Kittur Rani Chennamma

Kittur Rani Chennamma was the first woman independence activist of India. She stood all alone with a courageous mind against the British Empire. She did not succeed in driving them away, but she was given provocation to many of the women to rise against the British rule. She was Chennamma Queen of the princely state Kittur in Karnataka. Today she is well known as Kittur Rani Chennamma. She led an Army rebellion against British in response to the “Doctrine of lapse” at the age of 33 in 1824. The resistance ended in her martyrdom only, but she is still remembering today as one of the earliest Indian rulers to have fought for independence. Among the freedom fighters like Keladi Chennamma, Abbakka Rani and Onake Obavva she is much venerated in Karnataka as an icon of bravery and women's pride for ever.

Begum Hazrat Mahal



Begum Hazrat Mahal

Queen of Awadh

 

Her maiden name was Muhammadi Khanum and she was born at Faizabad, Awadh, She was a courtesan by profession and had been taken into the royal harem as a Khawasin, after being sold by her parents to Royal agents . Then promoted to a Pari. She became a Begum after being accepted as a royal concubine of the King of Oudh. She was also known as the 'Begum of Awadh' after marriage with Lucknow ruler, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. She was bestowed the title 'Hazrat Mahal' after the birth of their son, Birjis Qadr.

The British had annexed Oudh in 1856 and Wajid Ali Shah was exiled to Calcutta. After, her husband was exiled to Calcutta; she took charge of the affairs of the state of Awadh despite her divorce from the Nawab, which then was a large part of the current state of Uttar Pradesh, India.

 Begum Hazrat Mahal was a great Indian freedom-fighter.She played a major role in India's first struggle for independence against the British. Begum Hazrat Mahal was gifted with inborn qualities of physical charm and organizational skills. . She worked in cooperation with a group of supporters, like Sarafad-daulah, Maharaj Bal Krishna, Raja Jai Lal and Mammon Khan to revive the fortunes of Awadh.

During India's First War of independence (1857-58), Hazrat Mahal led a band of her supporters and worked in close association with leaders including Nana Saheb. Hazrat Begum was not only a good strategist but also fought in the battlefield. For six months she defended Lucknow from the British army.

The people of Oudh supported her and she proclaimed independence from the British rule. She fought bravely and had urged the rural folk to take part in the war. Along side Nana Sahib, Rani Laxmi Bai, Tatya Tope, Bakht Khan and Maulvi Ahmadullah, she played a unique role in the 1857 struggle.

She fought to regain the territory lost to the British. She was able to seize control of Lucknow and declared her 14-year-old son, Prince Birjis Qadr, as the King of Avadh. When her forces lost the battle, she escaped from Lucknow and tried to organize soldiers again in other places. She joined the Maulvi of Faizabad in the attack on Shahjahanpur.

She rejected the offer to accept a pension of Rs12 lakh allowance and status held out to her by the British against whom her hatred was unrelenting.

The role of Begum Hazrat Mahal in the first full scale war of independence to overthrow the British rule (1857) is often overlooked. Like Bahadur Shah Zafar, she also couldn’t get buried in her motherland, and her grave in Kathmandu (Nepal) has somehow survived 150 years.

She spent some time in Terai and ultimately left for Nepal. After bearing misfortune and misery throughout the period of resistance, she died in 1879. Begum Hazrat Mahal's grave is in an Imambara, in Nepal's capital. Rana Jang Bahadur who had given refuge to Begam and her seven companions ordered the construction of the grave.

Postal Stamp

 

Begum Hazrat Mahal is an icon of the India's first Freedom Struggle. To commemorate her contributions to the Indian Independence, the stamp was issued in her honor in 10th May, 1984 by the Government of India.

Begum Hazrat Mahal Park

 

On 15 August 1962, she was honored at a simple yet serious ceremony in the old Victoria Park. A marble memorial was announced as open that was built by the state Government in the memory of the Begum as she played a very crucial role during the era of the first freedom movement in 1857. This memorial was adorned with strings of flowers and brightened by multi-colored bulbs and neon tubes. There is also a marble tablet that has four round brass plaques that bear the Coat of Arms of Awadh Royal Family.

