Jalkari Bai
Encyclopedia
Jhalkaribai ( dʒʱəlkaːriːˈbaːi) was an Indian revolutionary who played an important role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857
during the battle of Jhansi
. She was a soldier in the women's army of Queen Laxmibai
of Jhansi. Born into a poor Kori
family, she started her career as an ordinary soldier in Laxmibai's female army, but rose up to a position to participate and advise the queen in vital decisions. During the rebellion, at the height of the battle of fort of Jhansi
, she disguised herself as the queen and fought on the front to let the queen escape safely out of the fort.
The legend of Jhalkaribai remains in the popular memory of Bundelkhand
over centuries. Her life and especially the incident of her fighting with East India Company
army on the front in disguise, continues to be sung in various Bundeli
folklores. Her bravery along with her identity as a Dalit
has helped to create a sense of pride and cultural unity in Dalits in North India.
In the recent years, the name of Jhalkaribai, along with the others, has played a crucial role in the political landscape of North India, especially of Uttar Pradesh
. Taking advantage of her popular image, Bahujan Samaj Party
(BSP), the leading Dalit-based party in India, projected Jhalkaribai as one of the symbols of Dalit pride and honour. Efforts were taken in research and find facts about her life and propagating them to the masses. Emphasis was given to portraying her as a historical heroine of the bahujans (read masses).
farmers, Sadovar Singh and Jamuna Devi. She was born on November 22, 1830 in Bhojla village near Jhansi. After the death of her mother when she was very young, her father raised her like a boy. She was trained in horse-riding and using weapons. Consistent with the social conditions of those days, she could not have a formal education, but soon became well-trained as a warrior. She garnered notoriety in her region when she killed a leopard in the forest with a stick she used to herd cattle.
Jhalkaribai bore an uncanny resemblance with Rani (queen) Laxmibai. In due course of time, she was married to an artilleryman, Puran Singh, from the artillery unit of Rani Laxmibai. Jhalkaribai was introduced to the queen by Puran Singh. She joined women's army, headed by Rani Laxmibai. After joining the army, she gained further expertise in all aspects of warfare.
During the Rebellion of 1857
, General Hugh Rose
stormed Jhansi with a large army on April 3, 1858. The queen was not in position to face such a big army and as per the plan with rebels she has to join them at Kalpi . Jhalkaribai made a suggestion to the queen that she would go on the front in disguise as the queen and the queen should escape out of the fort. On the night of April 4, the queen escaped from the fort and left for Kalpi
. At the same time, Jhalkaribai set out for General Rose's camp in disguise as the queen and declared herself to be the queen Laxmibai. This led to a confusion that continued for a week and she was released only after it was revealed that she was not the queen but a common soldier.
Very little, if any, information is available about later days of Jhalkaribai. Some sources state that she was killed during the battle of Jhansi; others state that she was released by the General Rose and thereafter lived until 1890.She was most favourite soldier & warrior of Laxmibai.She was a very kind girl.
, who was the general of the company army, and commissioner's gazetteer has no mention of Jhalkaribai. However, Vishnubhat Godse
, a contemporary Marathi
traveller who travelled in North India during the rebellion and was the court priest of Jhansi during this period mentioned her in his travelogue
, though he mentioned her as a maid.
One could find no references of Jhalkaribai or her bravery in early historiography. In pre-independence India, British historiographers like Kaye and Malleson or Thompson and Garratt made no mention of Jhalkaribai. Even the Indian authors ignored her feat. Savarkar
neglected her in his The Indian War of Independence
and Nehru did not mention her in his Discovery of India. Majumdar, Raychaudhuri, and Datta did not specify the deed of Jhalkaribai though they noted that the queen Laxmibai escaped out of the Jhansi fort on the night of April 4, 1858 and left for Kalpi as Sir Hugh Rose "stormed" in Jhansi on April 3.
The name of Jhalkaribai appeared in the printed history after the Independence of India in 1947. First reference of her story in this period is found in a novel Jhansi ki Rani written in 1951 by B.L. Varma, who created a subplot in his novel about Jhalkaribai for which he interviewed Jhalkaribai's grandson. He addressed Jhalkaribai as Korin
and an ordinary soldier in Laxmibai's army. Another novel where we can find mention of Jhalkaribai was written in the same year by Ram Chandra Heran in his Bundeli
novel Maati. Heran depicted her as "chivalrous and a valiant martyr". The first biography of Jhalkaribai was written in 1964 by Bhawani Shankar Visharad, a Dalit intellectual, with the help of Varma's novel and his research from the oral narratives of the lower caste people living in the vicinity of Jhansi.
As a result of Bahujan Samaj Party
's policy of social mobilization, several booklets, dramas, and songs have been composed by Dalit activists, politicians, and writers narrating the story of Jhalkaribai. Efforts have been made to rewrite the history and place Jhalkaribai at an equal footing of Laxmibai. Since the 1990s, the story of Jhalkaribai has acquired a political dimension and her image is being reconstructed with the demands of social situation.
