Holiday Homework

Rani Lakshmibai (Manikarnika) was married to Raja Gangadhar Rao Newalkar, the Maharaja of Jhansi in 1842, and became the queen of Jhansi. After their marriage, She gave birth to a son Damodar Rao in 1851. However, the child died when he was about four months old. After the death of their son, the Raja and Rani of Jhansi adopted Anand Rao, the son of Gangadhar Rao’s cousin. However, it is said that the Raja of Jhansi never recovered from his son’s death, and he died in 1853. Since Anand Rao was adopted, Lord Dalhousie annexed Jhansi, saying that the throne had “lapsed” and claimed the right to put Jhansi under his protection. In March 1854, she was given a pension of 60,000 rupees and ordered to leave the palace and the Jhansi fort. But she fought fiercely against the British troop which tried to siege Jhansi on 23 March 1858. Lakshmi Bai’s forces could not hold out and three days later the British were able to breach the city walls and capture the city. Lakshmi Bai escaped by jumping from the wall at night with her son and joined other rebel forces, including those of Tatya Tope. The Rani and Tatya Tope moved on to Gwalior, where the combined rebel forces defeated the army of the Maharaja of Gwalior after his armies deserted the rebel forces. They then occupied a strategic fort at Gwalior. However, on the 17th of June 1858, while battling against British near the Phool Bagh area of Gwalior, she died. Recently on July 21st, 2011, Rani Laxmibaiwas declared to be one of the “Top 10 Bad-Ass Wives” in the world by Time magazine, who supported their husbands.

Mangal Pandey
Mangal Pandey joined the sepoy force of the British East India Company in the year 1849 at the age of 22. Pandey was part of the 34th Bengal Native Infantry and is primarily known for his involvement in an attack on his senior British officers on 29th March 1857 at Barrackpore. This incident marked an opening stage ofSepoy Mutiny of 1857 or the First War of Indian Independence. It is said that