An epitome of bravery - Raani Lakshmibai of Jhansi

Lakshmibai inspired womenfolk into the battlefield and women started making batteries and distributing ammunitions and also conquered Gwalior along with Tantia Tope, who was also an important figure for the first war of Independence.
An epitome of bravery - Raani Lakshmibai of Jhansi

The policy of The Doctrine of Lapse, imposed by Lord Dalhousie was the main trigger of the 1857 Revolt where Rani Lakshmibai played a significant role. It was an annexation policy purportedly used by Lord Dalhousie per which any princely state or territory under the British East India Company would automatically be annexed if the ruler died without a male heir. The authority was allowed to pass onto the British dominion unless the adopted heir was clearly approved by the British Government. Under this policy, Satara in 1848 and Jhansi and Nagpur in 1854 were annexed. 

Our country has gone through a series of very hard struggles for obtaining her freedom from the British Empire. The years and even decades preceding Independence saw many brave revolutionaries who fought relentlessly for the country's freedom and had to even attain martyrdom while doing so. The period from 1858 to 1947 particularly witnessed a lot of turmoil (in the undivided country) and even some internal power struggles (mostly between rulers of states).

Among the women revolutionaries who stood as a formidable force against the British and even the internal traitors and dissenters, the name of Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi can never be overemphasized. Hugh Henry Rose, a senior British Army Officer in a report alluded to her as 'the most dangerous of all Indian leaders'.

Lakshmibai, who was known as the Rani of Jhansi, was born on 19 November in the year 1828 at Varanasi, erstwhile Banaras. She was born in a Marathi Karhade family. She was named Manikarnika and nick named Manu by her family. Moropant Tambe was her father and Bhagirathi Sapre was her mother. Rani Lakhsmibai who eventually became a prominent figure of the Indian Revolution of 1857 was the wife of Maharaja Gangadhar Rao and the maharani consort of the princely Maratha state, Jhansi from 1843- 53.

The policy of The Doctrine of Lapse, imposed by Lord Dalhousie was the main trigger of the 1857 Revolt where Rani Lakshmibai played a significant role. It was an annexation policy purportedly used by Lord Dalhousie per which any princely state or territory under the British East India Company would automatically be annexed if the ruler died without a male heir. The authority was allowed to pass onto the British dominion unless the adopted heir was clearly approved by the British Government. Under this policy, Satara in 1848 and Jhansi and Nagpur in 1854 were annexed.

Following this, it became a rule for the rulers to take permission from the British for adopting an heir and since Lakshmibai's son was dead, Gangadhar Rao had adopted his cousin's son Anand Rao who was renamed as Damodar Rao. Consequently, after the death of her husband, the British applied the Doctrine of Lapse and denied her adopted son's inheritance to the throne. Rani Lakshmi Bai then joined the revolt. The British annexed her state and also threatened to treat her as an instigator for the rebellion of the sepoys at Jhansi. Her unflinching statement voice was 'Jhansi would not be given.' Rani Lakshmibai fought very bravely and fiercely against the British. She took the oath with her followers that "With our own hands we shall not bury our independent rule". She inspired womenfolk into the battlefield and women started making batteries and distributing ammunitions too. She conquered Gwalior along with Tantia Tope, who was also an important figure for the first war of Independence.

Rani Lakshmibai also took help from an Australian lawyer named Lang, who had fought innumerable cases against the British Empire.

Her life ended heroically when she was in a battle against the British in Kotah- ki- Serai on June 17, 1858. Rani Lakshmibai did not want the British troops or authorities to bury her body so she had told the local people to bury it. Gwalior was captured by the British after three days of her death.

In the book written by GB Malleson 'History of Indian Mutiny' that was published in 1878, Rani Lakshmi Bai has been described as someone who lived and died for her country. She is a legend who lives on for forever. Gwalior, still resonates the memories and times with her statue in the middle of the city.

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