Rani Lakshmibai was the queen of Jhansi in northern India during the 1857 Indian Rebellion against British rule. She was known for her bravery and military leadership during the rebellion. After the British annexed Jhansi under the Doctrine of Lapse, Lakshmibai raised an army of women warriors to defend the city. She led Jhansi's resistance against the British siege and fought several battles after being forced to flee. Lakshmibai demonstrated exceptional courage and fighting skills until she died from injuries sustained in her final battle at Gwalior at the young age of 29, becoming a iconic figure of Indian nationalism and women's empowerment.

1. Rani Lakshmibai, the Valiant Queen of Jhansi
Deepa Agarwal

2. Bundela folk song
How valiantly, like a man
fought she
She…the Rani of Jhansi!
On every parapet a gun she set,
Rained fires of hell,
How well, like a man fought
she,
She… the Rani of Jhansi,
How valiantly and well!

3. An iconic figure in Indian
history

 Mention the name Rani Lakshmibai, and an image of
a woman on horseback, waving a sword comes to
mind.
 Lakshmibai’s spirited resistance to the British in the
1857 War of Independence makes her one of the
most memorable personalities in Indian history.
 The Rani has become a metaphor for bravery and an
inspirational figure for young women.
 She fought not one but several battles and ultimately
died a warrior’s death.

4. Her early life

 Lakshmibai was born in Varanasi, to a Maharashtrian
Brahmin named Moropant Tambe and his wife Bhagirathi
Bai.
 There is some confusion as to the actual date of her birth.
But most credible sources place it at around 1827-28.
 Her original name was Manikarnika and it is said, she
was usually addressed as Manu.
 Moropant was an adviser to the Peshwa Bajirao II’s
brother Chimnaji Appa who lived in Varanasi.
 Manu’s mother died when she was just two years old.
 In 1832, Chimnaji passed away and Moropant moved to
Bithur near Kanpur where the Peshwa was living in exile.

5. In Bithur

 The Peshwa was fond of Manu and nicknamed her Chhabeeli, or
mynah bird.
 Legends are told about Manu’s friendship with the Peshwa’s
chosen successor, Dhondu Pant or Nana Sahib, and Tantya Tope.
 It is said that they rode together and practised sword fencing and
mallkhamb, a kind of gymnastics performed on an upright pole.
 Manu did become an accomplished horsewoman and learned to
wield arms skilfully.
 But Nana must have been much older than her at the time.
 Tantya was in the service of the Peshwa, a young man with a great
interest in wrestling.
 Whatever it was, she did have a relationship with the two, which
was to have a deep influence on the course of events later.

6. Nana Sahib
and Tatya Tope


7. An unconventional
upbringing

 Unlike many girls of her time Manu got an
education—she learned to read and write, studied
Sanskrit and picked up some Persian, the court
language.
 Supposedly an outspoken and independent girl,
she did not have a conventional upbringing.
 Being motherless, no one tutored her on what
behaviour was considered suitable for a girl at that
time, and perhaps her father indulged her too.

8. Marriage

 The custom was to marry girls early and Moropant was
getting worried about his daughter, when an
extraordinary match fell into his lap.
 Manu was chosen to marry no one less than Gangadhar
Rao, the Raja of Jhansi. She was fourteen at the time.
 Gangadhar was a descendent of Raghunath Hari
Newalkar who had been appointed administrator of
Jhansi by Bajirao I in 1770.
 The wedding took place in 1842 and the bridegroom was
very much older than the bride.

9. Jhansi

 The wedding took place in Jhansi because Moropant
could not afford a lavish celebration.
 Gangadhar Rao was a patron of the arts and enjoyed
classical music and theatre.
 His first wife had died childless and he needed an heir for
the throne of Jhansi.
 Manu’s name was changed to Lakshmibai during the
wedding.
 It is said she shocked everyone by remarking: ‘Panditji,
make sure that the knot is tied tightly!’ when the ritual of
tying her sari to her groom’s shoulder cloth took place.

10. Portraits of Rani
Lakshmibai

Probably at the time f her
wedding
Stylized portrait made around
1890 at the V&A Museum

11. Queen of Jhansi

 As a queen Manu had to remain in purdah and was thus
forced to grow up overnight.
 She had to learn about religious rituals, the culinary arts
and the various duties of a queen.
 However, she was able to convince her husband to let her
continue her horse riding and practice of the martial arts.
 Jhansi had been in dire financial straits when Gangadhar
ascended the throne.
 He had had to borrow huge sums of money from the
British.
 For this reason, the British Superintendent Ross actually
governed the city and a battalion was stationed there.

