Rani Lakshmi Bai – Freedom Fighter of India

One of the most admired names in the history of India is Rani Lakshmi Bai. Her courage is remembered, as is her firm resistance to British rule. Rani Lakshmi Bai’s biography is marked with bravery, sacrifice, and leadership, which contribute to her being one of the central figures of women-freedom fighters of India.

Early Life of Rani Lakshmi Bai

Rani Lakshmi Bai was born in 1828 in a family of Marathi Brahmin. Her real name was Manikarna Tambe, also known as Manu. Her mother passed away when she was very young and she was being raised by her father, Moropant Tambe, who served at the court of the Peshawas in Bithoor.

Since childhood, she was trained in a different way as compared to girls of the time. She was taught how to ride a horse, how to fight with a sword, bow and arrow, and to defend herself. These experiences at a young age made her a great personality and equipped her to take forth the challenges in the future.

This stage is a central aspect of Rani Lakshmi Bai biography, as this is where the idea of how her courageousness was organically grown due to upbringing and experience is explained.

Marriage and Becoming the Queen of Jhansi.

Manikarnika was married in the year 1842 to Raja Gangadhar Rao, the monarch of the state of Jhansi and she became Rani Lakshmi Bai. Jhansi was a little state of significance within central India. The couple had a son who died at the early age of four months.

They later on adopted a son by the name Anand Rao who became known as Damodar Rao. Prior to the death of the king in 1853, he had asked the British government to recognize the son adopted as a legal heir and give the Rani power to rule Jhansi as a regent.

The British authorities did not bother with this request.

History of Jhansi Ki Rani and British Injustice.

The Doctrine of Lapse was used by Lord Dalhousie, the British Governor-General of India. The ruler did not have a biological male heir and under this policy Jhansi was occupied by the British. Damodar Rao was deprived of his rights and Rani was requested to quit the palace.

This move was a great insult to Rani Lakshmi Bai. She even organized that she would not surrender Jhansi. This was a turning point in the Jhansi Ki Rani history, as it was the point at which her overt fight against British rule commenced.

Role in the Revolt of 1857

The Revolt of 1857 altered the history of the Indians. One of the major leaders of this rebellion was Rani Lakshmi Bai. The administration in Jhansi had to be put in order and the Rani assumed the leadership when the Indian soldiers in Jhansi rebelled and killed British officials.

Jhansi was afterwards attacked by British forces in order to be reconquired. Rani Lakshmi Bai did not give up and she made her army ready to defend herself. She was not only an administrator, but also a soldier in the battlefield and that is how she earned the title of a real Revolt of 1857 queen.

The support she gave to the revolt included:

• In charge of troops in the siege of Jhansi.
• Planning defense operations of the fort.
• Motive soldiers by being at the battle field.
• Saving her adopted son and carrying on the struggle.

Her bravery was a challenge to the fact that women were not supposed to be in command of wars.

Jhansi and Aliance with Tatya Tope.

Jhansi was attacked by the British in 1858 in great numbers. Even with meager resources, Rani Lakshmi Bai was a courageous fighter. On falling Jhansi took her son away and joined forces with Tatya Tope who was a faithful leader of the rebellion.

Both of them conquered Gwalior, although British forces retaliated very soon. The Rani did not want to withdraw even in these last battles.

Rani Lakshmi Bai Death and Martyrdom.

On 18 June 1858 Rani Lakshmi Bai died in the Battle of Kotah ki Serai, near Gwalior. She wore the clothes of a soldier and battled till the end. History has it that she requested a hermit to burn her body in order to avoid being seized by the British.

The Rani Lakshmi Bai death disillusioned a brave man, and her death fueled the resistance spirit all over India.

Conclusion

Rani Lakshmi Bai was not only a queen but a warrior, a leader and a symbol of resistance. Her character as she traveled between Manikarnika and a brave Rani of Jhansi is one of strength that is defined by principles and doing. The Rani Lakshmi Bai biography demonstrates that a single woman resisted against the colonial power and did not want to surrender but wanted to be respected.

Her life teaches the readers that courage is not based on position and gender. It is a result of the necessity to fight by cause, despite the loss. That is why Rani Lakshmi Bai is one of the most appreciated people in Indian history, a proud episode in the history of Indian freedom struggle.