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Jhansi Rani Lakshmi Bai
It was one evening after the rainy season. Outside Bethur, along the road on the banks of the Ganga, three horses were galloping. Two riders were young men and one a girl.
A Brave Girl
When one of the young men overtook her, the little girl galloped her horse faster and overtook him' Was the young man to accept defeat? Of course, he tried to overtake her but his horse stumbled and he fell down.
"O Manoo, I am dead."
When she heard that sorrowful cry, the girl rode back. The young man had been hurt and was bleeding. With difficulty she lifted him and made him sit on her horse. By that time the other rider also joined them. All the three returned to the palace.
When the horse returned without the rider, Baji Rao the Second, the Peshwa of the Mahrata empire, was quite disturbed. Although Moropanth who was with him tried to soothe him, his mind was troubled. When his children returned he breathed a sigh of relief.
The injured youth was Baji Rao's adopted son Nana Saheb and his companion, his younger brother Rao Saheb. The girl was Manubai, the only daughter of Moropanth, a member of the Peshwa's council.
When they returned horn Moropanth said: "Manu, how unfortunate! Nana has been seriously hurt."
"Not so, father; he has been hurt just a little. Did not Abhimanyu continue to fight although seriously injured?"
"Those times were different, Manu."
"What is the difference, father? It is the same sky, the same earth. The sun and the moon are also the same."
"But Manu, the fortunes of the country have changed. This is the age of the British. We are powerless before them."
The father's reasoning did not appeal to the daughter. The father himself had taught her the lessons of the lives and the examples of the saintly Seeta, the brave Jeejabai and the brave Tarabai.
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Another incident happened in the same town of Bethur: Nana Saheb and Rao Saheb went out on an elephant. Baji Rao wanted to send Manubai with them. Moropanth also wished it. But their wish was not fulfilled. Nana Saheb asked the mahout to move on. Manu was disappointed.
The father said to the daughter when they were back home:
"Manu, we must move with the times. Are we chieftains or kings to ride elephants? We should not wish for something for which we are not destined."
"No, not so, father; I am destined to own not one but, several elephants," replied Manu.
"So be it."
"Father dear, I will not practice shooting with a rifle," so saying she left.
Observing her manly qualities Moropanth was troubled.
Child Marriage
Baji Rao the Second was the Peshwa only in name. The British East India Company was paying him a pension of eight lakh rupees a year and had given the 'jagir' (the free gift) of Bethur.
Bhagirathibai was the wife of Moropanth. She was good looking, cultured, intelligent and godly. Manubai was the daughter of this ideal couple.
The child, born on the second day of Karthika (the 19th of November 1835) was beautiful like her mother. She had a broad forehead and big eyes. Her face reflected royal ty.
Manu lost her mother when she was four years old. The entire duty of bringing up the daughter fell on the father. Along with formal education -she acquired skill in sword fight, horse riding and shooting with a gun.
The young girl became the wife of Gangadhar Rao, Maharaja of Jhansi, in 1842. The poor Brahmin's girl became Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi.
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Those Dark Days
It was the beginning of the nineteenth century. The British who came to India for trade began steadily to acquire political power in the name of the East India Company.
The Indian rajas and maharajas who were engaged in quar rels competed with one another to become puppets in the hands of the British.
Every misfortune of India at the time was used to expand the British empire. One kind of agreement was reached when the British had the upper hand, quite a different kind of agreement was reached when the British were defeated. In any case, the Indians were the sufferers.
Diminished Power
After the British removed the last Peshwa from power, their arrogance was boundless. They brushed aside even the Mughul Emperor.
Dawn is the child of the night. On one side there was a determined effort to destroy freedom; on the other side attempts were being made to get ride of slavery.
The love of freedom can never be put down; the more it is suppressed the stronger it grows. On one side the crowns of the native kings were trembling, the kings were accepting the humiliating conditions imposed by the Company government and their states were being made protected states. On the other hand, the desire was growing to nip British rule in the bud and defend the country's freedom and honor. But outwardly there was calm; every thing was being done secretly; the country was like the volcano which is silent and secret before erupting.
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The Story Of Jhansi
Jhansi is now the headquarters of a district in Uttar Pradesh. There were two conditions in the treaty between the British and the Raja of Jhansi - the first, that, whenever the British needed help Jhansi should help them, and, the second, that, the consent of the British was necessary to decide who should be the ruler of Jhansi. So the seed of total ruin was sown.
In 1838 the British appointed Gangadhar Rao as the Raja.
The former Raja Raghunath Rao had left the treasury empty. The administration had collapsed and the people had no place. Gangadhar Rao quickly set right every thing.
The palace acquired more cattle, elephant and horses. The armoury was well stocked with arms and ammunition. The. army had five thousand infantry and five hundred cavalry; and these were supported by artillery.