The story of Jhalkaribai is utilized not only by the Dalits. The movement to create a separate Bundelkhand
state has also use the legend of Jhalkaribai to create the Bundeli identity. The Government of India's Post and Telegraph department has also issued a postal stamp depicting Jhalkaribai.
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
during the battle of Jhansi
Jhansi
Jhansi Hindi:झाँसी, , Marathi: झाशी, is a historical city of India. Jhansi is the administrative headquarters of Jhansi District and Jhansi Division. The original walled city grew up around its stone fort, which crowns a neighboring rock. This district is on the bank of river Betwa.The National...
. She was a soldier in the women's army of Queen Laxmibai
Rani Lakshmibai
Lakshmi Bai, the Rani of Jhansi was the queen of the Maratha-ruled princely state of Jhansi, situated in the northern part of India...
of Jhansi. Born into a poor Kori
Kori (people)
The Kori are a Hindu caste, found mainly in North India, who are traditional associated with weaving. They are known as Bhuiyar in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Koli in Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh.- History :...
family, she started her career as an ordinary soldier in Laxmibai's female army, but rose up to a position to participate and advise the queen in vital decisions. During the rebellion, at the height of the battle of fort of Jhansi
Jhansi Fort
The Jhansi fort is situated in the outskirts of Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh. It was Built in the year 1613 by Raja Bir Singh Deo of Orchha.-History:The Jhansi Fort gained prominence in the 19th century where it played a major role during the Indian Mutiny of 1857. The huge fort is built on a hilltop...
, she disguised herself as the queen and fought on the front to let the queen escape safely out of the fort.
The legend of Jhalkaribai remains in the popular memory of Bundelkhand
Bundelkhand
Bundelkhand anciently known as Chedi Kingdom is a geographic region of central India...
over centuries. Her life and especially the incident of her fighting with East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
army on the front in disguise, continues to be sung in various Bundeli
Bundeli
Bundeli is a Western Hindi language spoken in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh and in southern parts of Uttar Pradesh...
folklores. Her bravery along with her identity as a Dalit
Dalit
Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
has helped to create a sense of pride and cultural unity in Dalits in North India.
In the recent years, the name of Jhalkaribai, along with the others, has played a crucial role in the political landscape of North India, especially of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
. Taking advantage of her popular image, Bahujan Samaj Party
Bahujan Samaj Party
The Bahujan Samaj Party is a centrist national political party in India with socialist leanings. It was formed to chiefly represent Bahujans , referring to people from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Castes as well as Buddhists. The party claims to be inspired by the...
(BSP), the leading Dalit-based party in India, projected Jhalkaribai as one of the symbols of Dalit pride and honour. Efforts were taken in research and find facts about her life and propagating them to the masses. Emphasis was given to portraying her as a historical heroine of the bahujans (read masses).
Life
Jhalkaribai was a daughter of a KoriKori (people)
The Kori are a Hindu caste, found mainly in North India, who are traditional associated with weaving. They are known as Bhuiyar in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Koli in Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh.- History :...
farmers, Sadovar Singh and Jamuna Devi. She was born on November 22, 1830 in Bhojla village near Jhansi. After the death of her mother when she was very young, her father raised her like a boy. She was trained in horse-riding and using weapons. Consistent with the social conditions of those days, she could not have a formal education, but soon became well-trained as a warrior. She garnered notoriety in her region when she killed a leopard in the forest with a stick she used to herd cattle.
Jhalkaribai bore an uncanny resemblance with Rani (queen) Laxmibai. In due course of time, she was married to an artilleryman, Puran Singh, from the artillery unit of Rani Laxmibai. Jhalkaribai was introduced to the queen by Puran Singh. She joined women's army, headed by Rani Laxmibai. After joining the army, she gained further expertise in all aspects of warfare.
During the Rebellion of 1857
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
, General Hugh Rose
Hugh Rose, 1st Baron Strathnairn
Field Marshal Hugh Henry Rose, 1st Baron Strathnairn GCB, GCSI, PC was a British Army field-marshal.-Early life:...
stormed Jhansi with a large army on April 3, 1858. The queen was not in position to face such a big army and as per the plan with rebels she has to join them at Kalpi . Jhalkaribai made a suggestion to the queen that she would go on the front in disguise as the queen and the queen should escape out of the fort. On the night of April 4, the queen escaped from the fort and left for Kalpi
Kalpi
Kalpi is a city and a municipal board in Jalaun district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is on the right bank of the Yamuna.-History:...
. At the same time, Jhalkaribai set out for General Rose's camp in disguise as the queen and declared herself to be the queen Laxmibai. This led to a confusion that continued for a week and she was released only after it was revealed that she was not the queen but a common soldier.
