From The Pages of History

                           रानी रोईं रनिवासों में  ,बेगम गम से थीं बेजार ,
                           उनके गहने कपरे  बिकते थे , कलकत्ते के बाज़ार I
                            सरेआम नीलाम  छापते थे , अंग्रेजों के अख़बार ,
                            नागपुर के जेवर ले लो ,लखनऊ  के नौलख्हा हार,
                            यों  परदे की इज्जत ,परदेशी के हाथ  बिकानी थी I
                            बुंदेलों हरबोलों के मुंह हमने सुनी  कहानी  थी ,
                            खूब लरी मर्दानी  ,वह तो  झाँसी वाली  रानी थी I

When I visualize Subhhdra Kumari Chouhan ranting these stanzas of the poem with patriotic fervor in 'Kavi Sammelans' , it must have touched the raw nerve of listeners & those who were history buffs, must have felt the nuances of emotional wrenching of forcibly parting the heirlooms. This poem has also made Subhhdra Kumari Chouhan immortal !

Queen of Jhansi( Kangna Ranaut)

Doctrine of Lapse , the draconian act of annexation of Indian kingdoms piloted with feverish zeal by Lord Dalhousie was casting a pall of gloom to fifty three independent kingdoms dotted in Indian territory ,hence over its populace also . The kingdom of Jhansi was one of them . I always ask a question to myself, there were many war leaders of 1857 like Begam Hazrat Mahal , Tantia Tope , Nanasaheb of Bithur , Moulvi Amanullah, Veer Kunwar Singh & many others. Their leadership & sacrifices were no less paramount in the pages of history ,rather more . But why ' Jhansi ki Rani' was able to attain iconic status.Still, depiction of her character in T.V serials, films are commercially viable where stories of other war leaders are thought to be sufficient for making documentaries only. This is an enigma for myself !

The husband of queen of Jansi ,Raja Gangadhar Rao Newalkar died in November 1853 & her widow queen of Jhansi, Lakhmi Bai met her tryst with death on 17th June 1858, a period of of roughly 4 years & 8 months ! We do not know the story of 53 kingdoms of India who were victims of annexation  due to 'Doctrine of Lapse' ,but there must be their stories also . Nevertheless , as queen of Jhansi died fighting after 4 years & 8 months in widowhood & we are interested to know how she spent her everyday . Historian of Indian genre are completely inadequate in depicting it . Yes ! we Indians were vanquished mass of population after the fiasco  of 1857 ,so no authentic chronicle from Indian side  ,but no Indian historian resorted to oral history of that period . It is really sad !

Only the metaphoric expression of a poetess "मुंह हरबोलों के मुंह हमने सुनी कहानी थी, खूब लरी मर्दानी ,वह तो  झाँसी वाली रानी थी I" The story is of Bundelkhanda , but no historian made a research sitting in Bundelkhanda rather take the help of the dispatches of field officers on which the conclusions made by official historian  J.W.Kay & G.B.Mallison. The Indian historian R.C.Majumdar took a bit help of Bengali person's diary who were employed in the office of collector of customs of Jhansi during the revolt of 1857.

The queen of Jhansi was upright & noble person ,died at the age of 29 years in the prime of her youth. She was a widow ,had a adopted son by her husband named Damodar Rao . She had full knowledge & feeling of upbringing of her son taking the mantle of motherhood .She was not impetuous in action & deed & knowing fully well , if she fights against the might of British empire in India , she will never be a victor . Still she took plunge in the war of independence ,gave fine example of military skill & became a epitome of martyr to be emulated ?

 No, she fully knew , Britishers have put her name in war criminals of the revolt of 1857 &  will concoct evidences to prove her hand in the massacre committed of English officers & their family on 6th June 1857 at Jhansi. The choice was before her . It was either face a  trial reeked with hypocrisy, put the noose of hangman on scaffold or die as a warrior in battle field .

She was shrewd enough to understand it, tried her level best to prove her uprightness in the eyes of British establishment , but all her effort went in vain . Rebellion at Meerut cantonment occurred on 10th May 1857 . The massacre was done in in Jhansi on 8th June 1857 . From June 1857 to April 1858 Rani of Jhansi was allowed to rule Jhansi district by commissioner of Sagur division Major Skene. During these 10 months Rani Lakhmi Bai warded off many a enemy of British empire  chiefly Sadashiva Rao ,nephew of Late king Gangadhar Rao & incursions made by Datia & Orchha kingdom to share  territory of Jhansi district in their favor.

National archives are full of correspondence made by Rani Lakhmi Bai, proving her non-complicity in crime of massacre & it was done by mutineers of British cantonment situated in Jhansi who treated queen of Jhansi as milch cow , exhorted money , men & guns buried in earth from her to proceed towards Delhi.Queen of Jhansi stopped them plundering Jhansi town by her sheer diplomacy, waited patiently for the gang of soldiers to proceed .

 The day to day drama ,name of characters involve in the whole episode of mayhem ,butchery & massacre committed is not possible to put in this blog . But Rani of Jhansi was helpless in stopping this butchery !

Nevertheless, when mutineers & nationalist army were erasing the British rule in vast swath of land & in towns governed by British rule , commissioner of Sagur division was requesting Rani Lakhmi Bai to maintain rule of law in Jhansi district till British forces doesn't come to take charge of Jhansi ,already annexed by the provision of  'Doctrine of Lapse' ,but when table was turned & British forces were taking grip over lost territories militarily , Rani Lakhmi Bai found ,her letters were not responded & replied.

Rani Laksmi Bai understood the British game , her protestation of innocence was going in vain ,so she plunged herself in the battle of freedom & self-respect !


Continued ..........