Lakshmî Bâî

The rânî Lakshmî Bâî (towards 1830 - 1858) of the principality of Jhânsi in India of north is a heroin of the Révolte of Cipayes, considered as the first war of Indian independence. It became a symbol of resistance to British colonization.

It is born in a rich person family from high Caste under the name of Manukarnika , one of the names of the Gange. She receives an excellent education and learns how to ride a horse and to handle the weapons while playing with her brothers. She takes the name of Lakshmî Bâî at the time of her marriage with Gangâdhar Râo, the Mahârâja of Jhânsi.

Gangâdhar Râo was in its forty at the time of their marriage, in 1842. He had been married in first weddings but his first wife had died without giving rise to a heir. In 1851, the news rânî is confined of a son who survives only three months. In accordance with the tradition, in 1853, Gangâdhar adopts a relative, Damodar Râo, to succeed to him on the throne and he dies. Damodar being minor, Lakshmî Bâî ensures regency.

The Governor-General Dalhousie decides whereas, according to the doctrines of pre-emption which it itself defined, since Gangâdhar Râo did not leave any heir, the state of Jhânsi is annexed by the English Compagnie of the Eastern Indies, rejecting the claims of Damodar Râo like heir to right. The rânî sends a petition to Dalhousie, then calls some with London, but without success.

Refusing to give up its kingdom, Lakshmî Bâî gathers a strong army of volunteers of 14.000 men and makes improve defenses of the city which is attacked by the British the March 25th 1858. The battle of Jhânsi is wild, men and women take part to push back besieging them and the rânî itself carries out its troops for the defense of the city which fall however, after two weeks of seat.

A priest of Bombay, witness of the British victory, testifies that it is followed four days of fire, plunderings, of the murder, that the air empeste strong odor of the burned flesh. The British historians, on their side, affirm that only four to five thousand combatants are carried out while the civilians were saved.

The rânî however succeeds in escaping from back from horse to the favor from the darkness and traverses in twenty-four hours a hundred and fifty kilometers which separate it from the fortress of Kalpi where it is joined by several rebellious princes. There, she persuades them to take again the offensive and to seize the fortress of Gwâlior. The success of this operation tightens the rows of the rebels.

But the British forces are not long to take again the fortress and Lakshmî Bâî dies the second day of the engagements, the June 17th 1858.

An equestrian statue of the rânî commemorates in Gwâlior its act of resistance. Its name was given to the first female unit of the Indian army.

Simple: Rani off Jhansi

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