Kittur Rani Chennamma

Kittur Chennamma was born on the 14th of November 1778 in a small village called Kakati, located in the present-day district of Belagavi in Karnataka, India. Chennamma was born into the Lingayat community. From a very young age, she was trained in sword fighting, archery and horse riding as a part of family tradition. At the young age of 15, Kittur Chennamma was married to a member of the Desai family named Raja Mallasarja.

Also known as Kittur Rani Chennamma, the Rani (queen) of Kittur, she is hailed as one of the first female rulers to have rebelled against the British and is famous for the 1824 revolt against the East India Company who lost the first battle against her. This feat turned her into a folk hero in the Karnataka culture as well as the prime symbol of the independence movement.

This article will shine a light upon the life of Kittur Rani Chennamma and her rebellion against the British Empire in the revolt of 1824. The history and achievements of Rani Chennamma constitute an integral part of the history syllabus for the upcoming IAS Exam.

Kittur Chennamma’s Fight against the British

A deeper delve into the Kittur Rani Chennamma information reveals that after the death of her husband and only son in 1824, she was the sole protector of the state of Kittur from British rule. To avoid the British takeover of Kittur, she adopted Shivalingappa that same year and named him the successor to the throne. The British did not acknowledge Shivalingappa as the successor, and the state of Kittur St John Thackeray and the state of Kittur fell under the jurisdiction of commissioner of the Dharwad Collectorate, Mr Chaplin.

Rani Chennamma tried to plead her cause to the Empire by sending numerous letters to Lieutenant-Governor Mountstuart Elphinstone of the Bombay Presidency but was turned down, resulting in an all-out war. In October 1824, the British war forces suffered heavy damages. They were forced to retreat, resulting in the victory of Rani Chennamma. During this first round of battle, St John Thackeray was killed in action by the queen’s lieutenant, Amatur Balappa. Rani Chennamma also captured two British officers, Mr Stevenson and Sir Walter Elliot, as war prisoners but later released them as a part of the deal with Chaplin. This would mean that the war was terminated. Chaplin, however, did not end the war and sent in heavy reinforcements.

Chennamma, Queen of Kittur, a princely state in present Karnataka was born on 23 October, 1778. Read about the significance of this day in history at the linked article.

IAS aspirants can read about the contribution of the Women Freedom Fighters in the Indian freedom struggle at the linked article.

Death of Kittur Chennamma

During this second battle against the East India Company, Kittur Chennamma fought viciously alongside her deputy Sangolli Rayanna. Unfortunately, the queen and her leading officers were betrayed by traitors in the army who mixed cow dung in the gunpowder, rendering the weapons useless. Rani Chennamma was captured and imprisoned at the Fort of Bailhongal. Kittur Rani Chennamma died in British custody on the 2nd of February 1829 at 51 years of age.

The Aftermath of the Queen’s Death

After the death of Kittur Chennamma, her second in command, Sangolli Rayanna, kept fighting the British troops till 1829 until he was captured and hanged by the British forces. The queen’s adopted son, Shivalingappa, was arrested by the British, and finally, Kittur fell into the hands of the Empire.

Memorials of Kittur Chennamma

Queen Chennamma was buried in Bailhongal, which acts as a memorial site for Samadhi. Further, her statue was unveiled on the 11th of September 2007 at the Indian Parliament Complex by Former Indian President Pratibha Patil. Vijay Gaur, a Kittur Rani Chennamma Memorial Committee member, built the statue. Other statues commemorating Rani Chennamma are located at Bengaluru, Kittur, Belagavi and Hubballi.

Find out the details regarding the IAS Syllabus by visiting the linked article. For more UPSC-related preparation materials refer to the links given in the table below: