
Before Kangana Ranaut’s Manikarnika, revisiting the life of Rani Laxmibai, the brave queen of Jhansi
Rani Laxmibai, the queen of Jhansi, remains one of the most iconic freedom fighters of India. Her story has been the stuff of legends—children read her tale in school lessons and poets and writers have been inspired by her selfless love for the motherland, sense of honour and courage. What’s more, many Britishers too extolled her commitment to her land and its people. On the eve of the release of Kangana Ranaut’s Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, here’s a look at the major aspects of her exemplary life.
Birth and early life

Laxmibai was named Manikarnika at birth. She was born into a Maharashtrian brahmin family in Varanasi on November 19, 1838. Laxmibai lost her mother, when she was barely four years old, and grew up in the court of Peshwa of Bithoor, (now in Uttar Pradesh). From a young age, she displayed an independent spirit, as compared to other girls her age, and went on to be home taught, while learning Maratha martial art Malakhambh, archery, horsemanship and fencing.
Marriage, motherhood and inheritance
Called Chhabili by the Peshwa of Bithoor because of her playful nature, she was married to the king of Jhansi, Raja Gangadhar Newalkar in 1842. She was soon renamed Laxmibai, in honour of the Hindu goddess of wealth, goddess Laxmi. She later gave birth to a boy, who was named Damodar Rao. However, the boy did not survive beyond four months and died in 1851. The king adopted a boy named Anand Rao, his cousin’s son and renamed him as Damodar Rao, a day before he died. The adoption was conducted in the presence of a British official who was instructed, via an official letter, that the boy be considered his heir and treated with respect and the governance of Jhansi be given to his widow, Laxmibai, for her lifetime, after his death. However, the British refused to accept the adoption and applied their annexation policy called Doctrine of Lapse, under which the British annexed a land that did not have a biological heir to the throne. However the queen of Jhansi would have none of it. She is said to have declared: “Main apni Jhansi nahin doongi.”
1857 Rebellion, mutineers, British and Jhansi
Some reports suggest that Laxmibai did not immediately join the mutineers when the first instance of revolt against the British was reported. On May 10, 1857, Indian sepoys (sipahi) of the British Army stationed in Meerut, rebelled. During the riot, Jhansi remained calm under her able rule. The queen is said to have asked the British to raise her own defences against the mutineers, a permission that was granted. The mutineers were said to have attacked her fort too and left with a bounty. Rani’s forces even defeated a faction of mutineers who tried to install her late husband’s cousin, Sadashiv Rao as the monarch. All this, while, the queen maintained her peace with the British.
As the rebellion gained momentum in more places across north and central India, and the British expressed their intention of sending in troops to control Jhansi too (but strangely none arrived for long). Then, sometime in January 1858, guided by her advisors, Laxmibai decided to fight for Jhansi’s independence from the British. The Company forces, soon laid siege over her fort but she continued to fight them. Through March of that year, she and her troops fought the British till her fort fell, and she with her young son Damodar tied to her back and others, loyal to her, fled the fort. This is the image that is often associated with her and has been immortalized in statues and popular culture.
Through May and June of 1858, Laxmibai, as part of the rebels now, with her band of men and women, fought the British in Kalpi and Gwalior. Her end came on June 17, on the battleground. It is said that she was laid to rest under a tamarind tree in Gwalior. According to another tradition, a badly wounded queen, not wanting the British to capture her body, told a hermit to burn it.
Her passion and selfless defence of Jhansi and her people inspired poetess and freedom fighter Subhadra Kumari Chauhan to write the following lines:
Bundele harbolon ke mooh, humne suni kahaani thi
Khoob ladi mardaani, woh toh Jhansi wali rani thi
Author tweets @mniveditatweets
Follow @htshowbiz for more

Kangana describes man she feels is running smear campaign against her
- Kangana Ranaut took to Twitter and dropped a vague description of a man who she believes is running a social media smear campaign against her.

Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal announce first production Girls Will Be Girls

Saina director Amol Gupte defends ‘high concept poster’ against criticism

Swara Bhasker hits back at man for 'Nallasopara' remark about her magazine cover
- Swara Bhasker lashed out at a man who made an unsavoury comment about her being on the cover of Vogue magazine. She called him a "pretentious half-wit pretending to be ‘elite’".

Roohi director on Janhvi Kapoor's 'palat' scene: 'Our chudail is filmy'

Yami Gautam exclaims 'Oh God' at UP woman divorcing her bald husband

Aparshakti Khurana: I hope OTTs don’t become corrupt and redundant

Rohan’s father approves of Shraddha: 'If they decide to marry each other...'
- Rohan Shrestha's father, Rakesh Shrestha, said that he would be very happy if his son and Shraddha Kapoor decide to get married.

Rakesh Roshan and wife Pinkie receive first dose of Covid-19 vaccine, share pics
- Rakesh Roshan took to social media and revealed he received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine shot. He also pointed out the uniqueness of the day.

Alia Bhatt is all smiles with Ranbir Kapoor by her side in new Brahmastra photos
- Alia Bhatt took to Instagram and shared new production pictures from the upcoming movie Brahmastra. The actor stars with Ranbir Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan in the movie.
_1614851752186_1614851757755.jpg)
Salman Khan chats with bride, Tamannaah Bhatia clicks her pics at Jaipur wedding

Hazel Keech goes off social media temporarily: 'We need this time apart'
- Actor Hazel Keech, the wife of cricketer Yuvraj Singh, announced that she is going on a social media detox. She said that she will be back but 'not too soon'.

Amitabh sports special glasses after eye surgery
_1614845785874_1614845795345.jpg)
Kangana reacts after people claim she took pic of her meal off the internet
- Kangana Ranaut is 'thrilled' to know how she is 'awesome at everything' she does. On Thursday, she shared photos of her smoothie bowl, after many claimed that she had pulled the picture off the internet.

Saina teaser: Parineeti hits the perfect shot in inspiring Saina Nehwal biopic
- Parineeti Chopra has unveiled the teaser of her upcoming film Saina. She plays badminton player Saina Nehwal in the film.