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…
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