Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | History
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The Kittur Rani Chennamma Utsav, a 3 days festival to honor the bravery of Rani Chennamma, began in Kittur, Karnataka recently.
Birth –She was born to a Lingayat family on October 23, 1778 in Kagati, Belagavi district of Karnataka.
She was trained from a young age in horse riding, sword fighting, and military strategy.
She was married off to Raja Mallasarja of Kittur.
Ascension to throne –Her husband was died in 1816, her young son, Shivalingarudra, ascended the throne.
In 1924, Shivalingarudra died, leaving Kittur with a vacant throne.
Then, she adopted Shivalingappa and declared him as the heir to the throne, and took on responsibilities as a queen-regent.
Clash with British – The British rejected Shivalingappa as the legitimate heir and subsequently introduced Doctrine of Lapse.
Under the doctrine, any princely state without a natural heir would collapse and would be annexed by the British.
Kittur revolt, 1824 –
With Chennamma refusing to surrender to British, John Thackery, the British official at Dharwad, launched an attack on Kittur in October 1824.
In this first battle British forces lost heavily, whereas, this victory was short-lived.
On December 3, 1824, the British army, under Col Deacon, again attacked the Kittur Fort and captured it and she was taken hostage.
She would remain in prison till 1829 and died of ill healthat Bailhongal Fort, Karnataka in 21st February 1829.
She was the 1st Indian ruler to lead an armed rebellion against the British East India Company.
Legacy – She has long been featured in folklore and lavanis (folk theatre), which project her as a guardian and a protector and continues to inspire generations of Indian women to stand up for justice and equality.
