Kittur Rani Chennamma (Aged 51) born in Born in 1778, was an Indian Queen and ruler of the princely state of Kittur in Karnataka. She led an armed rebellion against the British East India Company (BEIC) in 1824 to maintain Indian control over the region in defiance of the doctrine of lapse. Despite defeating the British in battle, she was eventually imprisoned during a second rebellion by the BEIC and died in captivity.
As one of the first female rulers to rebel against British rule, Rani Chennamma became a folk hero in Karnataka and a symbol of the Indian independence movement. She belonged to the Lingayat community and received training in horse riding, sword fighting, and archery from a young age. At 15, she married Raja Mallasarja of the Desai family.
Rani Chennamma and the local people strongly opposed British high-handedness. When Thackeray invaded Kittur, she and her soldiers fought fiercely, resulting in the death of Thackeray and hundreds of British soldiers. The British retaliated by bringing in larger armies from Mysore and Sholapur and surrounding Kittur.
Despite negotiating with Chaplin and the Governor of Bombay Presidency under whose regime Kittur fell, Rani Chennamma was forced to declare war. She and her soldiers defended their fort for 12 days, but traitors mixed mud and dung in the gunpowder, leading to their defeat. Rani Chennamma was taken prisoner and kept in the fort of Bailhongal for life, spending her days reading holy texts and performing pooja until her death in 1829.
Although Rani Chennamma was unable to win the war against the British, she became a legend and an icon of bravery, along with Onake Obavva, Abbakka Rani, and Keladi Chennamma. During the freedom movement, her resistance inspired plays, songs, and folk stories. Her statue was installed in the Parliamentary Building premises in New Delhi on September 11, 2007.
Kittur Rani Chennamma
(1778-1829) – (Karnataka)
Kittur Rani Chennamma (Aged 51) born in Born in 1778, was an Indian Queen and ruler of the princely state of Kittur in Karnataka. She led an armed rebellion against the British East India Company (BEIC) in 1824 to maintain Indian control over the region in defiance of the doctrine of lapse. Despite defeating the British in battle, she was eventually imprisoned during a second rebellion by the BEIC and died in captivity.
As one of the first female rulers to rebel against British rule, Rani Chennamma became a folk hero in Karnataka and a symbol of the Indian independence movement. She belonged to the Lingayat community and received training in horse riding, sword fighting, and archery from a young age. At 15, she married Raja Mallasarja of the Desai family.
Rani Chennamma and the local people strongly opposed British high-handedness. When Thackeray invaded Kittur, she and her soldiers fought fiercely, resulting in the death of Thackeray and hundreds of British soldiers. The British retaliated by bringing in larger armies from Mysore and Sholapur and surrounding Kittur.
Despite negotiating with Chaplin and the Governor of Bombay Presidency under whose regime Kittur fell, Rani Chennamma was forced to declare war. She and her soldiers defended their fort for 12 days, but traitors mixed mud and dung in the gunpowder, leading to their defeat. Rani Chennamma was taken prisoner and kept in the fort of Bailhongal for life, spending her days reading holy texts and performing pooja until her death in 1829.
Although Rani Chennamma was unable to win the war against the British, she became a legend and an icon of bravery, along with Onake Obavva, Abbakka Rani, and Keladi Chennamma. During the freedom movement, her resistance inspired plays, songs, and folk stories. Her statue was installed in the Parliamentary Building premises in New Delhi on September 11, 2007.
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