200 years of Rani Chennamma’s rebellion against the British East India Company (EIC) | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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200 years of Rani Chennamma’s rebellion against the British East India Company (EIC)

Posted 21 Feb 2024

Updated 21 Mar 2024

2 min read

  • Commemorating the event, several social groups such as  National Federation of Indian Women are organizing national campaign, Naanoo Rani Chennamma (I am Rani Chennamma too) in Kittur.

 

  • About Rani Chennamma (1778-1829)
    • Born in Kakati village in Belagavi district of Karnataka.
    • Became queen of Kitturu (now in Karnataka) when she married Raja Mallasarja of Desai family.
    • Adopted a child, Shivalingappa, after death of her son and made him heir to the throne.
      • British East India Company did not accept this under the Doctrine of Lapse.
    • Values: Courage, Perseverance, Leadership, Selflessness, etc.

 

  • Kittur Revolt (1824-29)
    • Regarded as the first Indian armed rebellion against British EIC.
    • Rani Chennamma defied British order to exile adopted child and sent letter against the order to Lord Elphinstone, the then Lieutenant-Governor of Bombay, which was turned down.
      • It was the first instance of imposition Doctrine of Lapse, even before officially articulated by Lord Dalhousie.
    • Though British lost First battle in 1824, Rani Chennamma was later captured and imprisoned at Bailhongal Fort, till her death in 1829.

 

Doctrine of Lapse

  • It was one of the three major annexation policies of British EIC.
    • Other two were – Ring Fence Policy and Subsidiary Alliance.
  • Under this, any princely state or territory under the paramountcy of British EIC would automatically be annexed if the ruler was either "manifestly incompetent or died without a male heir".
  • Made official by Lord Dalhousie in 1848.
  • Tags :
  • Rani Chennamma
  • Kittur Revolt
  • Doctrine of Lapse
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