Dr. S. Pushpalatha*
Abstract
From time immemorial, Indian women stood on par with men folk. On many occasions women came forward to offer their strength and their intelligence for the progress and sovereignty of the nation. The Indian society has had been a patriarchal one. But women had a respectable position in the society. There were learned women like Brahma Vadini, Gargi, Maitreyi and others. In course of time, they were debarred from all their rights to stand with their male partners in equal terms. During the time of Buddha, female education was prevalent. There were signs of degradation in the post Buddha period. During the medieval period some women played a prominent role. Sultana Razia, Bedum Nurjahan, Rani Durgavati and Rani Chandbibi also played a prominent role in the administration of their respective provinces. 18th Century witnessed a turning point in the social history of India. In the 19th and 20th Century, the emancipation of women from degradation became the principal issue in the social reform process. Women took part in the uprisings against the British. The resistance to the British rule in India manifested in an effective manner in the latter half of the 19th Century. Though isolated attempts were made in various parts of the country to resist the British rule, a perusal of the history of India would reveal the fact that India did not possess any of the social, economic and cultural preconditions essential for the development of the feeling of unity or oneness. India has been always described as a land of diversities. During the nineteenth century, many individual women in India gave a spirited resistance to the foreign yoke. Such brave women were Kittur Rani Chennamma, Begum Hazrat Mahal, Rani Lakshmi Bai, Madame Cama, Mirudula Sarabai, Mira Behn, Annapurna Maharana, Rama Devi, Kamala Nehru, Kasthuri Bai, and so on. In this research paper an attempt has been made to bring out the role of Kittur Rani Chennamma, native of Karnataka, against the British rule. Probably, she was the pioneer woman freedom fighter. Before the Rani of Jansi, she fought against the aliens. In this paper, her early life and her efforts against the foreign yoke is revealed.
Introduction
Rani Chennamma, probably, was the first woman freedom fighter. She is considered as an icon of bravery and women’s pride in Karnataka at present. To this day she inspires people. In 1824, thirty three years before the 1857 war of independence, she led an armed rebellion against the British in response to the Doctrine of Lapse. The resistance ended in her martyrdom and she is remembered today as one of the earliest Indian rulers to have fought for independence. Amongst the warriors of India’s medieval times and whom the Hindu civilisation is greatly indebted to is Rani Chennamma. She was very beautiful and hardly looks like a hardy warrior, but indeed she fought like an incarnation of Shakti, administered her kingdom well and took decisions that few others had the courage to take up the administration. Chennamma was born five decades earlier than Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi, who also fought against the British.
Early life
She was born on 23rd October, 1778, in a small village called Kakati, in the wealthy kingdom of Kittur, which is 5 km north of Belgaum in Karnataka. Kittur was a principality (samsthana) covering large parts of Dharwad and Belgaum districts. After the fall of Tipu Sultan, Kittur kingdom became a tributary to the Marathas. She was born in an ordinary family. She was not from a royal lineage. When she was young she took training in horse riding, hunting, sword fighting and archery. But the king, Somashekhara Nayak from Desai family, met her during the time of hunting. He admired her courage and fell in love with her. He married her at the age of 15. Hence, she became the queen of Kittur kingdom. They got a son. At the young age itself he passed away.
Rani of Kittur
Rani Chennamma was not merely the wife of Somashekhara Nayaka. In course of time, she became the backbone of her kingdom. Queen Chennamma looked after the subjects of her kingdom and the servants of the palace with great love as if they were her children. She was an adviser and trusted minister to Somashekhara Nayaka. If the government did any injustice, those who suffered, being afraid to go to the King, would make their appeals to the Queen. The Queen would speak to her husband and ensure justice. She was an inspiration to her husband to punish the wicked and protect the virtuous. She was respected by the subjects of the kingdom. The people were very much devoted to her. Peaceful and heavenly situation was prevailing over there in the kingdom.