Here are few notable quotes on the Queen of Oudh - Begum Hazrat Mahal:

"She was a better man than her husband and lord"-S. N. Sen

"She wiped out the blot of cowardice from the face of the ruling family of Avadh"-Prince Anjum Quder

"Begum Hazrat Mahal, Raja Jia Lal ....they were the lodestar of the first war of independence"-Roshan Taqui

"Hazrat Mahal, Begum of Oudh, during the national liberation uprising of 1857-59 in India headed the rebels"-Karl

"Begum Hazrat Mahal of Oudh was the last of the breed of able queens and generals. The queen led her kingdom's army into battle during the revolt of 1857. Even after she was defeated she defied Queen Victoria's famous Proclamation and issued a counter Proclamation...."-Qurratulain Hyder

  

Gopal Krishna Gokhle

Gopal Krishna Gokhle

Born: May 9, 1866

Died: February 19, 1915

Achievements: Political guru of Mahatma Gandhi; one of the pioneers of the Indian national movement; founder of the Servants of India Society.

GopalKrishna Gokhale was one of the Greatest pioneers of the Indian national movement. He was a senior leader of the Congress Party of India . Gokhale gave voice to the aspirations of millions of  Proud Indians who were looking for freedom from the British rule. Gandhiji considered him as his political guru. Apart from being a political leader, Gopa lkrishna Gokhale, was also a social reformer. He founded the "Servants of India Society"-an organization dedicated to the cause of common people. Gopal Krishna Gokhale's contribution to the making of Indian nation is invaluable.

GopalKrishna Gokhale was born on May 9, 1866 in Kothapur, Maharashtra. His father Krishna Rao was a farmer who was forced to work as clerk, as the soil of the region was not conducive for agriculture. His mother Valubai was a simple woman. Gokhale received his early education at the Rajaram High School in Kothapur with the help of financial assistance from his elder brother. Later on he moved on to Bombay and graduated from Elphinstone College, Bombay in 1884 at the age of 18.

GopalKrishna Gokhale was one of the first generations of Indians to receive college education. He was respected widely in the nascent Indian intellectual community and across India. Education influenced Gokhale greatly. His understanding of the English language allowed him to express himself without hesitation and with utmost clarity. His appreciation and knowledge of history instilled in him a respect for liberty, democracy, and the parliamentary system. After graduation, he moved on to teaching, and took a position as an Assistant Master in the New English School in Pune. In 1885, Gokhale moved on to Pune and became one of the founding members of Fergusson College, along with his colleagues in Deccan Education Society. Gopal Krishna Gokhale gave nearly two decades of his life to Fergusson College and rose to become principal of the college. During this time, Gokhale came in contact with Mahadev Govind Ranade. Ranade was a judge, scholar, and social reformer, whom Gokhale called his guru. Gokhale worked with Ranade in Poona Sarvajanik Sabha of which Gokhale became the Secretary.

Gopal Krishna Gokhale entered public life in 1886 at the age of 20. He delivered a public address on "India under the British Rule", which was highly appreciated. Gokhale regularly contributed articles to Bal Gangadhar Tilak's weekly "Mahratta". Through his articles he tried to awaken the latent patriotism of Indian people. Soon, Gokhale was promoted as Secretary of the Deccan Education Society. When the Indian National Congress held its session in Poona in 1895, he was the secretary of the Reception Committee. From this session, Gokhale became a prominent member of the Indian National Congress. Gokhale was twice elected as president of Pune Municipality. For a while Gokhale was also a member of the Bombay Legislative Council where he spoke strongly against the then Government.

