Title: The Incredible Life of Jhalkari Bai – The Braveheart Warrior
Author: Swati Sengupta
Cover Illustrator: Mohit Suneja
Publisher: Talking Cub – An imprint of Speaking Tiger Books
Genre: Non-fiction / Biography
Type: Paperback
Pages: 120
Recommended age: 8 – 11 years (publisher recommendation is 10-12 years)
I am posting this review on behalf of my daughter Shranya Goel.
Born in the humble village of Bhojla, Jhalkari Bai was a warrior in true sense. Fondly called Jhalri, right from the time she killed a tiger with her bare hands, to the day she died fighting against the Britishers, the people of Bhojla and Jhansi have always admired her for her strength, bravery and valour. Though the story of Jhalkari Bai is just one amongst many in Indian history, it doesn’t mean that she was any less. Jhalkari Bai, who came from the suppressed caste married Puran Kori who was a soldier in army of Jhansi and he took her to Jhansi after marriage. In Puran, she found a strong support system who backed her in every phase of her life.
Jhalkari used to climb mountains, do horse riding, shooting and much more. She never realised her true potential until the queen of Jhansi, Rani Laxmi Bai included her in her army under the women’s wing called “Durga Dal”. In a very short span of time she was able to impress Rani Laxmi Bai with her grit, determination and strength and was chosen to lead Durga dal.
Jhalkari Bai had similar looks as that of Rani Laxmi Bai and when in need this similarity came to the rescue, and to help avenge Britishers. While Rani Laxmi Bai wanted peace and prosperity for her kingdom and people, Jhalkari Bai complemented her by always being ready to take on enemies and sacrifice her life for her country.
When British army officer Hugh Rose wanted to invade Jhansi on 27th February, 1858, she fought so bravely that queen was left awestruck. She was captured while fighting against Britishers, but didn’t give up. Though she died fighting against them, her fierce spirit never died.
So, what exactly happened in her life? How did she die? How did they take advantage of the fact that the queen and Jhalkari looked alike? Read the book to know more about the brave heart, Jhalkari Bai.
What I really liked about the book:
i. I loved finding out that even after coming from a suppressed caste, she was able to achieve big feats all because of her courage and perseverance. She was “Veerangana” in the true sense
ii. I got to know about this unsung hero and would like to know about more such brave hearts whose brave and heroic stories have got lost in the pages of history.
My key take aways from the book:
i. If you are determined, no one can stop you from achieving what you aim for even if you come from suppressed sections of society.
ii. Never stop dreaming as you never know when your dreams will come true.
I recommend this book to find about our unsung heroes. It was a fantastic read and I am filled with gratitude towards their contributions for our freedom struggle.
There are other books in The Incredible Life of series from Talking Cub as well for 10 years and above. You can read the review of The Incredible Life of Birsa Munda: The Great Revolutionary Leader here. Divit has reviewed The Incredible Life of Milkha Singh here.
If you enjoyed this review and wish to buy the book from Amazon (kbc affiliate link),
CLICK & BUY NOW!Disclaimer: Shranya is part of the #kbcReviewerSquad and received this book as a review copy from the publisher.
