Rani Laxmibai

Lakshmi Bai, the Rani of Jhansi (19 November 1828 – 18 June 1858) (Marathi- झाशीची राणी लक्ष्मीबाई) was the queen of the Maratha-ruled princely state of Jhansi, situated in the north-central part of India. She was one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and for Indian nationalists a symbol of resistance to the rule of the British East India Company in the subcontinent.
Biography
Lakshmi Bai was born probably on 19 November 1828[citation needed] in the holy town of Kashi into a brahmin family. She was named Manikarnika and was nicknamed Manu.Her father was Moropant Tambe and her mother Bhagirathibai Tambe. Her parents came from Maharashtra.Her mother died when she was four. Her father worked for a court Peshwa of Bithoor district. The Peshwa brought her up like his own daughter. The Peshwa called her "Chhabili", whose meaning is light-heartedness and she was educated at home. She was more independent in her childhood than others of her age. She studied archery, horsemanship, self-defence, instructed by Tatya Tope.
Lakshmibai was married to the Maharaja of Jhansi, Raja Gangadhar Rao, in 1842. After her marriage she was called Lakshmibai. She gave birth to a boy named Damodar Rao in 1851. However, the child died when he was four months old. After the death of their son, the Raja and Rani of Jhansi adopted a child called Anand Rao. Anand Rao was the son of Gangadhar Rao's cousin, and was renamed Damodar Rao.
Because Damodar Rao was adopted, the British East India Company, under Governor-General Lord Dalhousie, applied the Doctrine of Lapse, rejecting Damodar Rao's claim to the throne and annexing the state to its territories. In March 1854, Lakshmibai was given a pension of Rs. 60,000 and ordered to leave the palace and the fort.
Indian Rebellion of 1857
Rani Lakshmibai as shown in a 19th century painting On May 10, 1857 the Indian Rebellion started in Meerut. The rumour that the bullet casings supplied by the East India Company to the...