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.

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.

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