Lesser Known Facts About Jhansi Rani - Part 1

Who hasn’t heard of Jhansi Rani Lakshmibai?

We will look at some lesser-known facts about her greatness. Jhansi was a small Maratha state but very crucial due to its central location. Dalhousie was eager to annex Jhansi to the British Empire as quickly as possible. Gangadhar Rao Newalkar was the Maharaja of Jhansi from 1843.

During her childhood, the Rani’s name was Manikarnika. She was born in Kashi. Her father, Moropant Tambe, was an advisor to Peshwa Chimmaji Appa, and her mother was Bhagirathi. She lost her mother at a very young age. She married the Maharaja of Jhansi at the age of 14, while he was 40 years old. After her marriage, she was named Lakshmibai.

John Lang, her chief consultant, wrote about her:
She was a middle-sized woman, a little on the heavy side, with a charming round face and intelligent eyes. She wore only a pair of earrings and was not very fair in complexion. Her regular attire was plain white muslin.

In 1851, a son was born to Gangadhar Rao and Lakshmibai, but the child passed away after three months. In 1853, the Maharaja's health began to decline. A boy, aged five, and the son of his cousin, was adopted and later became known as Damodar Gangadhar Rao. However, the Maharaja passed away the very next day.

The British required permission for the adoption, but they refused it. Instead, Dalhousie applied the Doctrine of Lapse, declaring that Jhansi was a tributary state of the British Government and had reverted to their control. When this order was conveyed to her, she famously said, ‘Meri Jhansi nahi doongi.’

The British offered her a palace to live in, the possession of all her husband's private property (essentially for the adopted son), and a monthly pension of five thousand rupees. She refused.

She was an able administrator and sought a month’s time to represent her case to the Government. The Government refused to reconsider. She decided to fight for her rights and her people. She challenged the legality of the annexation of Jhansi.

Her arguments were:

• Hindu law of adoption was valid and recognized by the British.
• By allowing the successor to inherit private property, the British had implicitly acknowledged adoption.
• How could they proceed with the annexation of Jhansi?

In her letter to the Government, she described their actions as arbitrary and opportunistic, favoring the strong over the weak. She accused them of disowning earlier treaties and warned that princely states across North India were observing the outcome to decide whether to trust or distrust the British Government. She asserted that the people of Jhansi did not wish to be subjects of the East India Company but her wards, as was their desire.

The History of Jhansi

The Chandel dynasty ruled Bundelkhand and the southwestern parts of present-day Uttar Pradesh. Jhansi was originally known as Balwant Nagar. In the 17th century, Raja Bir Singh Deo of Orchha constructed the fort of Jhansi. During the Mughal Empire, he maintained good relations with the Mughals.

Maharaja Chhatrasal Bundela established the Bundelkhand kingdom at a young age. He was guided by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and began his fight against the Mughals at 22 years old with just five horsemen and 25 soldiers. In 1687, his Rajyabhisheka was performed. At 79, when the Mughals attacked again, he received help from Peshwa Bajirao I, leading to the Mughal defeat.

In gratitude, Maharaja Chhatrasal gave one-third of his territory to the Peshwa, which included Jhansi. An appointee of the Peshwa, called Subedar, administered Jhansi, starting with Naro Shankar. In 1769, Raghunath Rao Newalkar became Subedar and ruler of Jhansi.

Rani Lakshmibai’s husband, Gangadhar Rao, was the sixth ruler of the Newalkar dynasty, ruling from 1838 to 1853. By then, Jhansi had become an independent member of the Maratha Empire, and the Newalkars had transitioned from Subedars to Raos of Jhansi.

In 1817, the British East India Company defeated the Maratha Empire. Most of the Peshwa’s territory was annexed to the Bombay Presidency, while other areas, including Jhansi, became princely states.

Dalhousie called Jhansi a tributary state, meaning it paid protection money to a more powerful state. Before Jhansi, Satara had been annexed to the Bombay Presidency in 1848 using the Doctrine of Lapse.

The Doctrine of Lapse

The Doctrine of Lapse allowed the British to annex princely states if the ruler was incompetent or died without a male heir. However, in Jhansi’s case, the adoption occurred before Gangadhar Rao’s death and in the presence of British witnesses. The British had approved the adoption, acknowledged the principle of Hindu heirship, and recognized Damodar Rao’s right to inherit his adoptive father’s private property.

Despite this, they annexed Jhansi, which Rani Lakshmibai refused to accept. We will explore more about this later.

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