Female Warriors

Rani Lakshmibai- रानी लक्ष्मीबाई

Born in November 19, 1835 in the princely state of Jhansi in Northern India, her birth name was Manikarnika or as she was known by her family, Manu. Her mother died when she was 4, leaving her in the care of her father the king, who was part of the elite warrior caste. She had a highly unconventional upbringing her father taught her skills like how to, ride elephants and horses, shoot bows, swordfight, load a musket as well as read and write.

She became a skilled warrior and passed on her skills to other women of the court. Before long Raini had assembled a force of ultra-fierce female warriors/bodyguards. Lakshmibai was one of the first people to openly appose the British occupation of India.

When she was 14 she was married to an older man, the Raja of Jhansi, Gangadhar Rao, as was the custom at the time; that is when she was given the name Lakshmibai. She had son in 1851 but he tragically died at four months old, her husband who never recovered from their son's death died just a year and half later. Now the Queen of Jhansi she didn't let these tragedies hold her back; she adopted a son to serve as heir, named Damodar Rao. She reigned as regent since he was too young and guarded him closely.

The British East India Company controlled most of India in the 19th century, essentially all rulers of a province had to be subservient to them or else be replaced forcibly with someone who was. And so when they found out the ruling monarch in Jhansi had adopted an heir with no royal blood they declared the throne to be "lapsed". Rani was deposed, given a small pension and told to submit to the British.

Of course she wasn't about to stay put obediently. She did take a more peaceful diplomatic approach at first, pleading her case in the British courts, going on trial to assert her and her son's right to rule. This failed because the courts were overseen by people who opposed her right to be the ruler of Jhansi. The British continued to insult her, overtax the natives and perhaps worst of all they started slaughtering sacred cows for food.

Finally in June 1857 the Indian's tolerance of the British snapped and the entire Indian army rebelled against the British. Seeing the opportunity, Lakshmibai now 22 declared open revolt and attacked the British fort in Jhansi, took back her homeland and purportedly massacred the British fortified inside. Historical accounts vary on how Lakshmibai was involved with the massacre. Some say that not only was she not there but she was reinstated as queen by the British when she acknowledged that the massacre was wrong and a mistake. Whatever the truth may be during the Great Indian Rebellion of 1857, Lakshmibai consolidated her small kingdom, trained men and women in her service in the art(s) of combat and on two separate occasions repelled back "rival regional lords". Some reports even say she charged into battle on horseback, her child strapped to her back, a sword in each hand and the reins in her teeth, a force to be reckoned with.

Seeing that the British weren't having any success quashing the rebellion led by this relentless female warrior, the British general Sir Hugh Rose launched a full-scale invasion of his own. Bringing about 2000 men and cannons, to attack Jhansi, luckily the people there had the sense to surrender. Despite facing such a powerful enemy, that would've obliterated other city-states, Rani held out for two weeks against the attack, just long enough for 20,000 relief troops to arrive from a neighbouring state that attacked the flank of the British army. She had succeeded in holding the defense of her city.

Unfortunately for Rani, the rebels didn't have much experience with heavy artillery and after a couple of cannon shots Rani's army was forced to flee. Recognizing the situation as hopeless she evacuated as many people as she could in the middle of night and retreated to join up with another rebel force nearby. Joining forces with the remaining rebels she continued to fight for independence from the British, a cause that was becoming more and more desperate. She led her army to defeat Maharaja of Gwalior after he switched sides and joined the British. But she was killed in a battle on June 18, 1858, while trying to rally her troops against the 8th Hussars Regiment. Fulfilling her dying wish her comrades built a funeral pyre and burned her body right on the battlefield so her body wouldn't end up in the hands of the British. The rebellion would eventually be crushed by the British and remain a colony until 1947. Her son, Damodar, survived the war but spent the rest of his life, living on a British pension and denouncing his claim to the throne.

http://www.badassoftheweek.com/rani.html

http://liveindia.com/freedomfighters/jhansi_ki_rani_laxmi_bai.html