Lakshmi Bai - All You Need To Know About The Warrior Queen

Lakshmi Bai also known as the queen of Jhansi was born in 1835 at Kashi, India and died as the leader of the Indian Mutiny in 1858 at a tender age of 29. While she was growing up, she became skilled at martial arts, sword fighting and riding. She married the Maharaja of Jhansi but was widowed without any heir to the throne. Maharaja did adopt a son as a heir but Lord Dalhousie, the British governor-general of India refused to accept the heir. Following the doctrine of lapse, he annexed Jhansi.

But, she refused to give up Jhansi. And shortly after the mutiny of 1857, she was proclaimed the regent of Jhansi. She joined the uprising against the British and organised the troops to take the charge of rebels in the Bundelkhand region. Mutineers in the surrounding areas joined her hands to offer her support. A fierce battle raged under General Hugh Rose of the East India Company who turned towards Jhansi after capturing several other regions. Lakshmibai did not surrender and managed to escape from the fort to head eastwards where other rebels joined her. Rani Lakshmibai along with Tantia Tope then launched a successful assault on the city fortress of Gwalior. After successfully taking Gwalior and proclaiming Nana Sahib as peshwa, she marched to fight a British counterattack in Morar. She fought the battle disguised as a man and was killed in combat.

By: Neha Maheshwari

Content: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lakshmi-Bai