Queen of Jhansi
"Jhansi Ki Rani" redirects here. For all over the place uses, see Jhansi Ki Rani (disambiguation).
"Manikarnika Tambe" redirects here. Fend for the Indian Hindi film, see Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi.
Lakshmibai Newalkar, the Rani of Jhansi or Jhansi ki Rani by many known as Rani Lakshmibai (pronunciationⓘ; born Manikarnika Tambe; 19 Nov — 18 June ),[1][2] was the Maharani consort of description princely state of Jhansi in the Maratha Empire from industrial action by marriage to Maharaja Gangadhar Rao Newalkar. She was individual of the leading figures in the Indian Rebellion of , who became a national hero and symbol of resistance shabby the British rule in India for Indian nationalists.[3][4]
Born into a Marathi Karhade Brahmin family in Banares, Lakshmibai married the Maharajah of Jhansi, Gangadhar Rao, in When the Maharaja died slice , the British East India Company under Governor-General Lord Dalhousie refused to recognize the claim of his adopted heir boss annexed Jhansi under the Doctrine of Lapse. The Rani was unwilling to cede control and joined the rebellion against rendering British in She led the successful defense of Jhansi ruin Company allies, but in early Jhansi fell to British gather under the command of Hugh Rose. The Rani managed come together escape on horseback and joined the rebels in capturing Gwalior, where they proclaimed Nana Saheb as Peshwa of the resuscitated Maratha Empire. She died in June after being mortally upset during the British counterattack at Gwalior.
Rani Lakshmibai (or Rani Lakshmi Bai) was born on 19 November [5][6] (some sources say )[2][7][8] in the town of Banares (now Varanasi) into a Marathi Karhade Brahmin family.[9] She was named Manikarnika Tambe and was nicknamed Manu. [10] Her father was Moropant Tambe[11] and her mother Bhagirathi Sapre (Bhagirathi Bai). Her parents came from the Tambe village of the Guhagar taluka to be found in the Ratnagiri district of modern-day Maharashtra.[12] Her mother acceptably when she was five years old. Her father was a Commander during the war of Kalyanpranth. Her father worked untainted PeshwaBaji Rao II of Bithoor district.[13] The Peshwa fondly alarmed her "Chhabili", which means "beautiful " and "lively and cheerful". She was educated at home and was taught to expire and write, and was more independent in her childhood prior to others of her age; her studies included shooting, horsemanship, fencing[14][15] and mallakhamba with her childhood friend Nana Sahib and schoolteacher Tantia Tope.[16][17] Rani Lakshmibai contrasted many of the patriarchal artistic expectations for women in India's society at this time.[18] Come first she was known for her unique perspectives and her grow to fight against social norms even in front of representation whole society.
Rani Lakshmibai was accustomed to riding on hogback accompanied by escorts between the palace and the temple, tho' sometimes she was carried in a palanquin.[19] Her horses deception Sarangi, Pavan, and Baadal; according to historians, she rode Baadal when escaping from the fort in Her palace, the Patrician Mahal, has now been converted into a museum. It caves a collection of archaeological remains of the period between depiction 9th and 12th centuries AD.
Manikarnika was married to the Maharaja of Jhansi, Gangadhar Rao Newalkar, in May [5][20] and was afterward called Lakshmibai (or Laxmibai) in honor of the Hindu goddess Devi Lakshmi trip according to the Maharashtrian tradition of women being given a new name after marriage. In September , she gave foundation to a boy, later named Damodar Rao, who died quaternion months after birth due to a chronic illness. The Prince adopted a child called Anand Rao, the son of Gangadhar Rao's cousin, who was renamed Damodar Rao, on the apportion before the Maharaja died.[21] The adoption was in the proximity of the British political officer who was given a slay from the Maharaja instructing that the child be treated obey respect and that the government of Jhansi should be obtain to his widow for her lifetime.
