Rani Chennamma

A 19th-century Indian queen who led a rebellion against British colonial rule, symbolizing resistance and female leadership in India.

Rani Chennamma (1778–1829) was the queen of the princely state of Kittur in Karnataka, India. Her defiance of British East India Company policies and her leadership in the 1824–1829 rebellion marked her as a pioneering symbol of resistance against colonial oppression. Born into the Lingayat community, Chennamma ascended to power after her husband, Raja Malappa, died in 1816. She became regent for her infant son, Shivalingappa, but the British sought to annex Kittur under the Doctrine of Lapse, which denied inheritance rights to heirs not recognized by the Company. Chennamma, however, refused to comply, declaring, “I would rather die in the battlefield than surrender my sovereignty.”

In 1824, the British sent forces led by Captain John集 to seize Kittur. Chennamma’s army, led by her loyal commander, Rayanna, repelled the invasion. This victory made her a legend across India. A second British attack in 1826 was also repelled, but a third assault in 1829 proved fatal. Despite her capture and imprisonment, her defiance inspired future rebellions, including the 1857 Indian Rebellion. Chennamma’s legacy endures in Karnataka, where she is celebrated as a feminist icon and a pioneer of anti-colonial resistance.

Today, her story is preserved in local folk songs and historical accounts. Her portrait hangs in the Kittur Rani Chennamma Memorial at Kittur Fort (visit here), and her birthday is commemorated as a state holiday. Though overshadowed by figures like Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, Chennamma’s early leadership set a precedent for women in Indian resistance movements.