Very little, if any, information is available about later days of Jhalkaribai. Some sources state that she was killed during the battle of Jhansi; others state that she was released by the General Rose and thereafter lived until 1890.She was most favourite soldier & warrior of Laxmibai.She was a very kind girl.
Historiography
Very few references are found about Jhalkaribai in the contemporary records. The diary of General Hugh RoseHugh Rose, 1st Baron Strathnairn
Field Marshal Hugh Henry Rose, 1st Baron Strathnairn GCB, GCSI, PC was a British Army field-marshal.-Early life:...
, who was the general of the company army, and commissioner's gazetteer has no mention of Jhalkaribai. However, Vishnubhat Godse
Vishnubhat Godse
Vishnubhat Godse commonly known as Godse Bhataji was an Indian traveller and a Marathi writer. Godse is best known for his travelogue Majha Pravas , which is notable for the description of his "true and unique" experiences of the Indian mutiny of 1857 during his travel in North India...
, a contemporary Marathi
Marathi people
The Marathi people or Maharashtrians are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, that inhabit the Maharashtra region and state of western India. Their language Marathi is part of the southern group of Indo-Aryan languages...
traveller who travelled in North India during the rebellion and was the court priest of Jhansi during this period mentioned her in his travelogue
Maza Pravas: 1857 cya Bandaci Hakikat
Maza Pravas: 1857 cya Bandaci Hakikat :This Marathi travelogue was written by Vishnubhat Godse, who travelled on foot from Varsai, a village near Pen , to the central and northern parts of India during 1857-1858, and witnessed several...
, though he mentioned her as a maid.
One could find no references of Jhalkaribai or her bravery in early historiography. In pre-independence India, British historiographers like Kaye and Malleson or Thompson and Garratt made no mention of Jhalkaribai. Even the Indian authors ignored her feat. Savarkar
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar
Vināyak Dāmodar Sāvarkar was an Indian freedom fighter, revolutionary and politician. He was the proponent of liberty as the ultimate ideal. Savarkar was a poet, writer and playwright...
neglected her in his The Indian War of Independence
The Indian War of Independence (book)
The Indian War of Independence is an Indian nationalist history of the 1857 revolt by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar that was first published in 1909...
and Nehru did not mention her in his Discovery of India. Majumdar, Raychaudhuri, and Datta did not specify the deed of Jhalkaribai though they noted that the queen Laxmibai escaped out of the Jhansi fort on the night of April 4, 1858 and left for Kalpi as Sir Hugh Rose "stormed" in Jhansi on April 3.
The name of Jhalkaribai appeared in the printed history after the Independence of India in 1947. First reference of her story in this period is found in a novel Jhansi ki Rani written in 1951 by B.L. Varma, who created a subplot in his novel about Jhalkaribai for which he interviewed Jhalkaribai's grandson. He addressed Jhalkaribai as Korin
Kori (people)
The Kori are a Hindu caste, found mainly in North India, who are traditional associated with weaving. They are known as Bhuiyar in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Koli in Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh.- History :...
and an ordinary soldier in Laxmibai's army. Another novel where we can find mention of Jhalkaribai was written in the same year by Ram Chandra Heran in his Bundeli
Bundeli
Bundeli is a Western Hindi language spoken in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh and in southern parts of Uttar Pradesh...
novel Maati. Heran depicted her as "chivalrous and a valiant martyr". The first biography of Jhalkaribai was written in 1964 by Bhawani Shankar Visharad, a Dalit intellectual, with the help of Varma's novel and his research from the oral narratives of the lower caste people living in the vicinity of Jhansi.
As a result of Bahujan Samaj Party
Bahujan Samaj Party
The Bahujan Samaj Party is a centrist national political party in India with socialist leanings. It was formed to chiefly represent Bahujans , referring to people from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Castes as well as Buddhists. The party claims to be inspired by the...
's policy of social mobilization, several booklets, dramas, and songs have been composed by Dalit activists, politicians, and writers narrating the story of Jhalkaribai. Efforts have been made to rewrite the history and place Jhalkaribai at an equal footing of Laxmibai. Since the 1990s, the story of Jhalkaribai has acquired a political dimension and her image is being reconstructed with the demands of social situation.
Legacy
The image of Jhalkaribai has risen to a significant place in North India in the recent years. The socio-political importance of the story of Jhalkaribai to create social awareness and a sense of pride in the Dalits has been successfully recognized and used by political parties like Bahujan Samaj Party. The death anniversary of Jhalkaribai is celebrated as Shahid Diwas (Martyr Day) by various Dalit organizations every year.The story of Jhalkaribai is utilized not only by the Dalits. The movement to create a separate Bundelkhand
Bundelkhand
Bundelkhand anciently known as Chedi Kingdom is a geographic region of central India...
state has also use the legend of Jhalkaribai to create the Bundeli identity. The Government of India's Post and Telegraph department has also issued a postal stamp depicting Jhalkaribai.