1857 saw one of the bloodiest revolutions in world history as hundreds of thousands perished as India bid for freedom and the greatest empire in the world tottered for a fall.

Racial prejudices and brutality exposed itself at its worst in the 1850s as Indians were subjected to the worst forms of apartheid in their own country with the increasing hold of the British Colonialists over the political structure of India backed by its native Indian army. Everything was set for an explosion.

And matters exploded in 1857 memorably by the first martyr for Indian freedom, Mangal Pandey. Soon Northern India was on fire as the British Colonialists and their troops scurried for cover as the name of Dharma and justice rang through the land.

Central in this struggle was a young widow, Laksmi Bai of Jhansi. Her husband, the Rajah of Jhansi had died some years before and this strong willed woman holed firm control over the state. When the fires of freedom were spreading the Rani had no hesitation in throwing her lot in with the freedom fighters. Her brave and steady character earned her the respect of the other fighters such as Tatya Tope, Kunwar Singh, Amar Singh , Peshwa Nana Saheb and others.

She maintained a determined and gritty struggle for over a year as the leaderless revolutionaries fought desperately in small groups and pockets all over north India facing the reinforced British Colonialists and their Indian lackeys.

The tide of war washed over the subcontinent as the Colonialists were everywhere uprooted and the Indians bid to reverse the inequities thrust upon them. However without trained leadership and fighting independently from each other, united by nothing more than a desire to be free they were subdued one by one.

Despite the turning of the tide she scored some notable victories over British troops earning even the grudging respect of the British in this brutal war.

Finally, in 1858 with the rebel leaders either killed in action or hanged she met the British Colonialists in a final battle near her beloved Jhansi. Holding the reins of her horse in her mouth and wielding a sword in either hand she made one last attack, dying as she had lived. -

A martyr to freedom, for Dharma and independent womanhood. Her name remains as a beacon for Dharma