A little girl, Manikarnika, with an uncanny sense of her own destiny, grew up to
be none other than the brave queen of Jhansi, Rani Lakshmibai. Trained in horse
riding and the martial arts from an early age, Manu was married to Gangadhar
Rao, the Maharaja of Jhansi, when she was thirteen. Soon after her husband’s
death, the reins of the kingdom passed on to her, and she took up this
responsibility undeterred and fearless. When Jhansi faced the danger of
annexation, she fought against the British with unflinching courage, losing her
life in the course of the battle. She has since become one of the