Impact of the highly improbable – Part 9

 “Main Meri Jhansi Nahi Doongi” was all Jhansi Rani said when she heard that the British had applied the Doctrine of Lapse to her Jhansi. Anand Rao, her adopted son was denied his rights.

Lakshmi Bai did not take the sword immediately. She always wanted peace and acted calmly. The Queen had been criticized by some authors in many places. It is even said that she was merely a Prisoner of Circumstances. But according to me she was brave. Bravery is not absence of fear but it is the determination to act despite fear. And that was what the Queen did!

At first she appealed against the decision through the Local Political agent Major Ellis. And she followed up with a second appeal. These appeals were refused by the British.

Lakshmi Bai then consulted with a British counsel, John Lang, who was in India. He was known for his success against the Company in the courts. This consultation is recounted by Lang in his book "Wanderings in India". Rani uttered the famous words "Main Meri Jhansi Nahi Doongi " when she met John Lang.

Her third appeal dated April 22nd 1854 was drafted with regard to Lang's advice. There followed an appeal to the Court of Directors in London, at considerable cost, but it also failed. Rani’s persistence is said to have irritated Dalhousie.

The Rani was forced into retirement. She was granted a monthly pension of 5,000 rupees, the palace now known as the Rani Mahal, state jewels and funds.

With the annexation, Rani left the royal palace of Jhansi Fort and moved to Rani Mahal.

The Rani Mahal, the palace of Rani Lakshmi Bai, has now been converted into a museum. It houses a collection of archaeological remains of the period between 9th and 12th centuries AD. (Source: Wikipedia)

 

In his book, The Rebellious Rani, Smyth had mentioned that “Over the next three years the Rani was steadily endearing herself to her people and fanning their resentment against the British”.

As she had been Rani of Jhansi for over 10 years she was already well known to her people and as for the people to hate British she did not have to do anything.  The British worked on this for themselves.

Some of the grievances against British at that time were as follows

1.      The British allowed cow slaughter within the town, a measure guaranteed to offend Hindus and the Rani protested in a letter of Aug 21st 1854.

2.      Villages which were assigned to the temple of Mahalakshmi, the family deity of the Jhansi royal family, for the upkeep of the temples, were 'resumed', i.e. returned to a normal status. Rs.1000 was added to the Rani's pension for her to provide support for the temples.

Mahalakshmi Temple Jhansi (Source: Wikipedia)

3.      Of the lands and gardens in the Rani's possession, only some gardens were granted to her. Other gardens and lands were resumed i.e. it was taken by the British Company.

4.      The Rani had to provide 4 guarantors for Rs. 100,000 she wanted from Damodar's inheritance for his thread ceremony. The British required this in case Damodar should want it back when he was granted the trust. Rani had to take it as a Loan. Ironically the British never gave him his inheritance!

5.      It is even said that gauging public sentiments and support for her, Rani asked permission from the British to move to Varanasi to lead a simple life. It is said that she merely used this as a threat. British however refused to give permission and asked her to stay in Rani Mahal. She did use the threat of leaving Jhansi in her negotiations, an indication of her economic and political power in Jhansi and that the British viewed her presence there as a benefit to themselves. British knew that People were calmed by the presence of the Queen.

6.      The dissolution of court of Jhansi resulted in many losing their jobs. This was causing huge resentment and the British knew that only the presence of their beloved queen in Rani Mahal was acting as calming factor.

7.      There was discontent with settlements in land disputes and in the assessment of land values for tax purposes.

8.      Stamp duty was required on all petitions lodged before a court, rendering justice too expensive for many.

During the years of retirement Rani is said to have been meticulous in her religious observances. She practiced rifle and pistol shooting, horse riding and physical exercise every day.

The situation remained same until 1857. What happened then? That is what we are going to see in the next post. :)

Antonia Fraser in her Book “Warrior Queens” mentions an interesting historical link. She mentions about Turab Ali who was in Jhansi and lived till the age of 113. He died in 1943. He survived long enough to tell tales of his youth.

He had watched the Rani practicing the art of managing her horse with the reins in her teeth and two swords in her hands.

It is a popular image. An image so well known! After all why won’t it be?

It is said that she was precisely that way when she plunged into the Battle Field finally!

To be continued…

Impact of the highly improbable – Part 8

Manikarnika was born in Holy city of Varanasi in a Brahmin Family. Her father was Moropant Tambe and her mother Bhagirathi. She lost her mother at a young age (when she was around four years old).

Her father worked in the court Peshwa Baji Rao of Bithoor district. Peshwa Baji Rao brought Manikarnika up like his own daughter. She was given pet names like Manu and Chhabli which means playful

She was educated at home. She was more independent in her childhood than others of her age; her studies included archery, horsemanship, and self-defense.

Now the readers must be wondering why I am writing about some girl called Manikarnika in the Black Swan Series. The last part was all about Sepoy mutiny right? Many would know and for the ones who are yet to connect the dots, let me make it clear.

Manikarnika was married to the Maharaja of Jhansi, Raja Gangadhar Rao, in 1842. There she was given a name. A Name which would become an inspiration for every women! A Name that was inscribed in Golden letters in the History of India! And it was Rani Lakshmi Bai!

 

Jhansi Rani Lakshmi Bai is one who had inspired me in many ways. So it would be difficult for me to proceed with the series without mentioning something about her. This post would thus concentrate on the background of the Great Queen. It is a popular story worth telling again but I promise to keep it short J

Jhansi Rani gave birth to a boy named Damodar Rao in 1851, but when he was four months old he died. The Raja then adopted a child Anand Rao, the son of Gangadhar Rao's cousin, who was renamed Damodar Rao, on the day before he died.

The adoption happened in the presence of the British political officer who was given a letter from the raja requesting that the child should be treated with kindness and that the government of Jhansi should be given to his widow for her lifetime. After the death of the raja in November 1853 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 was ordered to leave the palace and the fort.

 East India Company thus refused to accept the adopted son of the Raja of Jhansi Gangadhar Rao. Dalhousie then annexed Jhansi, saying that the throne had "lapsed" and claimed the right to put Jhansi under his protection.

The Doctrine of Lapse can be considered as one of the main Black swan which contributed to the fall of British East India Trading Company.

The nobility, many of whom had lost titles and domains under the Doctrine of Lapse, which refused to recognize the adopted children of King’s as legal heirs, felt that the Company had interfered with a traditional system of inheritance.

Did the Brave Queen just accept her fate? Of course not!

When informed about the annexation of Jhansi by British, the Queen made her point with just one line. The famous words which were immortalized in the walls of History...

“Main Meri Jhansi Nahi Doongi” – I will not give up my Jhansi

To be continued…