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Lakshmibai or the Rani of Jhansi was the queen of the princely state of Jhansi in North India^[1] She was one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857.^[2]

Lakshmibai was born on 19 November 1828^[3] in the town of Varanasi into a Marathi Karhade Brahmin family.^[4] She was named Manikarnika Tambe and was nicknamed Manu.^[5] Her father worked for Peshwa Baji Rao II of Bithoor district.^[6]

She was educated at home, able to read and write, and was more independent in her childhood than others of her age; her studies included shooting, horsemanship, fencing^[7][8] and mallakhamba with her childhood friends Nana Sahib and Tantia Tope.^[9]

Manikarnika was married to the Maharaja of Jhansi, Raja Gangadhar Newalkar, in May 1842^[3] and was afterwards called Lakshmibai (or Laxmibai) in honour of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi and according to the traditions.^[10]

She gave birth to a boy, later named Damodar Rao, in 1851, who died after four months. The Maharaja adopted a child called Anand Rao, the son of Gangadhar Rao's cousin, who was renamed Damodar Rao, on the day before the Maharaja died.^[11][12]

After the death of the Maharaja in November 1853, because Damodar Rao (born Anand Rao) was an adopted son, the British East India Company, applied the Doctrine of Lapse, rejecting Damodar Rao's claim to the throne and annexing the state to its territories.^[13][14].

When she was informed of this she cried out "I shall not surrender my Jhansi" (Main meri Jhansi nahi doongi). In March 1854, Rani Lakshmibai was given an annual pension of sixty thousand Indian rupees and ordered to leave the palace and the fort.^[13]

On 10 May 1857 the Indian Rebellion started in Meerut. The city was relatively calm in the midst of the regional unrest.^[15][16] Until this point, Lakshmibai was reluctant to rebel against the British.

In June 1857, rebels of the 12th Bengal Native Infantry seized the Star Fort of Jhansi containing the treasure and magazine.^[17]

After persuading the British to lay down their arms by promising them no harm, broke their word and massacred 40 to 60 European officers of the garrison along with their wives and children. The Rani's involvement in this massacre is still a subject of debate.^[18][19]

There was then an invasion of Jhansi by the forces of Company allies Orchha and Datia. The Rani appealed to the British for aid but it was now believed by the governor-general that she was responsible for the massacre and no reply was received.^[20]

From August 1857 to January 1858 Jhansi under the Rani's rule was at peace. Though the British had promised to send troops, no one arrived until March, and this led them to demand independence from the British rule.

When the British forces under the command of Hugh Rose arrived, they found it well-defended and the fort had heavy guns which could fire over the town and nearby countryside.They demanded the surrender of the city; if this was refused it would be destroyed.^[21]

Jhansi was besieged on 23 March 1858, and bombardment began on 24 March but was met by heavy return fire. Reinforcements sent by Tatya Tope to relieve Jhansi failed to do so fighting the British on 31 March.^[22]

On 2 April it was decided to launch an assault by a breach in the walls. Street fighting continued into the following day and no quarter was given, even to women and children.^[22]

The Rani withdrew from the palace to the fort and after taking counsel decided that since resistance in the city was useless she must leave and join either Tatya Tope or Rao Sahib.^[22]

According to tradition with Damodar Rao on her back she jumped on her horse Badal from the fort; they survived but the horse died.^[23] The Rani escaped in the night with her son, surrounded by guards.^[24]

The leaders (the Rani of Jhansi, Tatya Tope, the Nawab of Banda, and rao Sahib) fled once more. They moved on to Gwalior intending to occupy the strategic Gwalior Fort and the rebel forces occupied the city without opposition.^[25]

The rebels proclaimed Nana Sahib as Peshwa of a revived Maratha dominion with Rao Sahib as his governor (subedar) in Gwalior. The Rani was unsuccessful in trying to persuade the other rebel leaders to prepare to defend Gwalior against a British attack which she expected would come soon.^[25]

General Rose's forces took Morar on 16 June and then made a successful attack on the city.^[25]

On 17 June in Kotah-ki-Serai near the Phool Bagh of Gwalior, a squadron of the 8th (King's Royal Irish) Hussars, under Captain Heneage, fought the large Indian force commanded by Rani Lakshmibai.

In this engagement, according to an eyewitness account, Lakshmibai attacked one of the hussars; she was unhorsed and also wounded. Shortly afterwards, as she sat bleeding, she recognised the soldier and fired at him with a pistol, whereupon she was shot by a carbine.^[26][27]

According to another tradition Rani Lakshmibai, the Queen of Jhansi, dressed as a cavalry leader, was badly wounded; not wishing the British to capture her body, she told a hermit to burn it. After her death a few local people cremated her body.^[28][29]

Statues of Lakshmibai are seen in many places of India, which show her and her son tied to her back. Several educational institutes such as Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College, Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University were named after her.^[30]