However this idyllic situation was not a long lasting one. Once, during the Dashera festival, a famous dancer Kalavathi from Jambhukhandi gave a performance before the royal couple. This beautiful woman delighted Somashekhara Nayaka. The King, who was pleased with her excellence in dancing, gave her much wealth and made her the dancer of the royal court. Her mother and her foster-father, Bharame Mavuta, also stayed with her. It is believed that Bharame Mavuta was a master of lower mysticism (black magic), secret medicines and intrigue. Bharame Mavuta developed an intimate friendship with Somashekhara Nayaka. Gradually, the King began to live with Kalavathi. He became a puppet in the hands of Bharame Mavuta. He forgot his beloved Chennamma and stayed away from the palace. He used to take all sorts of drinks that Bharame Mavuta gave him and as a result became half-mad with intoxication. Various diseases began to eat him up. Even the ministers and respected officers had to go to the dancer’s house to discuss the matters of the State. Chennamma felt very sad that the husband who once loved her so deeply never came to the palace now. She was always in tears. Once all the subjects felt happy that it was their good fortune they had such an ideal King. But now he did not have any idea about the people, palace and the administration of the country.
Slowly chaotic condition arose in the country. The news of king’s ill-health started to spread all over the kingdom. The King had no children to take care of the circumstances. What if he died suddenly? In such a pass, naturally, many persons began to hatch conspiracies to usurp the throne. The Sultan of Bijapur (a Muslim kingdom) who had often been defeated by the kings of Keladi when they had tried to cause trouble now attacked the kingdom. There was only one way, thought Chennamma, for the kingdom to continue and the dynasty to survive; she herself should rule the land and also hold the sword. Trusting God, the young Queen took this crushing burden on her tender shoulders. The clever and heroic Queen also took the counsel of her father Siddappa Shetty. She enlisted the help of trustworthy commanders. Delicate hands adorned with bangles now brandished the sword, and successfully repulsed the enemy. Soon enemies began to appear within the kingdom. Opportunists believed that she could be intimidated and manipulated for their profit. One day the Chief Minister, Thimmanna Nayaka of Kasaragod, said to her, “You must adopt Veerabhadra Nayaka as son, the son of the Commander-in Chief, Bhadrappa Nayaka. It is only then that we shall support you. Or else, we will unite the people against you and crown him.” The same threat was held out by another minister, Narasappayya and a senior officer, Lakshmayya. Queen Chennamma heard them all patiently. On one side, Bharame Mavuta had the King under his thumb and was eager to take over the kingdom. On another side, all the ministers and other important men were ready to bring someone whom they liked, to the throne and perpetuate their own positions. The Queen could not approve of either of these options. She had no child; so she decided that she should adopt a boy who was virtuous and would herald the welfare of the State. She chose a boy by name Shivalingappa. She decided to give him the proper type of training so that the kingdom survived and the people were made happy. But it did not happen. Keeping an eye on the developments in Keladi, the Sultan of Bijapur thought that with a well planned attack he could swallow up the kingdom. He sent a representative by name Jannopant to the Queen for negotiations. Close on the heels of Jannopant the Sultan also sent a big army under the command of Muzaffar Khan. Rani Chennamma saw through the trick and raised an army of the common people, invoking the glory of their ancestors. The army repulsed Bijapur’s forces. Rani ruled over the kingdom very well, and patronised arts and learning. She had an ‘Agrahara’ – an entire street with houses on either side – formed, and invited scholars to settle down there. It was named ‘Somashekharapura’. Day and night Chennamma toiled for the welfare of the state. She expanded the army and strengthened security at the borders. After her work for the kingdom, Chennamma spent whatever leisure she had, in meditation and in acts of charity and kindness. She gave gifts of lands to rishis and religious institutions. Perhaps the most famous act of Rani Chennamma is her unparalleled bravery in giving refuge to Rajaram, the 2nd son of the great Shivaji, when he was on the run from Moghul forces who were trying to crush the fledgling Hindu kingdom after the death of Shivaji. Fearing the wrath of the Moghuls, who were at that time the greatest