Begam Bagee Banduk by Souvik Das [Hardcover]

The history of Lucknow is incomplete without her name. She was not just the wife of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah—she was one of the most unforgettable leaders of the 1857 Rebellion. A true pride of Lucknow, the fearless Begum Hazrat Mahal.

Even when the Nawab abandoned her and left for Kolkata, she plunged into the flames of revolt with unmatched determination. She kept the British confined within the Residency for months, and for the next eighteen months, she led relentless guerrilla attacks across Awadh.

The British had thought that Lucknow would fall into their hands effortlessly—but when they tried to take it, they realized it was not sugar but Bhut Jolokia—one of the spiciest chilies in the world. They faced massive losses in both men and resources.

This glorious history of Lucknow is not just a matter of pride for the people of Awadh. It belongs to every Bengali who made Lucknow their home, for Bengalis, too, have been a part of this legacy for centuries!

My historical novel, "Begum, Bagi, Bandook" (Begum, Rebel, Gun), weaves together this extraordinary tale of Lucknow’s resistance, 19th-century Kolkata, the arrival of railways in India, and the fascinating stories surrounding it.

When we think of the leaders of the 1857 Revolution, we often remember Rani of Jhansi. But history also belongs to Jhalkari Bai, Maharani Avantibai Lodhi, Begum Hazrat Mahal, Uda Devi Pasi, and many more forgotten warriors.