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Although she lived only till 22, she remains a living legend. Her life is a thrilling story of courage. I am sure many of you may have heard her name mentioned before, this article is just a humble attempt to capture her glowing personality and her struggle for freedom and present it to the readers. Jhansi ki Rani was born in the year 1835 in the holy city of Varanasi, and her name was Manu. Unfortunately she lost her mother when she was only four, so the duty of bringing her up fell principally on her father. Along with formal education she acquired the skill in sword fighting, horse riding and shooting. Manu later became the wife of Gangadhar Rao, Maharaj of Jhansi, in 1842. From then on she was known as Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi. In 1851 the Rani bore a son but her fate was cruel and she lost her child within three months. The Maharaja passed away on the 21st November 1853. Although prior to this the couple has adopted a boy to be their heir, the British government claimed they did not recognise the right of the adopted boy to the kingdom. It was their policy at the time that the British would directly annex any kingdom without an heir. Before his death Gangadhar Rao personally petitioned the East India Company that his adopted son Damodar Rao be recognized as his heir, and died with the same hope. But in 1854 it was proclaimed that the East India Company would not recognize Damodar Rao, and ordered the Rani to vacate the fort and live in the palace in return for a pension of Rs. 5,000 per month (a considerable sum in those days). The Rani was enraged and determined not to let go of the kingdom, but had at that time no power to oppose the might of the British, so she complied with the orders and was determined not to give up. She was extremely popular with the people, and held a lot of sway, and bided her time for the right moment.
All these disciplined
and training patterns came in use during the great war of 1857. Many
lives were lost and innocent people killed. Although India did not
gain independence, the Rani did win back Jhansi for some time, and
defended it valiantly. The kingdom of Jhansi became one of the focal points of the conflict and the Rani it’s undisputed leader, she began recruiting volunteers among both men and women. They were all trained militarily and the defenses of the city itself were strengthened upon her orders. She scored some important victories and held out against the pro-British forces through the whole of 1857, and administered her kingdom successfully. However, it was not to last. In 1858 the pro-British forces under the command of Sir Hugh Rose reached Jhansi, and on the 23rd of March laid siege to the city which lasted for nearly 2 weeks during which the people of Jhansi showed incredible valor under the able leadership of Rani Lakshmi Bai who was always personally active in the defense of the city. But eventually Jhansi fell before the superior fire power of the British forces and was reduced to rubble in the revenge that followed. The Rani escaped during the night with the help of a woman named Jalkari Bai who impersonated her; she made her way to Kalpi which was about 100 miles away. In Kalpi she was joined by other leaders like Tatia Tope, but they were again defeated by Sir Hugh Rose and forced to flee towards Gwalior. With this defeat many of the Indian leaders were losing their will to fight on, but the Rani was adamant and insisted that they should take the Gwalior fort to which everyone eventually agreed. Although the king there was pro-British and did not join the Indian rebellion, the people and the armed forces were against the British and helped the Indian forces take control with the king fleeing to Agra for British protection.
The significance of Rani Lakshmi Bai does not lie in her being a military strategist on par with certain other warriors such as Shivaji and Rana Pratap, or winning as many victories as them, but in showing courage, determination and resourcefulness in very trying circumstances. Being a woman living in the 19th century, it was even more amazing and her story would serve as an inspiration for generations of later day Indians, especially women, and deservedly so. It would be fitting to end the article with what one of her most deadly adversary had to say about her, illustrating the high opinion she commanded even among her enemies. According to Lord Cumberland “The Rani is remarkable for her bravery, cleverness and perseverance; her generosity to her subordinates was unbounded. These qualities, combined with her rank, rendered her the most dangerous of all the rebel leaders."[1] Reference: [1]
“Brave and beautiful: the Rani of Jhansi in British eyes” |
The
year 2007 is a special year in both British and Indian history; being
the 150th anniversary of what 
After
the British took over her government her daily routine changed. Every
morning from 4am to 8am were set apart for bathing, worship, meditation
and prayer. From 8am to 11am she would go out for a horse ride and
practice shooting and sword fighting. Thereafter she would bathe again,
feed the hungry, give alms to the poor and then have food; then rested
for a while. After that she would chant the Ramayana. She would then
exercise lightly in the evening. Later she would go through some religious
books and hear religious sermons. Then she worshipped her chosen deity
and had supper. All things were done methodically, according to her
strict timetable.
Sir
Hugh Rose then reached Gwalior and attacked the fort. During the first
day the Indian forces were able to hold the fort, but on the second
day it was found that two brigades of the Indian forces switched sides
on account of the proclamation of pardon made by Sir Hugh Rose. On
this day the British finally made a breach and flooded the fort. The
Rani and some other leaders fought back but were finally encircled
by the British forces. In front of certain death, she made a famous
last charge at the British. Most accounts portray the Rani as having
met her death fighting when she was stabbed with a saber.