The Maharani of Jhansi - Lakshmibai

Maharani Lakshmibai

The British East India company had arrived as traders and transformed into an aggressive military organization in India, aimed at dominating and conquering the nation. They defeated Siraj ud Daulah at Plassey in 1757 ane established a stronghold in Bengal. This was followed by the defeat of the Indian coalition of Shuja ud Daulah and Shah Alam II at the Battle of Buxar. The only power left to resist the British were the Marathas. After 3 Anglo Maratha wars, the Peshwa, Bajirao II was finally deposed and exiled to rule over a small town called Bithoor. This marked the end of the Maratha dominance in India and the British emerged as the masters of the Indian subcontinent. The other Maratha chiefs like Shinde and Holkars remained subservient to the British and retained a high standard among their foreign Overlords.

Peshwa Bajirao II

The Peshwa had a trusted subordinate named Moropant Tambe. Moropant Tambe had been the Peshwa's civil minister during these times. On 19 November 1828, Moropant Tambe had been blessed with a daughter. She was named Manikarnika based on the name of the famous Manikarnika Ghat in the holy city of Kashi (Varanasi). The old Peshwa looked at her as if she was his own daughter and called her "Chabili" because she was quite a playful child. In the Peshwa's household, she grew up in a manner that wasn't common for girls of that period. She learned swordfighting, horse riding and archery under the guidance of Tantya Tope, alongside the Peshwa's adopted son, Nanasaheb. 

Maharani Lakshmibai Saheb

Nanasaheb Dhondupant

Senapati Tatya Tope

In May 1842, she was married to H.H. Maharaj Gangadhar Rao Newalkar of Jhansi. Jhansi was a member of the Subsidiary alliance with the EIC and had a British resident at court. According to the prevalent customs of the time, her name was changed to Lakshmibai (based on Goddess Lakshmi - The deity of prosperity) The Rani gave birth to a son, Damodar rao in 1851 who did not survive infancy and died after four months. In order to ensure the continuity of the dynasty, the couple adopted a son, Anandrao and renamed him Damodar rao in the presence of the British Resident of Jhansi.

Maharaja Gangadhar Rao Newalkar

In November, 1853, Maharaja Gangadharrao passed away. The Governor of India, Lord Dalhousie had issued a new policy according to which, if a ruler died without a natural born son to succeed him, his state would be annexed by the British and added to the territories of the EIC. Jhansi was annexed in the same way and the Rani was forced to vacate the fort and palace.

On May 10, 1857, the Sepoy Mutiny began in Meerut. A group of Sepoys from the 12th Bengal Native Infantry seized the fortress of Jhansi and murdered all the British civilians and the soldiers over there. Many high ranking British officials implicated the Rani in this cruel act. This was the opportunity Rani Lakshmibai was waiting for. She organized a Haldi Kumkum ceremony for the women to collect metal for forging weapons. Initially, she wasn't hostile towards the British but when her enemy states of Orccha attacked Jhansi with British support, she changed her attitude towards them.

On 23 March, 1858, Sir Hugh Rose arrived with a British army to take control of Jhansi fort but found it well garrisoned and saw cannons and a lot of troops on the walls of the fort. He positioned his own cannons and started the bombardment of the fort on 24 March. Tatya Tope was supposed to arrive with reinforcements numbering 20000 soldiers but was defeated by the British forces and couldn't reach Jhansi on time. On 2 April, the British launched an all out assault on the fortress and entered inside. Seeing no hope of victory, she took her son Damodar rao on her back and leaped down on her horse from the walls of Jhansi. A look alike Jhalkari bai was captured by the British as they thought she was the Rani but was executed when the truth was revealed.

Along with Ghulam Gaus Khan, Bashir Ali, Raghunath Rao, the Rani escaped and reached to Kalpi where she reunited with the army of Tatya Tope. At the Battle of Kalpi, their army was defeated by the British. 

The Rani and her army advanced towards Gwalior in order to secure support from H.H. Maharaj Jayajirao Shinde of Gwalior. But the Maharaja did not support them on the advice of his Diwan Dinkarrao and instead decided to fight the Rani and her allies. At the battle of Morar on 1 June, 1858, the Maharaja was defeated and fled to British protection.

Maharaja Jayajirao Shinde

Gwalior Fort

The Rani occupied the grand fortress of Gwalior and proclaimed Nanasaheb as the Peshwa with Raosaheb as his deputy in his absence. On 16 June, Sir Hugh Rose retook Morar from them and advanced to defeat the Rani. The final engagement took on June 17 at Kotah ki Serai where the British 8th Hussars launched a surprise attack on the troops of the Rani who were trying to escape from Gwalior. 5000 Indian soldiers were killed and the Rani was badly injured. It is said that she requested a priest to burn her body so that the British may not defile it. Her memorial still exists at Phool Bagh area of Gwalior.

Sir Hugh Rose

In the British report, Sir Hugh Rose said that she is "personable, clever and beautiful" and she was "the most dangerous of all Indian leaders." In the book "History of the Indian Mutiny", Colonel Malleson wrote that "Whatever her faults in British eyes may have been, her countrymen will always remember that she was driven by ill treatment into rebellion and that she lived and died for her country"

Such was the valour of Rani Lakshmi Bai that even Hugh Rose, whose forces martyred the warrior queen wrote, “Although she was a lady, she was the bravest & best military leader of rebels. A man among the mutineers.”

सिंहासन हिल उठे राजवंशों ने भृकुटी तानी थी,

बूढ़े भारत में आई फिर से नयी जवानी थी,

गुमी हुई आज़ादी की कीमत सबने पहचानी थी,

दूर फिरंगी को करने की सबने मन में ठानी थी।

चमक उठी सन सत्तावन में, वह तलवार पुरानी थी,

बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,

खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।।