shooting in 1981 of over 20 high-caste village men who had abused her. At the same time she was attracting a national reputation among oppressed people. After negotiating with the authorities, she surrendered in 1983 in a much publicized ceremony. Released from prison in 1994, she became a Buddhist convert, and in 1995 launched a new political party in support of the lower castes. In 1996 she won a seat in the federal Parliament, defeated in 1998 she staged a comeback to win a second term in 1999. She portrayed her criminal career as a struggle between low-caste Hindus like herself and the high castes. Mala Sen's story of her life, India's Bandit Queen (1991) was the basis of the film Bandit Queen (1995), whose accuracy she repudiated. She was assassinated at her Delhi home. |
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