“History is Key.” Anita Kharbanda’s Lioness of Punjab

How is it that growing up in India, I never heard of the woman at the center of Anita Kharbanda’s Lioness of Punjab? In accounts of the Emperor Aurangzeb’s siege of the Anandpur Sahib gurdwara, her name was curiously missing, just another example of the erasure of women in 19th and 20th century accounts of the past.

Mai Bhago lived in the 18th century, refusing to fit the mold of a domesticated woman. Instead, she mastered the arts of war and took up arms against the Mughal Empire.

Look for Mai Bhago in the top right hand corner of this 19th century painting, brandishing her sword and shield:

Unknown 19th Century Punjabi folk artist, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

I asked Anita Kharbanda to tell me more about her YA novel, a fictionalized rendering of Mai Bhago’s life and times. Anita wrote:

Lioness of Punjab is my book baby. It is YA Historical fiction based on the life of the first female Sikh warrior, Mai Bhago. Growing up I reveled in hearing stories about her, but always craved more than the few paragraphs history books gave her. I decided to give her the story I believe she deserves and essentially write the book I wanted to read. Delving into history books by Sikh historians such as Khushwant Singh, I researched the time, place and events Mai Bhago was known to be present at, and imagined the details of her life then and there. As a writer of historical fiction, I desired to stick to the facts when available. When they were not available, I filled in the blanks in a way that seemed fitting to Mai Bhago's character.

I’m sure you can imagine how difficult it was to surface details about her life since she lived in India in the late 1600s and early 1700s. History wasn’t always tracked as well then, especially not for women. But I have always been fascinated by this time period because it marks the birth of Sikhism. This is my religion and Mai Bhago’s religion. During this time period India was not a country. It was a subcontinent with border skirmishes and invading groups. At the same time, it was full of vivid cultural traditions and celebrations. This was the time period before, and leading up to, colonization. It is important to understand this period and everything in it, so we can connect with South Asia’s evolution. History is key to helping us understand why certain events happened. History also teaches us to learn from the past, and make better decisions in the future

Writing this book taught me the importance of patience, persistence, and diligence when crafting work that means so much to you, and potentially others. One of the gifts writing this story provided me not only as a writer and life-long learner, but as a human being, was the importance of bravery and fighting for what you believe in.

Anita also shared this aside:

While writing Lioness of Punjab, I reminded myself to write only for one person. There is a wonderful Kurt Vonnegut quote I live by: “Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.” 

Finally, she said:

I really hope Lioness of Punjab will educate readers on Sikh history, inspire people to pursue their passions regardless of gender, empathize with those who've grappled with grief, excite readers with action-packed sequences, and warm hearts with romance.

So many stories of so many girls and women. It’s past time to tell them now. Thanks, Anita!