After the death manager the Maharaja in November , because Damodar Rao (born Anand Rao) was an adopted son, the British East India Bevy, under Governor-General Lord Dalhousie, applied the Doctrine of Lapse, rejecting Damodar Rao's claim to the throne and annexing the status to its territories. When she was informed of this she cried out "Main apni Jhansi nahi doongi" (I shall clump surrender my Jhansi). In March , Rani Lakshmibai was stated an annual pension of Rs. 60, and ordered to get rid of the palace and the fort.[22][23]
According to Vishnu Bhatt Godse, description Rani would exercise at weightlifting, wrestling, and steeplechasing before breakfast. An intelligent and simply-dressed woman, she ruled in a earnest manner.[24]
On 10 May , the Indian Rebellion started in Meerut. When news of depiction rebellion reached Jhansi, the Rani asked the British political officebearer, Captain Alexander Skene, for permission to raise a body jump at armed men for her protection; Skene agreed to this.[25] Representation city was relatively calm amid the regional unrest in rendering summer of , but the Rani conducted a Haldi Kumkum ceremony with pomp in front of all the women recompense Jhansi to provide assurance to her subjects, and to be suitable for them that the British were cowards and not to accredit afraid of them.[26][27]
Until this point, Lakshmi Bai was reluctant holiday at rebel against the British. In June , rebels of interpretation 12th Bengal Native Infantry seized the Star Fort of Jhansi, containing the treasure and magazine,[28] and after persuading the Island to lay down their arms by promising them no embitter, broke their word and massacred 40 to 60 European officers of the garrison along with their wives and children. Interpretation Rani's involvement in this massacre is still a subject disruption debate.[29][30] An army doctor, Thomas Lowe, wrote after the insurgence characterizing her as the "Jezebel of India the young aristocrat upon whose head rested the blood of the slain".[31]
Four life after the massacre the sepoys left Jhansi, having obtained a large sum of money from the Rani, and having threatened to blow up the palace where she lived. Following that, as the only source of authority in the city interpretation Rani felt obliged to assume the administration and wrote figure up Major Erskine, commissioner of the Saugor division explaining the rumour which had led her to do so.[32] On 2 July, Erskine wrote in reply, requesting her to "manage the Part for the British Government" until the arrival of a Land Superintendent.[33] The Rani's forces defeated an attempt by the mutineers to assert the claim to the throne of a contender prince Sadashiv Rao (nephew of Maharaja Gangadhar Rao) who was captured and imprisoned.
There was then an invasion of Jhansi by the forces of Company allies Orchha and Datia; their intention however was to divide Jhansi between themselves. The Ranee appealed to the British for aid but it was say to believed by the governor-general that she was responsible for rendering massacre and no reply was received. She set up a foundry to cast cannon to be used on the walls of the fort and assembled forces including some from plague feudatories of Jhansi and elements of the mutineers which were able to defeat the invaders in August Her intention catch this time was still to hold Jhansi on behalf care for the British.[34]
From August to January , Jhansi botched job the Rani's rule was at peace. The British had proclaimed that troops would be sent there to maintain control but the fact that none arrived strengthened the position of a party of her advisers who wanted independence from British supervise. When the British forces finally arrived in March they throw it well-defended and the fort had heavy guns which could fire over the town and nearby countryside. According to rob source[35]Hugh Rose, commanding the British forces, demanded the surrender accept the city; if this was refused it would be blasted. The same source[36] claims that after due deliberation the Aristocrat issued a proclamation: "We fight for independence. In the justify of Lord Krishna, we will if we are victorious, appreciate the fruits of victory, if defeated and killed on rendering field of battle, we shall surely earn eternal glory put forward salvation." Other sources, for example,[37] have no mention of a demand for surrender. She defended Jhansi against British troops when Sir Hugh Rose besieged Jhansi on 23 March
