Rani Chennamma of Kittur is revered for her exploits that placed the British in a position of great diffidence at a time when they were consolidating their rule over the subcontinent. She fought valiantly for her kingdom, exhibiting qualities that had hitherto been missing when leaders dealt with the British.
Historic significance of Kittur
Kittur is located in the Belegavi district of modern Karnataka, and in the 18th and 19th centuries was among the richest regions in Deccan. All the political powers vied for access to this region given the fertility of its soil and also for purposes of strategy. The royal dynasty of Kittur emerged in 1585. Allappagowda Sardesai is regarded as a notable ruler who built the Kittur fort in the 17th century. However, it was under Mallasaraja (reigned from c. 1782 to 1816) that the dynasty reached its zenith. A great patron of art, architecture and philosophy, Mallasaraja fortified the fortunes of Kittur while seated on the throne. His reign incidentally coincided with a period of political strife. The Peshwas and Tipu Sultan seemed to be perennially at loggerheads, with the Nizam of Hyderabad forming a third force adding to the instability. The East India Company too conveniently chose sides in these battles.
Ultimately, Kittur came under the territory of the Marathas, and so from 1792, it followed the peaceful framework established with the British. However, this fractured peace could not sustain for long. In 1818, the Peshwas were defeated and the British now controlled almost the entire Deccan region. Kittur was on their radar.
Mallasaraja married twice. His first wife, Rudramma was an exceptionally talented writer and aesthete. She apparently wrote many letters addressed to Tipu Sultan during the tumltuous decades of the 1780s and 1790s. However, his second queen Chennamma was equally if not more dexterous. Politically astute and a skilled warrior, Chennamma was graceful and fearsome at the same time. Rudramma eventually retired from public life and so it was Chennamma who etched for herself a chapter in the history of India.
Mallasaraja died in 1816. He was followed by his son Shivalingarudra Sarja. Many accounts portray Shivalingarudra as incompetent, especially in comparison with his father, who is widely recognised as the greatest ruler of Kittur. Shivalingarudra though was simply the nominal head, Rani Chennamma had already turned into the de facto head of the state.[ref]
The Challenge and Chennamma's Response
Chennamma was an astute strategist, and from the reign of Mallasaraja itself, was integrally involved in the politics of Deccan and South India. She also valiantly fought many battles, and was a veritable expert in statecraft. In 1824, the dynasty met with a crisis as Shivalingarudra died due to crippling health issues. Rani Chennamma now officially became the Queen of Kittur.
Shivalingarudra had decided to adopt Shivalingappa as his son and successor, and the Queen too wished for the same. The Doctrine of Lapse was in force by this time, and this entailed that any kingdom without a natural heir would lose its paramountcy to the British. The Company had been eyeing a pretext for invading and annexing Kittur, and this was the perfect opening for them. Thackeray wrote to the Rani demanding the lapse of paramountcy, but the doughty Rani outright refused. She instead wrote a letter to the Lt governor of Bombay Presidency, Lord Elphinstone arguing that her state deserved autonomy. Elphinstone refused to grant any concessions, and war imminently broke out.[ref]
Historic victory
The Company under the Dharwad Collector John Thackeray launched an offensive in October 1824. An army of 20,000 men carrying 1400 guns was primed to overrun the Kittur forces, but in a stunning turn of events, Chennamma’s forces defeated those of the Company. St. John Thackeray was also killed in this first battle of Kittur. It was a morale-sapping loss for the British, and an epochal moment in Indian history. Chennamma’s battle-awareness and strategic planning had reaped dividends, and now she had two British hostages as well, reflecting her power. These hostages, Walter Elliot and Stevenson were released upon the condition that the British would not re-start the war.
Volte-face and Defeat
However, the commissioner of Bombay Chaplin didn’t keep his word and launched an even greater offensive, this time overpowering Chennamma and her forces. The royal dynasty of Kittur didn’t go down without a fight, as Chenna along with her trusted lieutenants Sangoli Rayanna and Gurusiddapa fought valiantly till the very end. Kittur lost its paramountcy and soon was annexed by the British. Chennamma was imprisoned at Bailhongal fort, where she died on 21st February 1829.
Rani Chennamma's valour is relived till this date, and this event signalled the first ever armed rebellion against the British.
