Rani Lakshmibai, the Warrior Queen

Told in English, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, Spanish, French, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese.

Come sit close, my brave one, and let me tell you about a queen unlike any other. In the city of Jhansi lived Rani Lakshmibai, and from the time she was just a little girl — younger than you, even! — she learned sword fighting, horse riding, and archery. Can you imagine that, my dear? While other children her age were playing simple games, she was already training to be strong and brave.

When her husband passed away, the British East India Company tried to seize her kingdom, thinking, perhaps, that a widowed queen would simply give up. But do you know what Rani Lakshmibai did instead? She refused. She raised an army. She trained women to become soldiers, just like her. And she prepared the fort of Jhansi, stone by stone, for the battle she knew was coming.

Then, in 1858, something extraordinary happened. With her young son tied safely and snugly to her back, she rode straight into fierce combat on horseback, sword raised high, leading her soldiers with a courage that nobody could match. Can you picture that — a mother, protecting her child while protecting her entire kingdom, all at once? Though she fell in that battle, her bravery lit a fire in the hearts of generations of Indians who continued fighting for freedom long after her. And even today, my darling, children everywhere learn her famous words: 'I will not give up my Jhansi.' That's what real courage sounds like.