Women Warriors

Rani of Jhansi

by Janet Phillips, Ashdown, Arkansas

    On every parapet a gun she set
    Raining fire of hell,
    How well like a man fought the Rani of Jhansi
    How valiantly and well!
    --Indian folk song of '1857'

The Rani of Jhansi was a youngish widow of the Gangadhar Rao. According to Hindu law, there was a clear violation by the British to her claim to rule Jhansi in the name of her late husband's adopted son. Gangadhar Rao died on 21 November 1853. Not long afterward, the Marquess of Dalhousie, the Govenor-General of India, announced under the policy of "lapse" Jhansi was to be annexed to the British government. Gangadhar Rao had left no heir or successor, the adoption did not count, and the state of Jhansi was to be reverted to the treaty of the East ndia Company.

In 1854, after her appeal to London was denied, the Rani was forced to into private life for the next three years. Her case of a mixture of injustice, insensitivity and of Indian customs by the British administration could be a microcosm of the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857.

In June of 1857, the garrison at Jhansi mutinied under rebel leader Gurbash Singh. The garrison was drawn from the Twelfth Bengal Native Infantry and the Fourteeth Irregular Cavalry and commanded by Captain Gordon. The rebels invaded the Star Fort and killed all the British officers. In July the city fort was besieged and Captain Gordon killed. A safe retreat from the city was promised after the surrender was promised. The British filed out of the city without arms. The rebel leader Risaldar Kala Khan ordered them all to be killed including women and children.

The Rani had reformed a government to try to bring order to the situation was seen as by the British as guilty by association in this massacre and the one at Cawnpore. In the event of her capture by the British, her fate would have been death. (Her father was hanged.)

She began to recruit a large army of her own of about 14,000. She had joined forces with Rai Sahib and Tayta Tope and helped in the seize of the fortress of Gwalior.

With the British counterattacking, lead by Sir Hugh Rose, at Gwalior, the Rani was put in charge of the eastern side defense. She wore her armor, her jeweled scabbard and her pearl necklace into battle. She was killed the second day of battle. She was burned under a tamarind tree under the rock of Gwalior. In Sir Hugh Roses' epitaph, he paid tribute one solider to another.

'The Ranee was remarkable for her bravery, cleverness and perseverance; her generosity to her Subordinates was unbounded. These qualities, combined with her rank, rendered her the most dangerous of the rebel leaders.'

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© Copyright 2000 by David W. Tschanz.
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