Rani Chennamma:
Commemorating the 200th anniversary of Rani Chennamma’s rebellion, social groups across India are organizing a national campaign called “Naanoo Rani Chennamma” (I am Rani Chennamma too).
- This campaign aims to empower women to fight against patriarchal, anti-democratic, and casteist forces in the country, drawing inspiration from Rani Chennamma’s legacy of courage and resistance.
- Rani Chennamma the Queen of Kittur, led the Kittur revolt of 1824, one of the earliest woman-led anti-colonial struggles against British rule in India.
- Born in 1778 in present-day Karnataka, she married Raja Mallasarja of Kittur and played a crucial role in defending her kingdom after his death.
- When the British refused to recognize her adopted son as the successor under the ‘doctrine of lapse’, she led a rebellion against them.
- Despite initial success, the British eventually captured Kittur Fort in December 1824, leading to Rani Chennamma’s imprisonment and subsequent death in 1829. ‘
- Her bravery and leadership in resisting colonial oppression have made her a symbol of Karnataka’s political imagination and a significant figure in Indian history.
