Birsa Munda lived in one of the villages that dotted the Chhotanagpur region in today’s Jharkhand. He was a dreamy boy with an uncanny ability to mesmerize not only humans but birds and animals too with his words and music. As he grew up, he became more and more aware of the exploitation of the Adivasi people by rich landowners and the British government. Birsa spoke out one day, and from that moment on, he started a journey that saw him become one of India’s greatest tribal leaders and icons of resistance.

Birsa Munda rallied his people, telling them to stand up for their traditional rights to the forests and their land. He exhorted them to set aside old superstitions. And he led them in armed confrontations with the mighty British police forces.

The extraordinary life of this great leader comes alive for a new generation of readers in this biography that is as engaging as it is inspiring.