force in India, not many kingdoms were willing to give refuge to Rajaram. One day Rajaram turned up at Keladi and explained his requirement for refuge. Rani Chennamma agreed to house him, with the rationale that Shivaji had greatly turned the tables for Hindus in India, and that to house Shivaji’s son was duty for a Hindu. Yet several ministers and leaders of Keladi such as Commander Bhadrappa and Minister Narasappayya amongst others were of the opinion that it was not worth the risk, because the Maratha kingdom that Shivaji had set up was doomed and it was not worth getting in trouble over a doomed dynasty. Rani Chennamma was adamant. Aurungzeb did learn that Rajaram had taken shelter in Keladi and he dispatched an army to punish them. Under Rani Chennamma’s leadership the attacks were successfully repulsed – a great achievement at a time when the Moghuls were very powerful. The treaty that followed caused Aurungzeb to be forced to recognise Keladi as a separate kingdom. It cannot be emphasised how much the Hindu nations are indebted to Rani Chennamma for her defence of the Marathas. The Maratha kingdom later went on to reduce the Moghuls to a virtual non-entity within a few decades after this. Rani Chennamma had taken the timely decision of giving her protection, at her own risk. Mean time Marathas, the mighty Hindu rulers fell into the hands of the Britishers in 1818.
Queen Chennamma and her war against the British
The King Someshekara Nayaka died in 1816. Her only son also died on 11th September, 1824. The kingdom was left heirless. Chennamma adopted Shivalingappa as her son and made him heir to the throne. Chennamma started ruling over the kingdom in the name of the minor prince. However, Thackeray the then Collector and political agent of the British in Dharwad, arbitrarily refused to recognise this and asked the British Governor, Elphinstone in Bombay to take over the kingdom under paramount – a ruse three decades later formalised by Dalhousie as the Doctrine of Lapse. In a clear act of provocation he declared that the treasury of the kingdom was not safe and hence brought in his own guards and administrators to “protect” the same. He even left a few soldiers to “guard” the main gate of Kittur Fort. These provocations enraged the people of Kittur. Under these circumstances, the heirless State of Kittur came under the administration of Dharwad Collectorate in-charge of Thackery. Chaplin was the Commissioner of Dharwad. Both of them did not recognize the new ruler and the regent and informed that Kittur had to accept the British regime. The British ordered the expulsion of Shivalingappa. The Rani defied the order. Rani Chennamma sent a letter to the Governor at Bombay to plead the cause of Kittur, but Elphinstone turned her down, and war broke out. Chennamma patiently tried to get justice and sent her emissaries to talk to the “Company Sarkar” (British East India Company) and at the same time started strengthening the fort and carrying out various military preparations anticipating a conflict. She called all the loyal fighters from the surrounding region and discussed the situation with them, sought their advice and loyalty. Thackeray was surprised by the Rani’s gumption. He invited the Rani for talks, which she refused. While Thackeray was gathering his forces the fighters of Kittur readied themselves inside the fort and carried out a daring attack on the British forces. Chennamma directed the battle from the ramparts of the fort.
The British tried to confiscate the treasure and jewels of Kittur, valued around fifteen Lakhs of rupees. They attacked with a force of 200 men and four guns, mainly from the third troop of Madras Native Horse Artillery. A great battle ensued. The Rani fought against the British with great courage and skill. The people of Kittur also rose in revolt against the British along with their queen Chennamma. In the first round of war, in October 1824, British forces lost heavily. On her orders, Balasaheb Sayyad, Rani Chennamma’s loyal sharpshooter, killed Thackeray. Thus, Thackeray’s life came to an end on 23rd October, 1824 and along with him two more officers Capt. Black Stevenson and Lt. Dicton also died. British forces were roundly defeated and many were taken prisoners by the insurgents. Many number of British soldiers lost their lives in the first battle itself. Amatur Balappa, a lieutenant of Chennamma, was mainly responsible for his killing and losses to British forces. Many were taken as prisoners of war. Two British officers, Sir Walter Elliot and Mr. Stevenson were also taken as hostages. Rani Chennamma released them with an understanding with Chaplin that the war would be terminated but Chaplin continued the war with more forces.