But the British army was also stationed in the state. On this account alone the treasury was spending rupees 2,27,000.
A Crushing Blow
In 1851 Maharani Lakshmi Bai gave birth ' to a son. But the fate was cruel'; within three months the child died. Gangadhar Rao was troubled about the future of the state. This led to mental illness.
The reason for that distress was the cruel rule followed by Lord Dalhousie, the then Governor General. Some native rulers had accepted the help of the British; the British, in return, had imposed a condition: if a ruler died without children the British would take over the state. Even if the ruler adopted a son, the adopted son would not have ruling powers. Lord Dalhousie's rule was this: a yearly pension would be fixed for the descendants and the full responsibility for protecting the state would be that of the British Government.
Applying this rule the British had swallowed many native states. Now it was the turn of Jhansi. To Maharaja Gangadhar Rao, who was already old, this was a serious blow. He was bedridden. In 1853, the Maharaja and Lakshmi Bai decided to adopt Anand Rao, a boy of their community.
Anand Rao was adopted according to religious rites and he was named Damodar Rao.
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Withered Hope
After the celebrations were over, Gangadhar Rao wrote a letter to the Company. He gave all the details about the adoption and requested the Company to recognize the adopted son as the heir. He suggested that, till Damodar Rao came of age, Rani Lakshmi Bai should be recognized as his representative. The Maharaja reminded the Company of the friendly relations between Jhansi and the Company. The letter was handed over by the Maharaja to Major Ellis with a request to give it to Lord Dalhousie.
The Maharaja shed tears when handing over the letter. He was overcome by emotion and his voices was choked. The sobs of the Maharani crying behind the curtain could be heard.
Gangadhar Rao told the Major: "Major Saheb, my Rani is a woman. But she is endowed with many qualities which even the ablest men of the world should appreciate." As he was speaking, unknown to him, his eyes were filled with tears.
"Major Saheb, please see that on no account Jhansi becomes on orphan," he said.
Within a few days, on 21st November 1853, Gangadhar Rao died. The inexperienced 18-year-old Lakshmi Bai became a widow.
A Hindu woman - that too, a young woman and a widow bound by the. chains of custom; in addition, the responsibility of a state with no protection; on one side, Dalhousie who was waiting to annex the kingdom; on the other, Damodar Rao, an infant in her arms-this was the plight of Lakshmi Bai. Limitless, endless her problems and her sorrows!
Lakshmi Bai sent a number of petitions to Dalhousie for a decision on the Maharaja's representation. Three months passed, but there was no reply.
On one unfortunate day, in March 1854, Dalhousie's order arrived.
It read: 'The Company does not recognize the right of the late Maharaja Gangadhar Rao to adopt an heir. It has, therefore, been decided to merge Jhansi in the British provinces. The Rani should vacate the fort and live in the palace situated in the city. She will be paid a monthly pension of rupees five thousand.'
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The Rani could not believe it at first. She was taken aback for some time, and then exclaimed: "No, impossible: I shall not surrender my Jhansi."
It did not take her long to realize how difficult it was for the small state of Jhansi to oppose the British might and cleverness, when even the Peshwas had bowed before it. The kings of Delhi also were on their knees before the British.
After the British took over the government from her, the Rani's daily routine changed. Every morning the hours from four to eight were set apart for bathing, worship, meditation and prayer. From eight to eleven she would go out for a horse ride, practise shooting with a gun, and practise swordsmanship and shooting with arrows, with the reins hold in the teeth. Thereafter she would bathe again, feed the hungry, give aims to the poor and then have food; then she rested for a while. After that she would chant Ramanam by herself. She would exercise light ly 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 a strict time-table.
Preparations for An Explosion
People who dumbly suffer tyranny and injustice are like breathing corpses. It is moral to bow to justice, immoral to bow to injustice. Even the nut caught in the nutcracker leaps. Under severe pressure the cannon ball explodes. Even a mild animal gets ready to retaliate against cruelty, without thinking of what may happen.
The kings who lost their kingdoms because they had no sons, the members of their families, their dependents, the disbanded army, the well-wishers of all these people - all were seething with discontent.
Tatia Tope, Raghunath Simha, Jawahar Simha and such lovers of freedom were secretly coming to meet Rani Lakshmi Bai. They used to give her details of the dis satisfaction and discontent of the people.
Rani Lakshmi Bai had carefully studied the geography of her kingdom, the strategic points and the formation of the Sikh army of Punjab in its fight with the British.
When the Rani went out on horseback she was attired like men; she wore a metallic helmet and on top of it, a flowing turban, a protecting metallic plate bound close to the chest, pyjamas and a sash over them. On both sides she carried pistols and daggers. In addition she carried a sabre.
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The Rani, who was conversant with the characteristic marks and the mettle of different types of horses, liked most the Kathiawar horse of spotless white colour.
