1857-1858: The British Empire in India is teetering on the brink of collapse in the face of widespread rebellion by native regiments. In the final phase of the Great Indian Mutiny an intrepid young woman rises to lead the mutinying sepoys: Lakshmibai, the

Born on the banks of the Ganges at Benares, little Manakarnika was a charged and precocious girl and she was destined to be etched in history as the towering queen of the Revolt of 1857. A touching yet accurate portrait of this Indian Boadicea, The Ranee of Jhansi as a biography also puts the events of the mutiny and the actual role of Lakshmibai in it, into perspective. The writer takes you on a journey through the plains and hills of central India which in 1857 could have but such is the fatalism of history turned around India s future forever. It makes for a breathless reading from beginning to end through the circumstances that led to the revolt and through the vivid scenes of the glorious battle at Jhansi. A woman of the strongest Mahratta mettle, Lakshmibai had an intuitive grasp of warfare, astute judgement of the enemy s power and an indomitable will that made her fight even in the face of defeat. And being a young Brahmin widow of thirty who led a whole army, she inadvertently created one of the greatest ironies in Indian history, when she was declared the best man on the rebel side !

From the internationally bestselling author of Nefertiti and Cleopatra’s Daughter comes the breathtaking story of Queen Lakshmi—India’s Joan of Arc—who against all odds defied the mighty British invasion to defend her beloved kingdom. When the British Empire sets its sights on India in the mid-nineteenth century, it expects a quick and easy conquest. India is fractured and divided into kingdoms, each independent and wary of one another, seemingly no match for the might of the English. But when they arrive in the Kingdom of Jhansi, the British army is met with a surprising challenge. Instead of surrendering, Queen Lakshmi raises two armies—one male and one female—and rides into battle, determined to protect her country and her people. Although her soldiers may not appear at first to be formidable against superior British weaponry and training, Lakshmi refuses to back down from the empire determined to take away the land she loves. Told from the unexpected perspective of Sita—Queen Lakshmi’s most favored companion and most trusted soldier in the all-female army—Rebel Queen shines a light on a time and place rarely explored in historical fiction. In the tradition of her bestselling novel, Nefertiti, and through her strong, independent heroines fighting to make their way in a male dominated world, Michelle Moran brings nineteenth-century India to rich, vibrant life.

RANI LAXMIBAI was a capable ruler, an intelligent communicator, and defender of the faith. She was sagacious when it came to her people and astute in dealing with her enemies. The widowed Queen had to repeatedly face gruelling challenges but drew strength from adversity, relying on her sense of justice, her dignity, and her magnanimity. She never surrendered to destiny, choosing instead to shape her own life. The British annexed Rani Laxmibai's kingdom, took away her political rights, and humiliated her. But she valiantly fought the foreign power and died a hero. Written after extensive research, this book portrays the making of a remarkable queen. Rani Laxmibai, the brave warrior-queen, remains a source of inspiration to us all.

Among the more improbable events of the Asia-Pacific Theater in World War II was the creation in Singapore of a corps of female Indian combat soldiers, the Rani of Jhansi Regiment (RJR). They served under Indian freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose in the Indian National Army. Because the creation of an Indian all-female regiment of combat soldiers was a radical military innovation in 1943, and because the role of women in today’s broader context of Indian culture has become a prevalent and pressing issue, the extensive testimony of the surviving veterans of this unit is timely and urgent. The history of these brave women soldiers is little known, their extraordinary service and the role played by Bose remains largely unexplored. In the years since the RJR surrender in 1945, the story of Subhas Chandra Bose and the Rani Regiment of female combatants as signature symbols of both the national fight for independence and of Indian women’s struggle for gender equality has taken on aspects of myth. Lengthy interviews with the veteran Ranis together with archival research comprise the evidence that separates the myth of the Bengali hero and his jungle warrior maidens from historical fact, and this resulting book presents an accurate narrative of the Ranis. The facts are nearly as impressive as the legend.

A stiff upper lip, steely eyes and a cold heart is often how the English imperialist is pictured in popular imagination. Drawing from memoirs, commentaries and family letters, Elizabeth Hamilton brings forth an alternative portrayal of her ancestors, Sir Robert Hamilton and Sir William Barton. Their careers in India are set against the momentous events of their times to present a different side of the colonialists of a quiet people, dedicated to the tradition of upholding the law and avoiding conflict. Volume I, The Proud Empire, traces the life of Sir Robert Hamilton, from the beginning of his career under the watchful eye of his father, up until his retirement. Occupying multiple roles such as the Resident of Indore and Agent to the Governor General in the Central Provinces, he is seen interacting with various prominent Indian figures such as the Rani of Jhansi, Tantya Tope and Nana Sahib. The picture of the arrogant imperialist fades away to be replaced by that of someone keen to make a difference to the society he was working in, who encourages good governance, mends ties in the midst of escalating tensions and must recover cities occupied by insurgents, all the while shadowed by the burden of great personal losses. Volume II, The Straight Race, tracks Sir William Barton’s career in the early twentieth century. Starting in the Punjab and the North-West Frontier, he later served as Resident in the well-administered states of Mysore and Hyderabad, where he stood up to the Nizam, doing his best to set the administration on a less corrupt footing. Retirement did not deter Sir William’s close interest in Indian affairs; he returned twice on tour as an advisor to electrical companies and travelled with a Ministry of Supply mission during the Second World War. With three books and many articles for newspapers and journals on the subject, India remained an integral part of his life.