After the bundelas the fort passed on to the Marathas. After the Marathas the fort was taken over by the British who ruthlessly destroyed many of the buildings constructed by their predecessors. They rushed through construction of buildings and barracks to house their soldiers to meet their strategic and military requirements. This fort is a unique showcase of three distinct fort architectural styles that can be seen at one place but this fort is remarkable. The fort of Jhansi is like a child compared to other forts of India both in age and in scale but it occupies a very special niche in the history of India. This is where the spark was ignited that started the configuration of 1857. This is where the first better try was given for the first war of Indian independence which made the position of British very very precarious; they never could be secure after that. Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh is at a distance about four hundred and twenty five kilometres from Delhi. This is arguably the most famous fort in Bundelkhand. It was built by the rulers as a small castle to house a garrison of soldiers to stand guard at the borders of their state. Soon it acquired unique strategic significance. The small museum of Jhansi is full of priceless artifacts. Some statues date back to the imperial Guptas, others are from the time of Prayahara's culture and the time when Bundelas ruled this region.
These objects bear testimony to the fact that it was situated at the crossroads of a historic trade route connecting north with south. Jhansi was a part of Orchha state but the Marathas chased away the commander of the garrison fort and occupied it. The Quiledaar had a status of a local governor appointed by the Peshwa but with the passage of time he began to assert his independence andnd behaved like a small ruler. He continued to benefit as a member of the Maratha confederacy. Maratha expansion as a confederacy from 1720 is remarkable. In the process of expansion the Marathas planted themselves firmly in central India and Jhansi is one of the principalities, there were several subordinate principalities and independent principalities. The fort of Jhansi may be small in size but as it is situated on a steep rock, it presented a difficult challenge for the invaders. Watch tours on the rampart enable the sentries to scan the horizon to monitor the movements of any invading force. The guarding walls undulate with the uneven ground and the towers are built at different levels, Canon's placed on these reinforce the fort defences and keep it safe during sieges.
The fort has ten gates that had to be successively crossed to enter. This wasn't easy. Large cannons placed on the towers struck terror in the heart of the enemy. Among many such guns "Gharag Bijli and Bhavani Shanker" are most famous. These were used effectively by Maharani Laksmi Bai in her fight with the British. Memorial to Gaus Mohammad and Moti Bai stand inside the fort. The two had ably assisted the Rani and had laid down their lives defending the fort.
Well in the beginning it was a very small principality. During the mughal period but after the break of the Mughal empire many successors states emerged in that part of Bundelkhand. The 18th century in Indian history is a period where one centralised imperial power gets replaced with many regional powers which are capable of retaining their autonomy and also competing with others for territory and resources, Jhansi was one such state. Panch mahal is one of the few buildings that has escaped total ruin. Built in many layers at different times it showcases the blending of different architectural styles. Though the British demolished most of the structures after they captured the fort.
They retained this intact to house their own troops inside the fort. This palace was linked to the other parts of the fort with a web of underground tunnels. Secret tunnels and doors eyes could be kept on what is happening outside. Supplies could be sort of secretly brought in. So they were very meticulously planned. In times of attack and in times of surrender the escape routes played important part. There was a lot of the fort which was invisible not only from outside the fort but also from inside the fort. Bara Dhari is a large pavilion built in Mughal style that breaks the monotony of the harsh military architecture dominated by towers and ramparts. The feminine building stands out as a charming exception in the predominantly masculine fort seems to tell us that life has a softer pleasant dimension that is free from strife and struggle. Laxmi Bai was born and named Manu in the family of a poor Maharashtrian Brahmin who worked in the office of the Peshwa. She showed signs of exceptional intelligence and courage from an early age. In adolescence she was married off to Gangadhar Rao, the ruler of Jhansi. She began to take interest in governance after her marriage. 19th Century India was a time in a place when the girl child was greatly discriminated against. It was felt that a place of a girl or a woman was within the confines of the four walls of the house. Laxmi Bai challenged this notion from the outset of her childhood and from her adolescence she insisted that she be treated at par with a male child and a considered father allowed her to learn horse riding , learnt fencing she took a keen interest in the affairs of state and that is why she was in a position to move the challenges ably when confronted with them. When her husband died, the British threatened that they would apply the doctrine of lapse and take over the state of jhansi. Laxmi Bai took over the reins of governance in her hand and ruled the principality nobly efficiently, more than anything else she was accessible to all her subjects especially to those who are addressed today as the minorities and the Dalits: the deprived sections of the society. That is the reason why people like Gaus Mohammad, Khuda Baksh and Moti Bai willingly sacrificed themselves.