The Rani had flowing hair and so it was difficult for her to wear the helmet and tie the turban over it. In Mahar ashtra widows used to shave their heads. The Rani decided to have her hair removed at Benares. In addition, she wanted to study the political situation in that part of the country.
But the British officials did not permit her journey.
The Rani took an oath: "I will remove my hair only after the country gains freedom; otherwise it can take place only in the cemetery."
The dissatisfied Nana Saheb and Rao Saheb, Bahadur Shah, the King of Delhi, and the well-wishers of the Nawab of Oudh were all anxious to meet. The same thought came to the Rani also.
A religious celebration was the occasion when all the leaders could meet.
Organization
The adopted son Damodar Rao had by then completed six years and entered the seventh. Arrangements were made to invest him with the sacred thread.
A petition was sent to the British officer in charge of the state. There were six lakh rupees in the treasury in Damodar Rao's name. The petition asked for permission to withdraw a lakh of rupees for the religious ceremony.
"Damodar Rao is still young. If four persons stand surety to my satisfaction the amount will be paid,' said the British officer.
The Rani swallowed the insult and got the money. The leaders met for the religious ceremony.
Women kept strict watch all round the palace, as the leaders held their meeting.
The leaders had some information. The Hindu soldiers in the British army were enraged because they were not allowed to wear the `tilaka' (a sacred mark) on their foreheads; in the same way the Muslim soldiers were enraged because they were compelled to use cartridges smeared with fat. There was deep discontent in the army.
Haste was unwise. Also, the army was not yet quite ready. It was also necessary to ensure that during those days there would be no looting and dacoity. Otherwise the sympathy of the people would be lost. This was the stand of the Rani. Others agreed.
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The Explosion
Using song and fairs and entertainment, the women also engaged in fanning dissatisfaction in the army camps. The Rani was kept informed of all that happened.
The full moon day of Holi Feast had passed. It was a pitch dark night in February. Tatia Tope came to meet the Rani.
Tatia brought with him a handbill. It read: 'It is impossible to suffer any more. How long can we bear the agony of the dagger pierced through the heart? Arise and get ready to sacrifice your life for justice. Some tyrrants have kept this country in subjection, drive them away. Free the country; uphold the right.'
The Rani felt that the time was not yet ripe. Tatia said that there was extreme dissatisfaction in the army, that it was not difficult to get the money needed and that arms and ammunition were ready.
It was decided that throughout the country people should rise in revolt on Sunday the 31st of May.
The lotus is the emblem of the greatness of Saraswathi, the Goddess of Learning, and Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth. This lotus was chosen as the symbol of the revolution. The cake also became a sign of the revolu tion. The way to spread the message of revolution was this: the cake sent from one town would be accepted and in its place another sent to the next town.
In Barrackpur, trouble broke out even before the appoint ed day. On 10th May the spark of revolt flared up in Meerut. The Indian army in Meerut and Delhi joined and established their authority over the throne of Delhi. The dethroned Bahadur Shah was proclaimed as the Emperor of India.
'Sepoy Mutiny'
In the histories written by the British rulers the flood 'of the people's wrath was described - to suit them -
as the 'Sepoy Mutiny'. This gives the impression that only soldiers took part in the uprising and no others.
It is true the soldiers took a leading part in this people's war. But they were not the only ones who rose in revolt. Not only the rajas, maharajas, chieftains, peshwas, nawabs and the Emperors of Delhi but also Hindus, Muslims, moulvis and purohits (that is, the priests) joined the revolt. Most important of all, women played an important role. The blood bath went on for eighteen to twenty months.
It is true that, as history has described, we were defeated. It is no shame for a country in subjection to be defeated any number of times in its fight for freedom. The struggle itself is the mark of a living people. That itself is glory.
India is a vast country. The British found a fertile land for their trade. They could freely buy raw materials here and sell the finished product here at four times its price and fill their coffers. The disunity among the
Indians was the secret of the East India Company's suc cess.
In 1752, when the Mughul Emperor's permission to trade was saught on bended knees by the British, the company had three godowns. The total area of land in their pos session was only twenty square miles. One hundred years later, the area of land ruled by them was six and a half lakh square miles.
It was not enough for t he Company that the country's political and economic life came under its control; the Company wanted India to accept its religion, too. It strengthened its efforts to spread Christianity.
Thus, there were several causes for the people's agitation.
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The Spreading Fire
There was no change in the routine of the Rani. In the midst of worship, prayer and religious discourses preparations for the war went on.
"Your Highness, why still this training for fighting? Can you not set apart some more time for meditation upon God?" questioned a bosom friend once.
"I am a Kshatriya woman; I am doing my duty. It is the duty of Kshatriyas to protect the country and justice. If necessary, we must be prepared to fight. I cannot surrender to an enemy, I cannot just weep and die like a helpless widow. I shall fight for my cause and accept death with a smile."
