In
the last post we saw how Rani, during the years of retirement was meticulous in
her religious observances and she practiced rifle and pistol shooting, horse
riding and physical exercise every day.
In
the early months of 1857, the tallow greased cartridges triggered the sepoy
mutiny.
When
news of the mutiny in Meerut reached Jhansi, the Rani asked
permission to raise a small bodyguard for her own protection, a measure to
which Captain Skene readily agreed. Skene and the other British officers failed
to take the Rani's lead to protect themselves against a possible mutiny despite
Rani’s warnings.
During these time British left the Jhansi under the control
of Rani. The city was indeed relatively calm in the midst of unrest in the
region. Rani even conducted the Haldi kumkum ceremony (The Haldi Kumkum
ceremony, is a social gathering in India in which married women
exchange haldi (turmeric) and kumkum (vermilion powder), as a symbol of their
married status and wishing for their husbands' long lives. Source Wikipedia)
with pomp which reassured the people that Jhansi
was safe. This was done to assure people that they need not be worried about
British or Riots.
Image of Ganesh Mandir Jhansi (Source: Wikipedia)
In
June 1857 a few men of the 12th Bengal Native Infantry seized the fort
containing the treasure, and massacred the European officers of the garrison
along with their wives and children. (Rani’s forces did not kill any East India
Company officials and their wives and children in Jokhan Bagh on 8 June 1857
but she was subsequently accused by the British of that.)
Image of Jokhan Bagh (Source: Wikipedia)
It
is said that the survivors in the Town Fort appealed to the Rani for help.
But
with limited military power and having no influence over the mutineers it
became obvious that she could not do anything.
Her
actual response is unknown, there are several versions. Antonia Fraser's
favoured version is 'What can I do? ... If you wish to save yourself, abandon
the fort, no-one will injure you'. I assume that at the time the mutineers were
not acting against the fort, and that she was stating that the people of Jhansi would not harm
them. In this respect she could grant them the implied safe conduct, but
whatever she replied they choose to stay put.
On
the 7th June, the Town Fort was besieged by the mutineers and the fort
surrendered. Safe passage was granted by the mutineers, but just outside Jhansi, in the Jokan
Bagh, one of the rebel leaders ordered their deaths.
The
mutineers left Jhansi
after this incident. She gave mutineers money being threatened by the fact that
they could do more damages and commit more atrocities. (Some British historians, subsequently pushed
this further, or at least misinterpreted it, and made her responsible for the
mutiny itself.)
Post
Jokhan Bagh incident, the mutineers left to Delhi
Rani
wrote letters to British explaining the incidents. Major Ellis had reported
that she had helped the mutineers with guns, men and money. Despite evidence,
other than the Rani's account, that the assistance had been extracted from her
under duress, there was a view that she gave willing assistance for the Jokhan
Bagh massacre. From that point the official British view of Rani became hostile
and coloured by prejudice and preconceived notion.
That
is when Rani decided that she should fight against British and she took her
famous sword.
Many
might say that Rani was forced to take this decision and it does not show her
bravery.
Am
only reminded of the lines from Harry Potter:
These
lines appear when Dumbledore explains and Harry understands the prophesy they
he is to fight evil Voldemort.
“He
understood at last what Dumbledore had been trying to tell him. It was, he
thought, the difference between being dragged into the arena to face a battle
to the death and walking into the arena with your head held high. Some people,
perhaps, would say that there was little to choose between the two ways, but
Dumbledore knew – and so do I, thought Harry, with a rush of fierce pride, and
so did my parents – that there was all the difference in the world.”
And
that’s what I would say of Rani. She chose to walk into the arena with her head
held high. And it does make all the difference.
After
due deliberation the Rani issued a proclamation: "We fight for
independence. In the words of Lord Krishna, we will if we are victorious, enjoy
the fruits of victory, if defeated and killed on the field of battle, we shall
surely earn eternal glory and salvation."
What happened after that?
To
be continued…
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