In 1902, Gokhale left the Fergusson College. He became a Member of the Imperial Legislative Council in Delhi. There he spoke for the people of the country in an able manner. Gokhale had an excellent grasp of the economic problems of our country which he ably presented during the debates. In 1905, Gokhale started a new society called "Servants of India Society". This society trained workers for the service of the country. In the same year, Gokhale went to England to voice his concerns relating to the unfair treatment of the Indian people by the British government. In a span of 49 days, he spoke in front of 47 different audiences, captivating every one of them. Gokhale pleaded for gradual reforms to ultimately attain Swaraj, or self-government, in India. He was instrumental in the introduction of the Morley- Minto Reforms of 1909, which eventually became law. Though the reforms sowed the seeds of communal division in India, nevertheless, they gave Indian access to the seats of the highest authority within the government, and their voices were more audible in matters of public interest.

Gopal Krishna Gokhale was a diabetic and asthmatic. Excessive assertion took its toll on Gokhale's health and ultimately he died on February 19, 1915.

Jhalkaribai

Jhalkaribai

This is the story of a courageous Indian woman who came from a humble background but rose to the occasion to fight for her countrymen and country.

The history of Proud India is full of Brave rulers -- both men and women -- who combined bravery with a strategy to repulse attacks by foreign invaders down the ages. Members of royal families were known to have shown exemplary courage when the situation demanded.

But Jhalkari Bai's saga is a study in contrast. She was the 'double' of Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi, the legendary warrior who fought the invading British army in the first War of Independence. A little known figure in Indian history, Jhalkari Bai lives on in the folklore of the Bundelkhand region.

Laxmibai and Jhalkari Bai led the Durga Dal (women's army) recruits to repeatedly foil attacks by the British army. And but for the betrayal by one of Laxmibai's generals, the Jhansi fort would have remained invincible for at least some more time.

Ignored by mainsteam historians, Jhalkari -- a dalit woman -- has now emerged from oblivion and finds mention in works of local writers, which include an epic poem by Chokhelal Verma, Virangana Jhalkari Bai by Bhavani Shankar Visharad, and a biography by dalit scholar and Arunachal Pradesh Governor Mata Prasad.

Her appearance, which was strikingly similar to Laxmibai, helped the Jhansi army evolve a military strategy to deceive the British. But before all that, Jhalkari was an ordinary village girl in Bundelkhand who would take care of household chores besides tending cattle and collecting firewood from the jungle.

She once had an encounter with a tiger in the jungle and killed the beast with her axe. On another occasion, she challenged a gang of dacoits who raided the house of a village businessman and forced them to retreat.

As a mark of gratitude, the village organised her marriage with Pooran Kori who matched her in courage. Pooran was inducted into Laxmibai's army and his fighting skills were soon recognised by her generals. Once on the occasion of Gauri Puja, Jhalakari with the other village women went to the Jhansi fort to pay homage to the queen.

Laxmibai was struck by Jhalkari's uncanny resemblance to her. After being told about her courage, she ordered Jhalkari's induction into the Durga Dal. Jhalkari, along with the other village women, was trained in shooting and igniting the cannons at a time when the Jhansi army was being strengthened to face any British intrusion.

The British did not allow the childless Laxmibai to adopt her successor, in a bid to bring the state under their control. However, her generals and the people of Jhansi rallied round the queen and resolved to take up arms against the British instead of surrendering to them.

During April 1858, from inside the Jhansi fort, the queen led her army and repulsed several attacks by the British and their native allies. One of her commanders, however, betrayed her and opened a well protected gate of the fort. When the fall of the fortress became imminent, her generals advised Laxmibai to escape with a handful of fighters. The Rani slipped away from Jhansi on horseback.

Jhalkari's husband Pooran was killed defending the fort but instead of mourning her loss, she worked out a plan to deceive the British. She dressed up like Laxmibai and took command of the Jhansi army. After which she marched out of the fort towards the camp of British General Hugh Rose. On reaching the British enclave, she shouted that she wanted to meet the general.

Rose and his men were exultant. Besides capturing Jhansi, the British thought they had caught the queen alive. When the general -- thinking she was the queen -- asked Jhalkari what should be done to her, she firmly said, ''hang me.''

Bundelkhand legend has it that her reply stunned the general, who said that if even one per cent of Indian women were like Jhalkari, the British would soon have to leave India