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continued.... In spite of these reverses, the Rani did not admit defeat. She and the Peshwa knew that the forces of Jiaji Rao Schindia of Gwalior were in a rebellious mood against the British and in the April last had rebelled by setting ablaze the old cantonment and the bungalows of the army officers at Murar and had also put to death many British officers. So the forces of the Rani and the Peshwa now marched on to Gwalior. The Rani was accompanied by Peshwa Nana Sahib, his Peshwa Rao Sahib and the commander-in-chief of the Peshwas forces Tantya Tope. On 1st June, they attacked the cantonment of Gwalior, Murar and inflicted a defeat on the Schindia's forces. Having suffered a defeat in the war, the Maharaja of Gwalior retreated to the royal palace in sheer desperation and then left for Agra. In consequence of the battle of 1 June, the combined forces of the Rani and the Peshwa occupied the city of Lashkar and the Gwalior fort. They strengthened their security by mounting cannons on the fort and opening up several fronts in the city. Gwalior thus remained under the rule of Rani Lakshmi Bai for 17-18 days. After taking over Kalpi, the British now turned their attention to Gwalior, the last stronghold of the rebels. General Hugh Rose was ordered by the Governor General to immediately rush to Gwalior. The Hyderabad Regiment and some other army units were also moved to Gwalior. The British, in fact, planned a terrible offensive against the rebels and so called in a stronger force that included a total of 5 British regimenst, 4 Indian regiments, 2000 cavalrymen aided by the British troops posted at Jhansi, Agra, Shivpuri and other places. This army was so huge that one could hardly doubt the rout of the rebels. The British army reached Murar on 14th June. Jiaji Rao Schindia too came back to the Murar cantonment from Agra to launch a joint attack. An emergent meeting was held on 16th June in which it was decided that the enemy should be fought on every front. After the battle lines had been drawn carefully, this historic war broke out on 18th June. For about six hours, fierce fighting continued on all fronts. The whole city reverberated with the constant booming of the cannons. However, against the well-trained and overwhelming British forces the combined armies of the Rani and the Peshwa were no match. Still they fought with great valour using guns and swords but when their ammunition was spent up their resistance began to fizzle out. The British, on the other hand, had a massive quantity of arms and ammunition with them. In the end, the only front held by the rebels was that of the Kothi of Sardar Munna Sahib where Rani Lakshmi Bai herself was fighting against General Hugh Rose. As the British offensive mounted, the rebels began to flee the battlefield. The British now put their entire pressure on the Rani and the Peshwa Rao Sahib. Tantya Tope, after the Kampu front had fallen, somehow managed to reach here to help the Rani but he also failed in redeeming the situation. At long last, the Rani rode out of the battlefield with some of her followers and female attendants. The British soldiers pursued the rani and continued to fire shots at her. As a result of her getting mortally wounded, she fell off her horse and breathed her last. The British pursuers also arrived there soon after but only to find her horse standing alone and learned that the last rites of the Rani had already been performed. next page >> |
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