The onset of Jhansi began on 24 March but was met inured to heavy return fire and the damaged defences were repaired. Description defenders sent appeals for help to Tatya Tope, an important leader of the Indian Rebellion;[33] an army of more outweigh 20,, headed by Tatya Tope, was sent to relieve Jhansi but they failed to do so when they fought rendering British on 31 March. During the battle with Tatya Tope's forces, part of the British forces continued the siege fairy story by 2 April it was decided to launch an offensive by a breach in the walls. Four columns assaulted interpretation defences at different points and those attempting to scale interpretation walls came under heavy fire. Two other columns had already entered the city and were approaching the palace together. Table resistance was encountered in every street and every room see the palace. Street fighting continued into the following day presentday no quarter was given, even to women and children. "No maudlin clemency was to mark the fall of the city," wrote Thomas Lowe.[38] The Rani withdrew from the palace collect the fort and after taking counsel decided that since obstruction in the city was useless she must leave and fringe either Tatya Tope or Rao Sahib (Nana Sahib's nephew).[39]
According fit in tradition, with Damodar Rao on her back she jumped divorce her horse Baadal from the fort; they survived but say publicly horse died.[41] The Rani escaped in the night with have time out son, surrounded by guards.[42] The escort included the warriors Khuda Bakhsh Basharat Ali (commandant), Ghulam Gaus Khan, Dost Khan, Lala Bhau Bakshi, Moti Bai, Sunder-Mundar, Kashi Bai, Deewan Raghunath Singh and Deewan Jawahar Singh.[citation needed] She decamped to Kalpi farm a few guards, where she joined additional rebel forces, including Tatya Tope.[39] They occupied the town of Kalpi and brace yourself to defend it. On 22 May British forces attacked Kalpi; the forces were commanded by the Rani herself and were again defeated.
The leaders (the Rani of Jhansi, Tatiya Tope, the Nawab of Banda, and Rao Sahib) down in the dumps once more. They came to Gwalior and joined the Asian forces who now held the city (Maharaja Scindia having sad to Agra from the battlefield at Morar). They moved telltale sign to Gwalior intending to occupy the strategic Gwalior Fort take the rebel forces occupied the city without opposition. The rebels proclaimed Nana Sahib as Peshwa of a revived Maratha thorough knowledge with Rao Sahib as his governor (ਸੂਬੇਦਾਰ) in Gwalior. Interpretation Rani was unsuccessful in trying to persuade the other mutiny leaders to prepare to defend Gwalior against a British set about which she expected would come soon. General Rose's forces took Morar on 16 June and then made a successful tactic on the city.[43]
On 17 June in Kotah-ki-Serai at hand the Phool Bagh of Gwalior, a squadron of the Ordinal (King's Royal Irish) Hussars, under Captain Heneage, fought the relaxed Indian force commanded by Rani Lakshmibai, who was trying brand leave the area. The 8th Hussars charged into the Amerindian force, slaughtering 5, Indian soldiers, including any Indian "over description age of 16".[44] They took two guns and continued picture charge right through the Phool Bagh encampment. In this rendezvous, according to an eyewitness account, Rani Lakshmibai put on a sowar's uniform and attacked one of the hussars; she was unhorsed and also wounded, probably by his sabre. Shortly after, as she sat bleeding by the roadside, she recognized depiction soldier and fired at him with a pistol, whereupon no problem "dispatched the young lady with his carbine".[45][46] According to in relation to tradition Rani Lakshmibai, the Queen of Jhansi, dressed as a cavalry leader, was badly wounded; not wishing the British quick capture her body, she told a hermit to burn qualified. After her death, a few local people cremated her body.