On 4th June the revolution burst in Kanpur. Signs of trouble were seen in Jhansi the same day. One Havildar with a few soldiers entered the Star Fort, newly con structed by the British, and seized war materials and money.
Immediately arrangement were made to shift the British women and children to the fort who were in their camp. The British officers came to request the Rani's help. "We are quite confident of bringing the situation under control. But at this difficult time you must also help us," they requested.
The Rani replied: "I do not have an army or weapons. If you agree I am prepared to get together an army to protect the people."
The British agreed to the proposal. But, when on the very next day the soldiers shot and killed a British officer, they were alarmed.
At once the senior officer raced to the Rani. He said, "We are men, we are not worried about ourselves. But you must afford shelter to our women and children in your palace."
The Rani's friends advised her not to make any such. promise. But she said firmly: "Our war is only against the men among the English, not against women and child ren. If I cannot check our soldiers in this matter how can I be their leader? The English women and children will get shelter in the palace immediately."
So assured the Rani. And not only this; she fed and took care of them throughout the war.
The leaderless army had scored a victory over the Brit ish. The soldiers wished to loot Jhansi. The Rani then gave her jewels and money to the soldiers and they were satisfied. The army marched towards Delhi.
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The Happy Home Of Freedom
The Rani took action at once to end the anarchy. The chieftains and commanders begged the Rani with one voice to become the ruler of the state. The Rani consented. Once again the flag of the state fluttered on the top of the fort.
Jhansi prepared for war working day and night. New arms were manufactured. But within a period of four or five days a new danger confronted the Rani.
Thinking that Jhansi was being ruled by a weak woman, one Sadashiva Rao rebelled in a part of the state and proclaimed himself the king. Immediately the Maharani went there and put down the rebellion.
Light And Shade Of Victory And Defeat
An army under the command of Sir Hugh Rose reached Jhansi. He sent word to the Maharani to come unarmed along with her friends and meet him.
But the Rani refused. She replied that she would go to any meeting only with her army.
Within a period of ten months (June 1857 to March 1858) after Lakshmi Bai took over the administration of Jhansi from the British, it had improved. The treasury was full. The army was well organized. There was an army of women matching the army of men. The Rani had named some of her guns: 'Mighty Roar', 'Bhavani Shankar' and 'Lightning Streak'. These guns were being fired in turns by men and women. Old weapons were sharpened. New weapons were got ready. During those days every house in Jhansi was busy preparing for the war. And everything was done under the guidance of the Maharani.
The army under Sir Hugh Rose declared war on 23rd March 1858.
For ten or twelve days the tiny state of Jhansi marched in the light and the shadow of victory and defeat. The relief of one success was followed the next moment by the shock of a defeat. Many faithful Sirdars fell. Unfortunately no help came from outside.
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Goddess Of War
When the British gained the upper hand and Hugh Rose's army entered Jhansi city, the Rani herself took up arms. She put on the clothes of a man and she fought like the Goddess of War. Whenever she fought the British army bowed down. Her organization of her forces and her fight surprised Hugh Rose.
When the situation went out of control the Maharani called the courtiers who yet remained and placed her suggestion before them The noblemen agreed.
Accompanied by some warriors, the Rani forced her way through the enemy lines and departed from Jhansi.
A British officer, Boker by name, followed her with an army. He was himself injured during the fighting and retreated. The Rani's horse died. Even then she did not lose heart but went to Kalpi and joined Tatia Tope and Rao Saheb.
Before The Light Went Out
Even in Kalpi the Rani was busy getting together an army. Hugh Rose laid siege, to Kalpi. When defeat was certain, Rao Saheb, Tatia and others fled with the Rani towards Gwalior.
They reached Gopalpur and took rest in a grove. During the night Rao Saheb, Tatia and the Nawab of Banda held a council, and next morning met the Rani. They had lost the will to fight.
The Rani said, "We have so far stayed inside the fort and faced the British. That is what we should continue to do. Gwalior Fort is near here. It is true that the Raja there is inclined towards the British. But I know that the army and the people are against the British. In addition, there is already a huge stock of guns and ammunition there."
The Rani's suggestion was acceptable to the noblemen. When Tatia Tope reached Gwalior with a small army the greater part of the army in Gwalior cooperated. The Raja of Gwalior ran away and sought the protection of the British at Agra.
But what happened thereafter was a repetition of the earlier foolishness.
Except the Rani and her friends, the leaders indulged in merry-making. The timely warning of the Rani wafted away on the air.
The Rani who was away from such revelry undertook inspec tion of the vulnerable parts of the Gwalior fort. She prepared a stronghold. But the other leaders did not lend their ears to the advice of this lady.
The End Of The War
Hugh Rose was not prepared to wait. On 17th June 1858 the fighting started again. The Rani put on men's clothes and was ready.
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