"Stop!" the Rani shouted as loudly as she could. "Stay and fight! We can defeat the enemy!"

A girl born in an ordinary family, catapulted into an entirely new world with her marriage to the Maharaja of Jhansi - Rani Lakshmibai's life has elements of the fairy tale in it. And yet, the young Rani is remembered today not so much for her role as a queen, as the courage she displayed in taking on the British army, in order to claim her right to the kingdom. Rani Lakshmibai is probably the most inspiring and enduring image of the Uprising of 1857 in the minds of Indians, and has come to stand for courage and steely determination. Celebrated in books, songs and films, Rani Lakshmibai's life is an inspiration to women today, just as she was in her lifetime.