THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
New Delhi, June 18: Bloomsbury India is set to publish The Lion of Naushera, the first major biography of Brigadier Mohammed Usman, on July 17 2025, celebrating a man hailed as “the pride of India”
A hero reclaimed
Within weeks of independence, Kashmir became a volatile frontline. Brigadier Mohammed Usman, honoured with the title Lion of Naushera, led the pushback against Pakistan’s incursions at Jhangar and Naushera in the bone-chilling winter of 1948. Tragically, he fell just twelve days before his 36th birthday on 3 July 1948, yet his sacrifice helped safeguard Kashmir as part of India
Despite being the highest-ranking Indian officer to die in combat, his story remained largely overlooked—until now. The Lion of Naushera not only covers Usman’s battlefield heroics but dives into how his secular ideals symbolised the pluralist ethos of a nascent nation.
Book extract
The eyes of the world are on us.
The hopes and aspirations of our countrymen are based upon our efforts.
We must not falter, we must not fail them…..
To every man upon this earth
Death Cometh soon or late
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds for the ashes of his fathers
And the temples of his gods …
So forward friends, fearless we go to Jhangar
India expects everyone to do his duty.
This stirring order, issued by Usman before reclaiming Jhangar and Naushera, reveals both his resolve and patriotism. Facing Pakistani forces, he vowed not to rest until the mission was complete. Yet it was on July 3, 1948, while repelling a 25-pounder Pakistani shell, that he made the ultimate sacrifice. His state funeral in Delhi —attended by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, the three service chiefs, and key officials—confirmed his national legacy. He was posthumously honoured with the Maha Vir Chakra.
Meet the Authors
Ziya Us Salam
An Associate Editor at The Hindu, Salam first gained prominence with books like Women in Masjid (2019) and Nikah Halala (2020), but achieved mainstream success in 2024 with Being Muslim in Hindu India. His intriguing works, such as Of Saffron Flags and Skullcaps and Lynch Files, explore India’s secular ideals and social fissures.
Anand Mishra
A veteran journalist with two decades of experience, Mishra has reported for the Hindustan Times in Dhanbad, PTI, Indian Express, DNA, Deccan Herald, and, for the past six years, Frontline. His expertise spans national politics—including Panchayat to presidential elections—and coverage of Naxal violence, coal, and crime syndicates. A published poet, his work has appeared in The Asian Age, Poetry India, and World Poetry, among others.
Why this matters
At a time when Kashmir remains in global headlines, Usman’s life offers a timely reminder of the plural vision with which India was forged. As Salam said in an interview: “Brigadier Usman chose to remain in pluralist India”. This biography pays overdue homage to a soldier whose courage and secularism exemplified the very soul of the nation.
Book details
- Title: The Lion of Naushera
- Authors: Ziya Us Salam and Anand Mishra
- Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing India Pvt. Ltd
- Release date: July 17 2025
- Format: Paperback, ₹399
Keep an eye out this July for a stirring revival of a legend—and a tribute to a man whose legacy still inspires national pride.
