झाँसी की रानी - लक्ष्मी बाई

Lakshmibai, The Rani (Queen) of Jhansi (c.19 November 1828 – 17 June 1858) , known as Jhansi Rani, was the queen of the Maratha-ruled princely state of Jhansi, was one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and a symbol of resistance to British rule in India. She has gone down in history as a legendary figure, as India's "Joan of Arc."

Early लाइफ

Originally named Manikarnika at birth, she was born to a Maharashtrian Karhade Brahmin family on 19 November 1828 at gola(Presently known as Varanasi). Manu lost her mother at the age of four. She was educated at home. Her father Moropant Tambey travelled to the court of Raja Gangadhar Rao Newalkar, the Maharaja of Jhansi, when Manu was thirteen years old.[ambiguous] She married Gangadhar Rao, the Raja of Jhansi, at the age of 14

The Great रेबेल्लिओं

Meanwhile, unrest began to spread throughout India, and in May of 1857, the First War of Indian Independence erupted in numerous pockets across the subcontinent. During this chaotic time, the British were forced to focus their attentions elsewhere, and Lakshmi Bai was essentially left to rule Jhansi alone. During this time, Lakshmi Bai’s qualities were repeatedly demonstrated as she was able to swiftly and efficiently lead her troops against skirmishes that broke out in Jhansi. Through this leadership Lakshmi Bai was able to keep Jhansi relatively calm and peaceful in the midst of the Empire’s unrest.[9]
Up to this point, Rani Lakshmi Bai had been hesitant to rebel against the British. However, when the troops arrived and laid siege to Jhansi in March 1858, her hesitation vanished. She rallied her troops around her and her army fought passionately against the British. An army of 20,000, headed by the rebel leader Tantia Tope, was sent to relieve Jhansi and to take Lakshmi Bai to freedom. However, the British were better trained and disciplined than the “raw recruits,” and these inexperienced and incapable soldiers turned and fled shortly after the British began to fight them. Lakshmi Bai’s people could not hold out; the British were able to breach the city and were working to break the fort wall. Yet Lakshmi Bai was stubborn and brave: she would not be taken, and much to Indian pride and British dismay, Lakshmi Bai made a fantastic escape over the wall at night and fled from her city, surrounded by her guards, many of whom were from her women’s military.[10]
Along with the young Damodar Rao, the Rani decamped to Kalpi along with her forces where she joined hands with other rebel forces, including those of Tantya Tope। The Rani and Tantya Tope moved on to Gwalior. At Gwalior, the combined rebel forces defeated the army of the Maharaja of Gwalior when his armies deserted to the rebel forces and they occupied the strategic fort at Gwalior. However on the second day of fighting, on 18 June 1858, the Rani died.

Death

Rani died on 17 June, 1858 during the battle for Gwalior with 8th Hussars that took place in Kotah-Ki-Serai near Phool Bagh area of Gwalior. She donned warrior's clothes and rode into battle to save Gwalior Fort, about 120 miles west of Lucknow in what is now the state of Madhya Pradesh. The British captured Gwalior three days later. In the report of the battle for Gwalior, General Sir Hugh Rose commented that the rani "remarkable for her beauty, cleverness and perseverance" had been "the most dangerous of all the rebel leaders"[11].
However, the lack of any corpse to be convincingly identified as Rani convinced Captain Rheese of the so called "bravest" regiment that Rani had not actually perished in the battle for Gwalior, stating publicly that:"[the] Queen of Jhansi is alive!" [12]. It is believed the funeral for Rani was arranged on same day in the nearby spot where she was wounded. One of the Rani's maid servant who survived helped with the arrangement of quick funeral.
Because of her bravery, courage, and wisdom and her progressive views on women's empowerment in 19th century India, and due to her sacrifices, she became an icon of Indian independence movement. The Rani was memorialized in bronze statues at both Jhansi and Gwalior, both of which portray her in equestrian style.
Her father, Moropant Tambey, was captured and hanged a few days after the fall of Jhansi. Her adopted son, Damodar Rao, was given a pension by the British Raj, although he never received his inheritance।


इन्फ्लुएंस

Rani Lakshmi Bai became a national heroine and was seen as the epitome of female bravery in India. When the Indian National Army created its first female unit, it was named after her.
Indian poetess Subhadra Kumari Chauhan wrote a poem in the Veer Ras style about her, which is still recited by children in schools of contemporary India.
In a prophetic statement in the 1878 book The History of the Indian Mutiny, Colonel Malleson said "...her countrymen will always believe that she was driven by ill-treatment into rebellion; that her cause was a righteous cause; ..... To them she will always be a heroine."