12. Mahalakshmi Temple


13. A short lived marriage

 Sometime after his marriage, in 1843 the British handed
back the reins of government to Gangadhar.
 His finances improved too and he built a magnificent new
palace, but the couple remained childless.
 In January 1851 the queen finally gave birth to a boy,
Damodar Rao. Sadly, he only survived for three months.
 The Maharaja’s health deteriorated after that.
 They adopted a boy, but before the British authorities
acknowledged him as heir, Gangadhar Rao passed away.

14. Annexation of Jhansi

 This gave the Governor-General Lord Dalhousie an
opportunity to apply his “Doctrine of Lapse”.
 Jhansi came under company rule and the queen was
awarded a pension of Rs. 5000 a month.
 It is said that when Major Ellis, the political agent
announced the news, Lakshmibai said in a loud clear
voice: ‘Main apni Jhansi nahi doongi!’
 However, she eventually left the fort and moved to the
Rani Mahal in the city.
 Worse followed. Dalhousie confiscated Gangadhar’s
personal property and Lt. Governor Colvin insisted on
deducting the raja’s remaining debt from Lakshmibai’s
pension.

15. Entrance to Rani Mahal
and view of fort


16. The crisis approaches

 Lakshmibai continued to fight for her rights and
presented her case to higher authorities in England.
 In the meantime, she maintained a disciplined routine of
worship and physical exercise.
 She trained a Durga Dal of women warriors which
included her close companions Mandar, Sundar,
Jhalkaribai and Kashibai along with many other women.
 The British officials had already alienated the people of
Jhansi with their high handed behaviour when news
arrived of the uprising at Meerut on 10 May 1857.

17. A testing time

 On 4 June the sepoys in Jhansi attacked the British.
 Some officers were killed and the rest took shelter in the Jhansi
Fort along with the women and children.
 Lakshmibai supplied them with food for two days according to
a Captain Martin, who escaped later
 Political Officer Skene finally surrendered on the condition that
they be allowed to proceed to Sagar unharmed.
 However, when the group reached Jokan Bagh, the place
selected, they were slaughtered. A few managed to escape
through a tunnel in the fort.
 The sepoys then threatened to loot the city. Lakshmibai gave
them her diamond necklace and they left for Delhi.

18. Jokan Bagh


19. Lakshmibai rules

 Lakshmibai then took over the reins of government and
restored law and order.
 She had abandoned purdah after her husband’s death
and now donned male garments when she held court.
 She had to fend off a pretender, Sadashiv Rao Narayana
as well as attacks by the neighbouring states of Datia and
Orccha—her first experiences of actual warfare.
 Sensing more trouble, Lakshmibai kept her forces battle
ready and well-armed. She stayed in touch with Tantya
Tope and Nana Sahib and her allies Raja Mardan Singh of
Banpur and Bakhtab Ali of Shahgarh.

20. Sir Hugh Rose arrives

 By the end of 1857 the British had retaken Delhi and
Lucknow. Nana Sahib was defeated in Kanpur and fled,
but Tantya kept the campaign going along with Nana’s
nephew Rao Sahib.
 The Rani had kept the British authorities informed about
developments in Jhansi, but they blamed her for the
massacre and labeled her the “Jezebel of India.”
 Lord Canning, the new Governor-General, sent for Sir
Hugh Rose to lead the campaign in Central India.
 Lakshmibai’s allies attacked the British army on the way
but could not drive them away.

21. Tantya’s troops


22. The siege of Jhansi

 Lakshmibai prepared for the siege by strengthening
fortifications and laying up stocks of arms and food.
 The siege began on 21 March, 1858.
 The British were surprised by the spirited defence,
particularly the women’s contribution. They manned
guns and helped to repair the walls when breached
 The Rani was everywhere, directing the defence and
keeping up morale.

23. The Battle of Betwa

 On March 31, Tantya
Tope arrived with his
army, arousing hope.
 Unfortunately, he was
defeated by Hugh Rose at
Betwa and retreated to
Kalpi.
 Jhansi Fort was almost
impregnable, but the
constant battering took its
toll. One by one the Rani’s
loyal soldiers began to
fall.

