Kitturu Rani Chennamma (1778 - 1829) was the queen of the princely state of
KitturKittur , a village of Belgaum district, Karnataka state, is a place of historical significance. Queen Chennamma of Kittur is known for her resistance to British Raj....
in
KarnatakaKarnataka is a state in the southern part of India. It was created on November 1, 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act...
. In 1824, 33 years before the
1857 war of independenceThe 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 erupted into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
, she led an armed rebellion against the British in response to the
Doctrine of lapseThe Doctrine of Lapse was an annexation policy devised by Lord Dalhousie, who was the Governor General of India between 1848 and 1856. According to the Doctrine, any princely state or territory under the direct influence of the British East India Company , as a vassal state under the British...
. The resistance ended in her martyrdom and she is remembered today as one of the earliest Indian rulers to have fought for independence. Along with
Abbakka RaniAbbakka Rani or Abbakka Mahadevi was the queen of Tulunadu who fought the Portuguese in the latter half of the 16th century. She belonged to the Chowta dynasty who ruled over the area from the temple town of Moodabidri. The port town of Ullal served as their subsidiary capital...
,
Keladi ChennammaKeladi Chennamma was daughter of Siddappa Setty of Kundapur. She married King Somashekara in 1667. After Somashekara, she became the queen of Keladi Nayaka dynasty who fought the Mughal Army of Aurangzeb from her base in the kingdom of Keladi in the Shimoga district of Karnataka State, India. She...
and
Onake ObavvaOnake Obavva was a woman who fought the forces of Hyder Ali single-handedly with a masse in the small kingdom of Chitradurga in the Chitradurga district of Karnataka, India. Her husband was a guard of a watchtower in the rocky fort of Chitradurga...
she is much venerated in Karnataka as an icon of bravery and women's pride.
Chennamma was born in Kakati, a small village in the wealthy kingdom of Kittur, which stood around 500 km north of
BelgaumBelgaum Belgaum Belgaum (Kannada: ಬೆಳಗಾವಿ Belagavi is a city and a municipal corporation in Belgaum district in the state of Karnataka, India.It is the Fourth largest city of the Karnataka state behind Bangalore ,Mangalore and Mysore....
in
KarnatakaKarnataka is a state in the southern part of India. It was created on November 1, 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act...
.
Kitturu Rani Chennamma (1778 - 1829) was the queen of the princely state of
KitturKittur , a village of Belgaum district, Karnataka state, is a place of historical significance. Queen Chennamma of Kittur is known for her resistance to British Raj....
in
KarnatakaKarnataka is a state in the southern part of India. It was created on November 1, 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act...
. In 1824, 33 years before the
1857 war of independenceThe 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 erupted into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
, she led an armed rebellion against the British in response to the
Doctrine of lapseThe Doctrine of Lapse was an annexation policy devised by Lord Dalhousie, who was the Governor General of India between 1848 and 1856. According to the Doctrine, any princely state or territory under the direct influence of the British East India Company , as a vassal state under the British...
. The resistance ended in her martyrdom and she is remembered today as one of the earliest Indian rulers to have fought for independence. Along with
Abbakka RaniAbbakka Rani or Abbakka Mahadevi was the queen of Tulunadu who fought the Portuguese in the latter half of the 16th century. She belonged to the Chowta dynasty who ruled over the area from the temple town of Moodabidri. The port town of Ullal served as their subsidiary capital...
,
Keladi ChennammaKeladi Chennamma was daughter of Siddappa Setty of Kundapur. She married King Somashekara in 1667. After Somashekara, she became the queen of Keladi Nayaka dynasty who fought the Mughal Army of Aurangzeb from her base in the kingdom of Keladi in the Shimoga district of Karnataka State, India. She...
and
Onake ObavvaOnake Obavva was a woman who fought the forces of Hyder Ali single-handedly with a masse in the small kingdom of Chitradurga in the Chitradurga district of Karnataka, India. Her husband was a guard of a watchtower in the rocky fort of Chitradurga...
she is much venerated in Karnataka as an icon of bravery and women's pride.
Life
Chennamma was born in Kakati, a small village in the wealthy kingdom of Kittur, which stood around 500 km north of
BelgaumBelgaum Belgaum Belgaum (Kannada: ಬೆಳಗಾವಿ Belagavi is a city and a municipal corporation in Belgaum district in the state of Karnataka, India.It is the Fourth largest city of the Karnataka state behind Bangalore ,Mangalore and Mysore....
in
KarnatakaKarnataka is a state in the southern part of India. It was created on November 1, 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act...
. In her youth she received training in
horse ridingEquestrianism refers to the skill of riding or driving horses. This broad description includes both use of horses for practical, working purposes as well as recreational activities and competitive sports.-Overview of equestrian activities:...
, sword fighting and
archeryArchery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
. She became queen of her native kingdom and married Raja Mallasarja, of the Desai family, and had one son; after her son's death in 1824 she adopted Shivalingappa, and made him heir to the throne. The
British East India CompanyThe 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...
did not accept this and ordered Shivalingappa's expulsion, citing the
doctrine of lapseThe Doctrine of Lapse was an annexation policy devised by Lord Dalhousie, who was the Governor General of India between 1848 and 1856. According to the Doctrine, any princely state or territory under the direct influence of the British East India Company , as a vassal state under the British...
, but Chennamma defied the order: a battle ensued, during which Chennamma fought fiercely with the aid of her lieutenant,
Sangolli RayannaSangolli Rayanna was a prominent freedom fighter from Karnataka, India. He fought the British till his death. He was the army chief of the Kingdom of Kittur ruled at the time by Rani Chennamma. Rayanna was born in the small village of Sangolli, he belonged to the Kuruba Gowda caste and hence a...
, but was ultimately captured and imprisoned at Bailhongal Fort, where she died on 21 February 1829.
Chennamma, born 56 years before the 1857 rebel
Rani Laxmi BaiLakshmibai, The Rani of Jhansi , known as Jhansi Rani, was the queen of the Maratha-ruled princely state of Jhansi, was one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and a symbol of resistance to British rule in India...
, was the first woman to fight against British governance and the kappa tax. Her legacy and first victory are still commemorated in Kittur, during the Kittur Utsava of every 22 - 24 October. The festival is similar to the Mysore Dasara.
Statue of Kittur Rani Chennamma at New Delhi Parliament House complex
On 11 September 2007 a statue of Rani Chennamma was unveiled at the Indian Parliament Complex by
Pratibha PatilPratibha Devisingh Patil is the current President of the Republic of India, the 12th person and first woman to hold the office. She was sworn in as President of India on July 25, 2007, succeeding Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam....
, the first woman President of India.