Laxmibai
(d. 1858), Indian nationalist. Laxmibai—or the Rani (queen) of Jhansi, as she is also known—came to prominence in India after the British East India Company sought to consolidate its power in the mid-nineteenth century. Under the leadership of Lord Dalhousie, the company adopted a policy called the "doctrine of lapse," which allowed the British to annex an Indian state if the ruler did not have a male heir. This policy, in effect from 1848 to 1856, led to the British annexation of many Indian states. Resistance to the policy, and events surrounding the Great Mutiny of 1857, brought the Rani of Jhansi, the widow of the last ruler of the state of Jhansi, into the political spotlight. Jhansi "lapsed" to the British in 1853. In the period following this debacle, Jhansi was faced with political challenges from rival claimants to its throne, specifically the rulers of Orchha and Datia. This saga was unfolding as war continued to rage in northern and central India in late 1858. After being politically cornered, Laxmibai, together with Nana Sahib (the adopted son of Baji Rao II, the last Maratha ruler) and his artillery expert Tatia Tope, fought the British army until she was killed while fighting on horseback. Remembered as the "Joan of India," the Rani of Jhansi remains a major figure in the pantheon of Indian nationalist icons.
Further Reading
Bayly, Chris A. (1988) Indian Society and the Making of the British Empire. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Keay, John. (2000) India: A History. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press.
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