Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
We know of Rani Lakshmi Bai's bravery tales, but we are not aware of Jhalkari Bai, the Dalit woman who helped her throughout, and fought right next to her in the uprising of 1857.
We know of Rani Lakshmi Bai’s bravery tales, but we are not aware of Jhalkari Bai, the Dalit woman who helped her throughout, and fought right next to her in the uprising of 1857.
The stories of our female warriors are rarely told. Can we think of any other female warriors other than Rani Laxmibai and Sultana Razia? Through the ages, women have shown great abilities, playing a crucial role in history. But we rarely hear about them. Isn’t it time we changed that?
Here is a name that is quite disguised in the pages of history. Commander of Rani Laxmibai’s Army, Jhalkari Bai. The attention that is paid to Kings and Queens is appropriate, but even majesty can show courage only when they have good support systems. Jhalkari Bai was that support system to the Queen.
Few people know that she is the woman who overcame every obstacle to save Rani Laxmi Bai and her son. Her uncanny similarity to Rani Laxmibai made it very easy for her to disguise herself as the queen and misguide the British army during the revolt of 1857.
Jhalakari Bai was born in Bundelkhand on 22 November 1830 to a poor Kori family (an oppressed Dalit group) Her mother was Jamunaabai and her father was Sadoba (E.K. Mulchand Koli), and lost her mother early in childhood, and was raised by her father as an only child. Because of the social conditions of the time, she did not have formal education, but was trained in horseback riding and firearms use.
Since childhood, she was bold and determined. She worked to support her family, supervised animals, as well as collected wood from forests. As Jhalakari once came into contact with a tiger in a jungle, she killed the animal with her ax. Her bravery and courage were outstanding.
Jhalkari Bai was married to a soldier in the Jhansi army, and that’s how she came to be, one day, among the women of the local village, who went to the fort of Jhansi to honor the Queen during Gauri Puja. Jhalkari Bai was an absolutely identical copy of the Rani, and this made the Rani notice her. When she came to know of the feats of Jhalkari Bai, the Rani was impressed and asked her to join the women’s Durga dal in the army. There, Jhalkaribai trained in guns, cannon firing, and other weapons, and later, became the commander of the Durga dal.
At the time of the rebellion of 1857, General Rose attacked Jhansi on 23 March 1858 with his huge army. Rani Laxmibai fought bravely with her 5000 soldiers. The Queen was waiting for help from Peshwa, but she was not able to make contact with them as Tatia Tope was already defeated.
Legend has it that when the British army came to the fort to attack the Rani, it seemed it may be difficult to save her. Jhalkari Bai (who resembled Rani Laxmi bai) took the position of queen. As the British army mistook Jhalkari Bai for the queen, the Rani was able to escape with her son (successor of the Jhansi kingdom).
She is now honored on Shahid Diwas (Martyr’s Day) by various Koli organizations.
There is silence on Jhalkari Bai’s bravery which is intentional because she was from the Dalit community. Rani Laxmi Bai was born into a Brahmin family in Varanasi and married a Peshwa (Brahmin) king named Raja Gangadhar Rao of Jhansi. Tatya Tope, her ally, was also born in a Brahmin family, was similarly born to Ramachandra Pandurang Tope.
To keep the oppressed class as oppressed, history is told in a biased way, keeping them hidden from written records. This has motivated the Dalits in Bundelkhand and throughout UP, to retrieve and bring to light the heroism and sacrifices of Jhalkari Bai.
In India, the upper castes have ignored the many stories of Dalit resistance against colonial rulers and social injustices. Though these stories have survived mostly orally through generations of Dalits, history as we commonly know it has kept it hidden, due to history being written by dominant upper caste historians. There is also the additional layer of her being a woman.
Jhalkari Bai is played by television star Ankita Lokhande in her Bollywood debut in the Kangana Ranaut starrer biopic of Rani Laxmi Bai, Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi. She has been portrayed as brave and loyal, and the narrative speaks of how she sacrificed her life in the revolt.
Image source: a still from the film Manikarnika, and By India Post, Government of India – [1], GODL-India, Link
Bhumika is an English Majors undergraduate at the University Of Delhi and at this moment actively working with an NGO, as a content department associate that works for normalizing menstruation and promotes menstrual hygiene. She read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
Please enter your email address