Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi is one of the leading figures of the First War of Indian Independence (1857), and is a symbol of the resistance to British rule in India. She has gone down in Indian history as a legendary figure, a firebrand who began the Indian Revolution against British colonialism. She was born to a Maharashtrian family at Kashi (now Varanasi) in 1835. At a tender age of four, she lost her mother. Her father raised her in an unconventional way and supported her to learn to ride elephants and horses. She also took formal training in martial arts, which included shooting and fencing. ( A picture depicting rani Lakshmi Bai on horse back with Damodar) In 1842, she married Maharaja of Jhansi, Raja Gangadhar Rao Niwalkar. On their wedding day, she was given the name Lakshmi Bai. In 1851, she gave birth to a son. Sadly, the child did not survive for more than four months. Gangadhar Rao fell sick and became very weak in 1853. So, the couple adopted a son...