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Chennamma of Kittur was the Queen of the princely state of Kittur in present-day Karnataka. She led an rebellious armed resistance against the British East India Company, in order to retain control over her dominion. She defeated the British army in the first war, but died as a prisoner after her second rebellion. As one of the first and few female rulers to lead kittur forces against British colonisation, she continues to be remembered as a folk hero in Karnataka.
This is seen as a predecessor of the later Doctrine of lapse Policy introduced later by Lord Dalhousie, Governor General of India, to annex independent Indian States from 1848, a doctrine based on the idea that in case the ruler of an independent state died childless, the right of ruling the State reverted or "lapsed" to the suzerain.
In 1823, Rani Chennamma sent a letter to Mountstuart Elphinstone, Lieutenant-Governor of the Bombay province pleading her case, but the request was turned down, and war broke out. The British placed a group of sentries around the treasury and crown jewels of Kittur, valued at around 1.5 million rupees upon the outbreak of war in order to protect them. They also mustered a force of 20,797 men and 437 guns, mainly from the third troop of Madras Native Horse Artillery in order to fight the war. In the first round of war, during October 1824, British forces lost heavily and St John Thackeray, collector and political agent, was killed in the war. Amatur Balappa, a lieutenant of Chennamma, was mainly responsible for his killing and losses to British forces. Two British officers, Sir Walter Elliot and Mr Stevenson were also taken as hostages. Rani Chennamma released them with an understanding with Chaplain that the war would be terminated but Chaplain continued the war with more forces. During the second assault, subcollector of Solapur, Munro, nephew of Thomas Munro was killed. Rani Chennamma fought fiercely with the aid of her deputy, Sangolli Rayanna, but was ultimately captured and imprisoned at Bailhongal Fort, where she died on 21 February 1829 due to health deterioration.
Sangolli Rayanna continued the guerrilla war to 1829, in vain, until his capture. Rayanna wanted to install the adopted boy Shivalingappa as the ruler of Kittur, but Rayanna was caught and hanged. Shivalingappa was also arrested by the British. Chennamma's legacy and first victory are still commemorated in Kittur, during the Kittur Utsava held on every year.
Books
Memorials
Burial place
Rani Chennamma's samadhi or burial place is in Bailhongal.
Statues
On 11September 2007 a statue of Rani Chennamma was unveiled at the Indian Parliament Complex by Pratibha Patil, the first woman President of India. "Pratibha unveils Kittur Rani Chennamma statue" , news.oneindia.in On the occasion, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee, BJP leader L. K. Advani, Karnataka Chief Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy and others were present, marking the importance of the function. The statue was donated by Kittur Rani Chennamma Memorial Committee and sculpted by Vijay Gaur.
There are also statues commemorating her at Bengaluru, Belagavi, Kittur and Hubballi.
In popular culture
External links
Categories: 1778 Births, 1829 Deaths, Indian Women In War, Women In 19th-century Warfare, Hindu Monarchs, Indian Female Royalty, Kannada People, Lingayatism, History Of Karnataka, People From Belagavi District, Resistance To The British Empire, Indian Rebels, Indian Queens Consort, 18th-century Indian Women, 18th-century Indian Royalty, 19th-century Indian Women, 19th-century Indian People, Regents Of India, Kittur State
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