24. Jhansi Fort
& Bhawani Shankar


25. The fall of Jhansi

 At 3 am on 3rd April, British troops stormed into Jhansi.
 The fighting is said to have been intense, with the Rani in
the thick of it.
 When defeat became obvious, she left Jhansi on the night
of 4th April with a small party. Legend has it that she
rode out on Sarangi with Damodar tied to her back.
 It is said that Jhalkari Bai covered up the escape by
impersonating the Rani.
 Vishnubhat Godse has given a vivid account of the sack
of Jhansi in his memoir Mazha Pravas. The British looted
and massacred mercilessly, killing thousands.

26. The Bhanderi gate

The Rani escaped from
Jhansi on the night of 4th
April through the
Bhanderi gate.

27. Lakshmibai battles on

 Lakshmibai’s headlong flight ended when she reached
Kalpi at 2 am.
 Rao Sahib was here, as well as Tantya and other allies
were on their way.
 The queen advised that they engage the enemy at Krunch,
a town 70 kilometres away. Its topography had better
scope for an effective resistance.
 The battle took place on 5 May and was a short one. The
Peshwa’s army was routed. Tantya ignored the Rani’s
advice to cover his flanks instead of concentrating his
forces in the centre.
 The allies retreated to Kalpi and prepared for another
encounter. But Tantya fled to a village called Chirkhi.

28. Kalpi & Gwalior

 The next battle at Kalpi, began on 22 May and with the
Rani’s bold planning the Indian forces almost succeeded.
 But Hugh Rose had received reinforcements and finally
took the day.
 The defeated army retreated to Gopalpur, 46 miles from
Gwalior.
 Tantya rejoined them there. When Lakshmibai hatched an
audacious plan—to attack Gwalior, he backed her.
 When the two armies faced each other, the Gwalior troops
abandoned their ruler Jayajirao Scindia and joined the
other side.

29. Gwalior Fort


30. The last battle

 Gwalior’s riches fell into Rao Sahib’s hands and he spent them
in celebrating the victory.
 Lakshmibai stayed away. She felt that planning for the next
encounter was more important than feeding Brahmins.
 Hugh Rose abandoned his plans for retirement and headed for
Gwalior with a large force.
 Lakshmibai had to ride out to battle again on 17 June.
 Despite her army’s best efforts, the superior British forces soon
began to prevail.
 A group of Hussars were pursuing Mandar and the queen
when Mandar was hit by a bullet.
 The Rani’s horse baulked at crossing a stream and as she
slashed at Mandar’s assailant, she was hit too.

31. The Sonarekha stream and the
supposed cremation site

The stream where the
horse baulked
The supposed cremation
site

32. The passing of a legend

 Though mortally wounded, somehow the Rani managed
to cross the stream.
 Gul Muhammad, Raghunath Singh and a couple more of
her followers carried her away. They sent for Damodar
immediately.
 She breathed her last very soon. They cremated her
hurriedly, before the British arrived.
 Lakshmibai was barely 29 years old, but she had left an
indelible mark on history.
 Even her opponent Hugh Rose acknowledged her great
qualities. He wrote: ‘Although a lady, she was the bravest
and best military leader of the rebels. A man among the
mutineers.’

33. In song and story

 Rani Lakshmibai lives
on in song and story.
 Subhadra Kumari
Chauhan’s rousing
poem “Jhansi ki Rani”
is perhaps the most
popular literary piece
that celebrates her
valour.

34. Mazha Pravas
Vishnubhat Godse

 A compelling account of the fall of Jhansi, this is the
memoir of a Brahmin priest who lived through the
siege . The only first person account by an Indian.

35. The Queen of Jhansi
by Mahashweta Devi

 Mahashweta Devi’s seminal biography of the Rani is
the most widely known perhaps.
 Written in Bengali originally, the author travelled
widely and consulted many sources.

36. Jhansi ki Rani
Vrindavan Lal Verma

 This is the best-known novel on the life of Rani
Lakshmibai.
 The author lived in Jhansi and sourced much
material from her adopted son Damodar Rao as well
as local people.

37. Rani
Jaishree Mishra

 This well-known novel has fictionalized the Rani’s
life and introduces a romance with Major Ellis.
 For this reason it was banned in U.P.

38. 
Thank you!