Women at War: Subhas Chandra Bose and the Rani of Jhansi Regiment - Hardcover

Vera Hildebrand (author)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1682473155 ISBN 13: 9781682473153

Publisher: Naval Institute Press, 2018

Synopsis

Among the more improbable events of the Asia-Pacific Theater in World War II was the creation in Singapore of a corps of female Indian combat soldiers, the Rani of Jhansi Regiment (RJR). They served under Indian freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose in the Indian National Army. Because the creation of an Indian all-female regiment of combat soldiers was a radical military innovation in 1943, and because the role of women in today's broader context of Indian culture has become a prevalent and pressing issue, the extensive testimony of the surviving veterans of this unit is timely and urgent. The history of these brave women soldiers is little known, their extraordinary service and the role played by Bose remains largely unexplored. In the years since the RJR surrender in 1945, the story of Subhas Chandra Bose and the Rani Regiment of female combatants as signature symbols of both the national fight for independence and of Indian women's struggle for gender equality has taken on aspects of myth. Lengthy interviews with the veteran Ranis together with archival research comprise the evidence that separates the myth of the Bengali hero and his jungle warrior maidens from historical fact, and this resulting book presents an accurate narrative of the Ranis. The facts are nearly as impressive as the legend.

About this title

About the Author

Vera Hildebrand has a PhD in Indian history and culture from Georgetown University. She is a senior research fellow at the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies at University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Previously, she taught at Harvard University and University of Copenhagen.

Edition details

• Publisher: Naval Institute Press
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1682473155
• ISBN 13: 9781682473153
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 340