Why In News?

The 202nd anniversary of Kittur Rani Chennamma's 1824 victory over the British East India Company was commemorated at Prerana Sthal in the Parliament complex.

Who Was Kittur Rani Chennamma?

  • Birth: Rani Chennamma was born in October 1778 in Kakati village, near Belagavi, Karnataka, into a Lingayat family. 

  • Martial Training: She trained in horse riding, sword fighting and archery from a young age.  

  • Queen Of Kittur: She married Raja Mallasarja Desai of Kittur, a principality in present-day Belagavi district. 

  • Succession Crisis: After the deaths of her husband and son, Chennamma adopted Shivalingappa as heir to the throne.  

  • British Refusal: The East India Company refused to recognise the adopted son and moved to annex Kittur.  

  • Forerunner Of The Doctrine Of Lapse: This refusal anticipated the Doctrine of Lapse, which Lord Dalhousie formalised in 1848 to annex states without a natural heir.  

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What Was The Kittur Rebellion Of 1824?

The First Battle  

  • Victory Over The Company: In October 1824, Chennamma's forces defeated the British at Kittur, and British forces suffered heavy losses.  

  • Fall Of Thackeray: St. John Thackeray, the British political agent who led the attempt to take Kittur, was killed in the battle. 

Defeat And Captivity

  • British Counter-Attack: The Company returned with larger forces, and Chennamma was eventually captured.  

  • Death In Prison: She was imprisoned at Bailhongal Fort, where she died in February 1829.  

  • Resistance Continues: Her lieutenant Sangolli Rayanna carried on guerrilla resistance against the British after her capture.  

Why Is Rani Chennamma's Resistance Significant?

Historical Significance

  • Early Anti-Colonial Struggle: Her victory came in 1824, 33 years before the Revolt of 1857, making her one of the earliest rulers to take up arms against the British.  

  • Challenge To Annexation Policy: The Kittur revolt was an early, open challenge to the Company's practice of refusing to recognise adopted heirs. 

Women In Resistance

  • Part Of A Long Tradition: She belongs to a line of women rulers who resisted foreign powers.  

    • Rani Abbakka of Ullal fought the Portuguese in the 16th century.

    • Velu Nachiyar of Sivaganga fought the British in 1780.

    • Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi fought in 1857.

Cultural Legacy

  • Kittur Utsava: Karnataka celebrates her victory every year through the Kittur Utsava, held from 22 to 24 October.  

  • Folk Memory: Her story lives on in Karnataka's Janapada folk songs, and she is honoured with the title "Veera Vanithe" (brave woman). 

National Recognition

  • Statue In Parliament: President Pratibha Patil unveiled her statue in the Parliament complex in  September 2007.  

  • Prerana Sthal: Inaugurated in June 2024, Prerana Sthal brings together statues of national figures, including Chennamma, between the old Parliament building and the Parliament Library.  

  • Postage Stamp: India Post released a commemorative stamp on 23 October 2024, marking 200 years of the Kittur victory. 

  • ₹200 Coin: The Ministry of Culture released a ₹200 commemorative coin in October 2025, closing the year-long bicentenary celebrations.  

  • Other Honours: The Indian Coast Guard ship Kittur Chennamma (1983–2011) and the Rani Chennamma Express of Indian Railways carry her name. 

Source: PIB

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. Consider the following statements about Kittur Rani Chennamma:

  1. She resisted the British after they refused to recognise her adopted son as heir.

  2. St. John Thackeray was killed during the 1824 battle at Kittur.

  3. She died in prison at Bailhongal Fort.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (d)

Explanation:  

Statement 1 is correct: Following the deaths of her husband (Raja Mallasarja) and her only son, Rani Chennamma adopted Shivalingappa II as the heir to the throne. The British East India Company refused to recognize the adoption under an early, practical application of what later became formally known as the Doctrine of Lapse, triggering her armed resistance in 1824.

Statement 2 is correct: During the first battle of Kittur in October 1824, the local forces successfully defeated the initial British assault. In this clash, St. John Thackeray, the British political agent and Collector of Dharwad, was shot and killed.

Statement 3 is correct: After a massive reinforcement wave, the British eventually overwhelmed the Kittur fort during a second siege. Rani Chennamma was captured and kept in captivity at the Bailhongal Fort, where she died in February  1829.