Rani LakshRani Laxmi Bai was born into a Maharashtrian family in Kashi, Varanasi. She was also called “Jhansi Ki Rani“. When the Indian Rebellion against British rule broke out in 1857, Bai emerged as a key leader. In 1858, after a fierce battle against the British forces, she died fighting near Gwalior.
Nana Sahib
Rani Laxmi bai had Nana Sahib and Tanya Tope as her childhood friends. Her education was taken care of by the Peshwa who ensured that she was also trained in shooting, fencing and horse riding.
Rani Lakshmibai & Gangadhar Rao adopted a son for two reasons: 1. Continuity of Jhansi throne: Hindu law prevented female rulers, requiring a male heir for Jhansi
https://youtu.be/1IuVGs1GbKs?si=gKTSIi7geFRdgDflRani Lakshmi Bai Ka Jeevan Parichay: 1828
Nana Sahib
Rani Laxmi bai had Nana Sahib and Tanya Tope as her childhood friends. Her education was taken care of by the Peshwa who ensured that she was also trained in shooting, fencing and horse riding.
Rani Lakshmibai & Gangadhar Rao adopted a son for two reasons: 1. Continuity of Jhansi throne: Hindu law prevented female rulers, requiring a male heir for Jhansi
Rani Lakshmi 19 November 1835 – 17 June 1858, popular as Jhansi Ki Rani, was the queen of the Maratha-ruled lordly state of Jhansi, one of the prominent figures of the Indian Revolt of 1857, and an icon of resistance to British India. Jhansi Rani’s original name was Manikarnika Tambe but, in Indian history as a legendary figure, as the Indian ‘Joan of Arc.’ Her name was Manikarnika. Lovingly, her family members called her Manu. At the young age of 4, she lost her mother. As a result, her father was responsible for raising her. Although completing her studies, she also received training in martial arts, including horse riding, shooting.
Life of Lakshmi Bai
Lakshmi Bai, raised in the family of the Peshwa Bhaji Rao II, had an unusual childhood for a Brahman child. Growing up with the boys in the Peshwa court, she was educated in martial arts and became an expert in sword fighting and riding. She got married to the Maharaja of Jhansi, Gangadhar Rao, but she was widowed without a surviving heir to the throne. Following the existing Hindu tradition, the Maharaja adopted a boy as his heir just before his death. Lord Dalhousie, the British governor-general of India, declined to acknowledge the adopted heir and annexed Jhansi in compliance with the doctrine of lapse. The East India Company representative was placed in the small kingdom to take care of administrative duties.
Rule & Revolt of Lakshmi Bai
The 22-year-old queen refused to hand over Jhansi to the British. Shortly after the start of the rebellion in 1857, which erupted out in Meerut, Lakshmi Bai was declared ruler of Jhansi and became Jhansi Ki rani Lakshmi bai. She ruled on behalf of a minor heir. Leading the British rebellion, she quickly organized her troops and took command of the Bundelkhand area rebels. Mutineers in the nearby areas moved towards Jhansi to give their support.
With Gen. Hugh Rose, the East India Company had begun its counter-offensive in Bundelkhand heir and annexed Jhansi in compliance with the doctrine of lapse. The East India Company representative was placed in the small kingdom to take care of administrative duties.
Rule & Revolt of Lakshmi Bai
The 22-year-old queen refused to hand over Jhansi to the British. Shortly after the start of the rebellion in 1857, which erupted out in Meerut, Lakshmi Bai was declared ruler of Jhansi and became Jhansi Ki rani Lakshmi bai. She ruled on behalf of a minor heir. Leading the British rebellion, she quickly organized her troops and took command of the Bundelkhand area rebels. Mutineers in the nearby areas moved towards Jhansi to give their support.
With Gen. Hugh Rose, the East India Company had begun its counter-offensive in Bundelkhand
d by January 1858. Moving forward from Meow, Rose caught Saugers (now Sager) in February and then shifted to Jhansi in March. The forces of the company surrounded the fort of Jhansi, and a furious war raged. Offering tough resistance to the invaders, Queen of Jhansi didn’t give up even after her forces were outnumbered. The rescue army of Tanita Tope, another rebel leader, was beaten in the Battle of Betwa. With a small force of palace guards, Lakshmi Bai managed to flee from the fort and went east, where other rebels joined her.
Death of Rani Lakshmi Bai
Tanita Tope and Lakshmi Bai launched a successful attack on the city fortress of Gwalior. The treasury and arsenal were confiscated, and Nana Sahib, a popular chief, was proclaimed the Peshwa (ruler). After taking Gwalior, Lakshmi Bai marched east to Mortar to face a British counterattack led by Rose. Dressed as a man, she fought a furious battle and was killed in battle. It is assumed that her funeral was held on the same day near the place where she was injured. One of her maids helped to organize a fast funeral. Her father, Moro pant Tam bey, was hanged a few days after Jhansi’s fall. Her adopted son, Damara Rao, received a grant from the British Raj and was provided for, although he never got his inheritance.
Recognition
Because of her strength, courage, and intelligence, her progressive vision of the liberation of women in India in the 19th century, and her sacrifices, she became a symbol of the Indian independence movement. The Rani was commemorated in bronze sculptures in both Jhansi and Gwalior, both portraying her on horseback.
In contemporary social norms struggling with illiberal conceptions of gender inequality, Rani was inventively educated as a woman who can read the scriptures and handle a sword of equal strength as a man. In opposing the British Rule of Lapse, she did more than fight for Jhansi at first, tentatively and finally unbendingly. She fought for the right of an adopted child, the right of a woman to rule the kingdom while her chosen heir was a minor, the right of women to wear uniforms in war, the freedom to live and rule instead of becoming sati, the right of each and every ‘citizen’ of her empire, female or male, Muslim or Hindu, or otherwise, to participate in the battle for independence. Her dedication to a national agenda that only came together and was seeded beyond her dominion; for heading her army of men and women with exemplary courage; for giving rise to a triumphant feminist ideology; for mobilizing her army with unity. She’s going to stay forever in the History of the National Movement.
Other lesser-known facts
- She was excellent at horseback riding and had full training.
- It is said that not wishing the British to capture her body she asked somebody else to cremate her or bury her body by the locals of that area.
- In her early childhood, she was very notorious and playful hence the name Chablis was given to her by Peshwa of Birhor.
- Lakshmi bai palace which is famously known as the Rani Mahal has been turned into a museum so that it is easily accessible by people from all across to fitness the most legendary woman of all times.
- Two postage stamps were introduced or issued in 1957 to honour the birthday of the rebellion.
Nana Sahib
Rani Laxmi bai had Nana Sahib and Tanya Tope as her childhood friends. Her education was taken care of by the Peshwa who ensured that she was also trained in shooting, fencing and horse riding.
Rani Lakshmibai & Gangadhar Rao adopted a son for two reasons: 1. Continuity of Jhansi throne: Hindu law prevented female rulers, requiring a male heir for Jhansi.