The humiliation and the defeat met in the hands of a small ruler was a great insult to the British. They brought a huge army from Sholapur and Mysore and surrounded Kittur. Chennamma tried to avoid war. When the Britishers prepared the ground for the second attack, Rani sent them a message that if they attack Kittur then all British prisoners of war will be put to death and then the people of Kittur will fight to death. Taken aback, Chaplin, Commissioner of Deccan sent a message that if the British prisoners are released and Sardar Gurusiddappa is handed over then the status quo will prevail. Chennamma refused to hand over Gurusiddappa but released British prisoners as an act of good faith. However, Chaplin had no intention of keeping his end of the deal and sent his forces under the leadership of Lt. Col Deacon to siege Kittur on 3rd December, 1824. So, war became inevitable. She was compelled to declare war. For 12 days, the valiant queen and her soldiers protected their fort. During the second attack, Sub Collector of Sholapur, Mr. Munro, nephew of Thomas Munro was killed. Rani Chennamma fought fiercely with the aid of her lieutenant, Sangoli Rayanna. However due to treachery they found that their gun powder had been mixed with cow dung and made useless. The fort fell. Rani Chennamma escaped with the younger Rani Veeramma through a secret passage towards Sangolli where she had supporters. But, Britishers were able to capture her on her way. She was arrested and kept in Bailhongal prison.
When she was in jail, her loyal lieutenant Sangoli Rayannadisguised as an ascetic meets Chenamma at Bailhongal jail. Rayanna assures Chennamma that he was continuing the struggle against the British. Sangolli Rayanna continued the guerrilla war until 1829. He wanted to install the adopted boy Shivalingappa as the ruler of Kittur. But, Sangolli Rayanna was captured at Dori by deception. Rayanna was handed over to the British officers, later; he was hanged to death at Nandagad in 1829. Then Shivalingappa was also arrested by the British. The news of Rayanna’s death broke the heart of Rani Chenanmma, she died on 21st February, 1829, at Bailhongal jail. Her mortal remains are buried at Bailhongal. Chennamma was also helped by her lieutenant Gurusiddappa in the war against British. During the last days of her life, she read holy texts and performed poojas till her death. The kingdom was brought under the British. After her death, for about 5 years in the Kittur country side there was full of rebellion.
In her remembrance the Government of India issued a postage stamp in 1977. Further a Coast guard ship “Kittur Chennamma” was commissioned in 1983 and decommissioned in 2011. The popular daily Indian Railways train Rani Chennamma Express connecting Bangalore and Kolhapur is named after this former warrior.
Conclusion
Chennamma’s legacy and first victory are still commemorated in Kittur, during the Kittur Utsava, 22–24 October, every year. She did not step back looking at the mighty army of the British, but fought with great vigour, expertise skill and courage. She was the first woman independence activist of Bharat. She stood all alone with a vibrant fiery eye against the British Empire. She did not succeed in driving them away, but she did provoke many women to rise against the British rule. Today, she is well known as Kittur Rani Chennamma. She is more respectable personality not only in Karnataka, but all over in India. She became legend in the history of India. Her brave resistance against the British became the theme of folk songs, street plays and song stories. By singing bards awakening arose among the people regarding the alien rule. Apart from statue, schools, colleges and streets in the name of Kittur Chennamma in Karnataka, another heart touching event was installation of Kittur Rani Chennamma statue in the Parliamentary building premises at New Delhi, on 11th September, 2007. It is the nation’s tribute to a brave queen, who stood against the British very earlier.
References
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10. The Hindu, 11th February, 2008.
11. The New Indian Express, 15th November, 2013.