BOOK REFLECTION

Book: Like a Girl: Real Stories for Tough Kids by Aparna Jain

Chand Bibi was one of the great women warriors in history. She is also known as the warrior queen. She was married to Ali Adil Shah at a very young age of 14; the marriage was meant forge a bond between two kingdoms. She was a good wife. She followed her husband everywhere for hunts, battles and other endeavors. She was a very brave and generous woman. She did everything to help people in her kingdom. Common folk liked her. She used to play veena and sing gracefully.

But her bad days started when her husband suddenly died. She took care of her nephew, because her husband asked her to make him the king after his death. The couple didn’t have any children of their own. So, Chand Bibi educated her nephew and raised him. Ministers in her court took advantage this situation and tried to seize the throne—but failed miserably. Even the great Mughal Emperor, Akbar, tried to conquer Bijapur but Chand Bibi didn’t want to give up the kingdom so easily. She waged a war. She looked to Deccan kings for help. She fought bravely and won the war. From then onward, she was called Chand Sultana.

Unfortunately, Chand Bibi was defeated in the second war with a much larger Mughal army. She died a warrior’s death. Today, Chand Bibi is remembered as one of the greatest female warriors.

by

Siri Chandana Gattineni

Class VII

Written in January 2024