Rani Lakshmibai — The Lioness of Jhansi

Born Manikarnika Tambe in 1828 in Varanasi, she was called Manu by her family. She grew up in the court of the Peshwa at Bithoor, where she learned horse-riding, sword-fighting, and wrestling alongside the boys — skills that would define her destiny. At fourteen, she was married to Gangadhar Rao, the Maharaja of Jhansi, and took the name Lakshmibai.

The couple adopted a son, Damodar Rao, when their infant son died. But Gangadhar Rao died in 1853, and the British Governor-General Lord Dalhousie invoked the Doctrine of Lapse — a cynical colonial policy that refused to recognise adopted heirs — to annex Jhansi. The queen was offered a pension and told to vacate the fort. She responded with a petition to London and the unforgettable declaration: "Main apni Jhansi nahin doongi."

When the uprising of 1857 swept across India, Lakshmibai found herself at its centre. Indian sepoys rose up against the British. In Jhansi, violence broke out and British officers were killed — an event the Rani tried to prevent. But the British held her responsible. British forces under Sir Hugh Rose besieged Jhansi in March 1858.

For two weeks, the Rani personally commanded the defence of her fort. She was seen on the ramparts directing artillery, rallying her fighters, and refusing every suggestion of surrender. Jhansi ultimately fell to vastly superior British firepower and numbers. On the night of 22 March 1858, Lakshmibai broke out of the encirclement on horseback, her son Damodar tied to her back, cutting through British lines in the darkness.

She rode 100 miles through hostile territory to reach Kalpi, joining the rebel forces of Tantia Tope and Rao Sahib. From there, the combined force captured the strategic city of Gwalior. For a brief, brilliant moment, the flame of Jhansi burned again. But the British pressed hard. At the battle of Kotah-ki-Serai on 17 June 1858, Lakshmibai fought hand-to-hand on horseback.

She was struck by bullets and sword blows. Refusing to let the British capture her body — as she had sworn — she fought until she could no longer sit on her horse. She died on the battlefield at around 29 years old. A British officer who witnessed her end wrote: "The Rani was remarkable for her bravery, cleverness and perseverance; her generosity to her subordinates was unbounded. She is the best and bravest military leader of the rebels." India remembers her differently — as Jhansi Ki Rani, the eternal lioness.