Jhansi Chi Rani Lakshmibai

Born	Manikarnika Tambe, 19 November 1828
Place of Birth	Varanasi, India
Nationality	Indian
Father	Moropant Tambe
Mother	Bhagirathi Sapre
Died	18 June 1858 (aged 29), Kotah ki Serai, near Gwalior, India
Spouse Name	Jhansi Naresh Maharaj Gangadhar Rao Newalkar
Chidren	She gave birth to a boy, later named Damodar Rao, in 1851, who died when four months old.
Education	She was educated at home and was more independent in her childhood than others of her age; her studies included shooting, horsemanship, and fencing.
Known for contribution as	Lakshmi Bai.
Awards and honours	honour of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi

  Rani Lakshmi Bai was one of the leading warriors of the India's first struggle for independence. A symbol of bravery, patriotism and honour, Rani Lakshmi Bai was born on 19 November 1828 at Poona. Her actual name was Manikarnika. Her father Moropant Tabme was a court advisor, and mother Bhagirathi was a scholarly woman. At a very early age she lost her mother. Her father raised her in an unconventional way and supported her to learn to ride elephants and horses and also to use weapons effectively. She grew up with Nana Sahib and Tatya Tope, who were active participants in the first revolt of independence.

         In 1842, Rani Lakshmi Bai got married to Raja Gangadhar Rao who was the Maharaja of Jhansi. After her marriage, she came to be known as Lakshmi Bai. In 1851, she gave birth to a son but unfortunately he died in his fourth month. After this tragic incident, Damodar Rao was adopted by the Maharaja of Jhansi as his son. Moved by the death of his son and his poor health, Maharaja Gangadhar Rao also died on 21 November 1853. When the Maharaja died, Rani Lakshmi Bai was just eighteen years old, but she didn't lose her courage and took up her responsibility.

        Lord Dalhousie, the Governor-General of India at that time, was a very shrewd person who tried to take advantage of the misfortune of Jhansi to expand the British Empire. The British rulers did not accept little Damodar Rao, as the legal heir of late Maharaja Gangadhar Rao and Rani Lakshmi Bai. Their plan was to annex Jhansi on the ground that it did not have any legal heir. In March 1854, Rani of Jhansi was granted an annual pension of 60,000 and was ordered to leave the Jhansi fort. She was firm on the decision not to give up the dominion of Jhansi to the British.

        For strengthening the defence of Jhansi, Rani Lakshmi Bai assembled an army of rebellions, which also included women. For this great cause she was supported by brave warriors like Gulam Gaus Khan, Dost Khan, Khuda Baksh, Sunder-Mundar, Kashi Bai, Lala Bhau Bakshi, Moti Bai, Deewan Raghunath Singh and Deewan Jawahar Singh. She assembled 14,000 rebels and organised an army for the defence of the city.

       In March 1858, when the British attacked Jhansi, Rani Lakshmi Bai's army decided to fight and the war continued for about two weeks. The army fought very bravely, even though Jhansi lost to the British forces. After a fierce war when the British army entered Jhansi, Rani Lakshmi Bai, tied her son Damodar Rao to her back and fought bravely using two swords in both her hands. She escaped to the fortress of Kalpi under the cover of darkness and was accompanied by many other rebellions. She departed to Gwalior and a fierce battle was fought between the British and the Rani's army. On the unfortunate day of 17 June of 1858, this great warrior martyred her life for India's freedom. 

 

After all the British in Jhansi had been killed by mutinous Indian troops in June 1857 the Rani took over the administration provisionally until the British returned. However she had to form an army to defeat the invading forces of Orchha and Datia and the British believed she had been responsible for the earlier British deaths.In March 1858, British forces led by Sir Hugh Rose came to Jhansi to take back the city from the Rani who now wanted independence. Jhansi was besieged and finally taken after strong resistance. Many of the people of the city were killed in the fighting and many more afterwards. The Rani escaped to Kalpi and jointly with the Maratha general Tantya Tope then seized Gwalior. In the battle of Kotah ki Serai in which the Rani Laxmi Bai was died on 18th June 1858 at kotah ki serai ,Gwalior India