| Lakshmibai Newalkar | |
|---|---|
| Maharani of Jhansi | |
 Lakshmibai dressed as a sowar | |
| Queen consort of Jhansi | |
| Tenure | 1843 – 21 November 1853 |
| Regent of Jhansi (pretendence) | |
| Regency | 21 November 1853 – 4 April 1858 |
| Monarch | Damodar Rao (disputed) |
| Successor | Position abolished |
| Born | Manikarnika Tambe 19 November 1828 Benares, Kingdom of Kashi-Benares |
| Died | 18 June 1858 (aged 29) Gwalior, Gwalior State, Company India |
| Spouse | |
| Issue | Damodar Rao Anand Rao (adopted) |
| Dynasty | Newalkar (by marriage) |
| Father | Moropant Tambe |
| Mother | Bhagirathi Sapre |
Lakshmibai Newalkar, the Rani of Jhansi (; born Manikarnika Tambe; 19 November 1828 — 18 June 1858),[1][2] was the Maharani consort of the princely state of Jhansi in the Maratha Empire from 1843 to 1853 by marriage to Maharaja Gangadhar Rao Newalkar. She was one of the leading figures in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, who became a national hero and symbol of resistance to the British rule in India for Indian nationalists.
Born into a Marathi Karhade Brahmin family in Banares, Lakshmibai married the Maharaja of Jhansi, Gangadhar Rao, in 1842. When the Maharaja died in 1853, the British East India Company under Governor-General Lord Dalhousie refused to recognize the claim of his adopted heir and annexed Jhansi under the Doctrine of Lapse. The Rani was unwilling to cede control and joined the rebellion against the British in 1857. She led the successful defense of Jhansi against Company allies, but in early 1858 Jhansi fell to British forces under the command of Hugh Rose. The Rani managed to escape on horseback and joined the rebels in capturing Gwalior, where they proclaimed Nana Saheb as Peshwa of the revived Maratha Empire. She died in June 1858 after being mortally wounded during the British counterattack at Gwalior.
- ^ Meyer, Karl E. & Brysac, Shareen Blair (1999) Tournament of Shadows. Washington, DC: Counterpoint; p. 138 – "Known to history as Lakshmi Bai, she was possibly only twelve in 1842 when she married the aging and infirm Rajah of Jhansi ..."
- ^ Though the day of the month is regarded as certain historians disagree about the year: among those suggested are 1827 and 1835.