Why Rani of Kittur? I am a judge in the debates ‘Women in the Armed Forces.’ During the address to the post graduate students after the debate I generally talk about the ancient legendary women warriors and stated that we only talk about the north Indian warriors like Rani Jhansi and others and the southern Indian warriors like Rani of Kittur are neglected. Majority students being from North India are unaware of her name leave alone knowing about her exploits against the East India Company.

Rani of Kittur is one of the lesser known mortals, seldom written or talked about but was great in her own way because she gave her entire life for the freedom of Kittur a former princely state in Karnataka. She was the first Queen to fight against the British Rule. She has become a folk hero of Karnataka and became a symbol of the independence movement in India.

She led her armed forces against the East India Company in 1824 in defiance of the Doctrine of Lapse in an attempt to maintain Indian control over the region, because there was no male heir. She was defeated in the third war and died imprisoned. The resistance ended with her martyrdom and she is remembered today as one of the earliest Indian rulers to have fought for independence. Along with Rani Abbakka Keladi Chennamma........

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