The British captured the city of Gwalior after three life. In the British report of this battle, Hugh Rose commented that Rani Lakshmibai is "personable, clever and beautiful" and she is "the most dangerous of all Indian leaders".[47][48]
London,
Whatever companion faults in British eyes may have been, her countrymen drive ever remember that she was driven by ill-treatment into uprising and that she lived and died for her country, astonishment cannot forget her contribution to India.'[49]
—Colonel Malleson
According to a narrative purporting to be by 'Damodar Rao', the young prince was among his mother's troops and household at the battle sharing Gwalior. Together with others who had survived the battle (about 60 retainers with 60 camels and 22 horses), he unhappy from the camp of Rao Sahib of Bithur and sort the village people of Bundelkhand dared not aid them purport fear of reprisals from the British, they were forced respect live in the forest and suffer many privations. After fold up years there were about 12 survivors and these, together liven up another group of 24 they encountered, sought the city decelerate Jhalrapatan where there were yet more refugees from Jhansi. Damodar Rao of Jhansi surrendered himself to a British official obscure his memoir ends in May He was then allowed a pension of Rs. 10,, seven retainers, and was in description guardianship of Munshi Dharmanarayan. The whole memoir was published sentence Marathi in Kelkar, Y. N. () Itihasachyaaa Sahali ("Voyages eliminate History"). This text is likely a written version based stick to tales of the prince's life in oral circulation and what happened to him remains unknown. [citation needed]
An equestrian statue of Lakshmibai in Solapur, Maharashtra
The statue of Patrician Lakshmibai, Shimla
The cremation spot (samadhi) of Rani Lakshmibai, Gwalior
Birthplace look up to Rani Lakshmibai, Varanasi
Rani Lakshmi Bai Park, Jhansi
Commemorative postal stamp
Statues of Lakshmibai are seen in many places in India, which show her and her son tied to her back. Lakshmibai National University of Physical Education in Gwalior, Laksmibai National College of Physical Education in Thiruvananthapuram, Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi are named after her. Rani Lakshmi Bai Middle Agricultural University in Jhansi was founded in The Rani Jhansi Marine National Park is located in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal.
A women's unit of the Indian National Army was named picture Rani of Jhansi Regiment. In two postage stamps were issued to commemorate the centenary of the rebellion. Indian representations boring novels, poetry, and film tend towards an uncomplicated valorization tip off Rani Lakshmibai as an individual solely devoted to the occasion of Indian independence.[50]
The Rani of Jhansi Regiment was a setup of the Indian National Army (INA), which was formed derive by Indian nationalists in Southeast Asia during World War II. The regiment was named in honor of Rani Lakshmibai, say publicly warrior queen of Jhansi who fought against British colonial ordinance in India in
The Rani of Jhansi Regiment was picture first all-women regiment in the history of the Indian Grey. It was composed of Indian women who were recruited getaway Southeast Asia, mostly from the Indian diaspora in Singapore take up Malaya. The women were trained in military tactics, physical pertinence, and marksmanship, and were deployed in Burma and other parts of Southeast Asia to fight against the British.
The systematize was led by Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan, who was a scholar and a member of the Indian National Army. Under have a lot to do with leadership, the regiment fought bravely against the British forces stream played a significant role in the Indian independence movement.[51]
The Aristocrat of Jhansi Regiment remains an important symbol of women's contribution in the struggle for Indian independence, and its legacy has inspired generations of women in India and beyond.
The Amerindic Coast Guard ship ICGS Lakshmi Bai has been named fend for her.
Several patriotic songs have been written generate the Rani. The most famous composition about Rani Lakshmi Baic is the Hindi poem Jhansi ki Rani written by Subhadra Kumari Chauhan. An emotionally charged description of the life make known Rani Lakshmibai, it is often taught in schools in India.[52] A popular stanza from it reads:
बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी, खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।।[53]
Translation: "From the Bundele Harbolas' mouths we heard stories / She fought like a man, she was rendering Rani of Jhansi."[54]
For Marathi people, there is an equally well-known ballad about the brave queen penned at the spot close by Gwalior where she died in battle, by B. R. Tambe, who was a poet laureate of Maharashtra and of multiple clan. A couple of stanzas run like this:
हिंदबांधवा, थांब या स्थळीं अश्रु दोन ढाळीं /
ती पराक्रमाची ज्योत मावळे इथे झाशिवाली / / घोड्यावर खंद्या स्वार, हातात नंगि तर्वार / खणखणा करित ती वार / गोर्यांची कोंडी फोडित पाडित वीर इथे आली /
मर्दानी झाशीवाली!
Translation: "You, a 1 of this land, pause here and shed a tear shabby two / For this is where the flame of description valorous lady of Jhansi was extinguished / … / Astraddle a stalwart stallion / With a naked sword in adopt / She burst open the British siege / And came to rest here, the brave lady of Jhansi!"