India’s freedom struggle against British oppression lasted close to a century until the nation attained freedom in 1947. One of the central figures of this fight was Rani Laxmibai, the queen of Jhansi. Her raw courage and a nationalistic endeavour made even her enemies take note of her fearlessness. She was the symbol of resistance against the British when the revolt of 1857 took place. Rani Laxmibai to her credit is one of India’s first freedom fighters when the majority of the states surrendered meekly into the hands of British rule. She depicted Women power in a way few have been able to replicate and for that, the Queen of Jhansi is forever inscribed in the minds of all Indians. She passed away on June 18, 1858.

On Rani Laxmi Bai’s death anniversary, we take a look at some facts about her life.

• The exact date of birth of Rani Laxmibai is not known but it is believed she was born as Manikarnika Tambe in a Maratha family in Varanasi on November 19, 1828.

• She was affectionately called as Manu while growing up and lost her mother at the age of 4.

• She was educated at home and excelled in horse riding, shooting and fencing.

• Rani Laxmibai was married at a very young age of 14 to the ruler of Jhansi – Gangadhar Rao.

• Post her marriage, Manikarnika Tambe was named as Laxmibai after the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity.

• She gave birth to a boy named Damodar Rao in 1851 but he died just 4 months later.

• Rani Laxmibai and Gangadhar Rao adopted their cousin’s son Anand Rao and renamed him as Damodar Rao.

• After the death of the King of Jhansi – Damodar Rao in 1853, Lord Dalhousie sought to annex the kingdom on pretext of the Doctrine of Lapse which forbids the British to acknowledge adopted heirs. Remembering The Brave Queen of Jhansi Who Embraced Martyrdom For Motherland.

• Rani Laxmibai fought against Sir Hugh Rose and his army for two weeks when they came to capture her fort. She was defeated and had to escape to Kalpi with her son despite a valiant fight.

• With the help of her childhood friend Tatya Tope, Rani Laxmibai successfully captured the fort of Gwalior.

• She died while fighting the British troops on 18th June 1858 at a young age of 29. Some legends say she asked a hermit to burn her body after being badly wounded in order to avoid being captured.

• Speaking about Rani Laxmibai, Sir Hugh Rose said “Remarkable for her beauty, cleverness and perseverance, she had been the most dangerous of all the rebel leaders. The best and bravest of all.”

Rani Laxmibai laid the seeds of India’s freedom struggle by inspiring a generation of countrymen to take up the cause of liberating their nation from foreign powers. Her contribution is gigantic just like her personality.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 18, 2020 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).