Rani Lakshmibai

Lioness of Jhansi

Rani Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi, became a leading figure of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against British rule. When the East India Company annexed her kingdom under the Doctrine of Lapse, she refused to surrender it, defending Jhansi in arms and later capturing Gwalior. She died in battle near Gwalior in June 1858, sword in hand, and endures as an enduring symbol of resistance and Indian independence.