Rani Lakshmi Bai may have ruled for a very short period of time but left an indelible imprint on the minds of the people in Jhansi, She made serving the people of her state the main purpose of her life to protect and nurture them like her own children. She was well aware how difficult the life of the common people was in an area that was arid and rocky. The British made life even more miserable by constantly demanding higher revenue and taxes. They weren't interested in the welfare of the people at all. In a short time the Rani succeeded in eliminating rampant corruption in state administration.
She initiated and implemented many schemes that fitted the poor and the suffering. When her son died in infancy she adopted a young boy named Damodar. The law then recognised it. But the British keen to grab Jhansi following the doctrine of lapse, disputed this. The Rani carried out a long legal fight to assert her right and after losing the case in court in India she approached the privy council in London. The British failed to deliver justice and she was pensioned off. She was given the Rani Mahal for her residence but the fort remained under British control.
The British may have taken over Jhansi but the Rani ruled the hearts and minds of the people. They approached her with their petitions in the Rani Mahal and expected her as a sovereign to provide required relief. The Rani tried her best to help and bided her time carefully monitoring seething with discontent. As far as the administrator was concerned she heard cases in her court.
She delivered judgements and punished the guilty. The land revenue administration had become corrupt and oppressive under the British. This had never happened when the Rani ruled jhansi. Her presence made the people of Jhansi feel that they were not helpless. She was there to protect them and help them. The inner walls of the Rani Mahal are decorated with beautifully colored paintings.
The Rani lived a simple spartan life but understood well how these outward appearances were necessary to maintain the dignity of her position and proclaim majesty. Her claim as a sovereign made it imperative to display trappings of royalty. British policy of annexing or withdrawing privileges of successor states or treating independent chiefdoms expanding their own hegemony dictating terms all these factors configured into this big project of getting rid of the British colonial rule in India and Jhansi played a very important role with Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi becoming a major figure in a larger than life figure in this campaign which we still remember with great fondness and an excitiness. Soon an opportunity came her way to teach the British a lesson by the beginning of sepoy mutiny of 1857. The rebellion spread fast and the mutineers captured the Red Fort in Delhi; they accepted Bahadur Shah Zafar as their leader. The shock of this upheaval shook the very foundation of the British rule in India.
The rebel forces launched an attack on the British position in Jhansi fort. The British sought help from Orchha but before the reinforcements could reach they were defeated and expelled. Rani regained her fort. The revolt was strong. It shaked them. The importance of Jhansi is not military streak but the symbolic, the fort is crucial. Unfortunately those who challenged the British couldn't succeed in their struggle. By March 1858 the British forces had crushed the revolt. The British laid a siege to drive the Rani out and ordered relentless bombardment. The Rani took over command and resisted the invaders for many days. When she became aware that it wasn't possible to hold much longer. She broke out the siege fighting with the handpicked soldiers.
One can imagine the place that Jhansi occupied in Indian Independence struggle.
It sacrificed itself for the whole nation. Britain boasted that the sun never sets on the empire. They had colonies from America to China; only the Jhansi had the courage to take on their might. It helped us to gain independence. Mortally wounded Rani breathed her last fighting the British forces. Her sacrifice continued to inspire Patriots to resist and take revenge for years to come. This is the place where Bhagwan Das, Sadashiv Malkapur and Chandrashekhar Azad learnt bomb making and others grew as fiery Patriots who shot the traitors in Bhusawal. Jhansi has a long line of brave freedom fighters. They were produced as if Jhansi was a factory for this cause. Countless schemes were prepared and volunteers raised. Writers and poets have chronicled the glorious deeds of these people. Brindaban Laal Verma, Maithili Sharan Gupta, Subadhra Kumari Chauhan they all ensured that Jhansi isn't forgotten.
Credit must be given to the Rani, the people of Jhansi and this fort that British were terrified of. The soul stirring saga of the Rani of Jhansi spread like wildfire all across the land. The memory is handled and she enjoyed unimagined love and respect. Her deeds are sung in myriad folk art forms. "Barakatha'' in Andhra Pradesh fills the audience with nostalgia and invigorating inspiration. 150 years have passed since the flames of that conflagration engulfed Jhansi, Rani Lakshmi Bai lives on in memory. She is truly immortal. She made Jhansi known to the whole world through her martyrdom. This is Jhansi's tale of courage. People cherish her legacy. Live in communal harmony, pain and pleasure have no limit, work hard and honestly, share riches with the needy, cultivate virtue in life, this is what she taught us and this is the tale of her beloved Bundelkhand.
Jhansi changed the course of Indian history. The land is redolent with the memories of the beloved Queen Laxmi Bai. She restored India's lost self respect and self confidence. She inspired us to resist injustice and exploitation. This is what has made Jhansi a pilgrimage for every patriot.
-Rifat Siddiqui
I adore your writing
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