Rattibha

Krantiveera Sangoli Rayanna
Born-August 15, 1798
Died- January 26, 1831
A great revolutionary not known outside of Karnataka, but whose story we should all be knowing.
Thread on him
#HappyIndependenceday2023
#AzaadikaAmritMahotsav

Sangoli Rayanna,was the loyal general of Kittur Rani Chenamma, who fought by her side in her resistance to the British rule. Even after Kittur fell, and the Rani was captured, he still continued his struggle against the British before he was finally captured and executed.

Kittur is located in the district of Belgavi, in Northern Karnataka. The town would however earn a place in Indian history for the resistance against the East India Company by Rani Chenamma in 1824 when the British threatened to annex her kingdom over the Doctrine of Lapse.

In the history of Karnataka, there have been many brave women warriors, who took on the invaders single handedly. Rani Abbaka Chowta of Ullal, who made the Portuguese navy retreat from Mangalore, Keladi Chennamma who beat back Aurangzeb and his Mughal army.
Onake Obavva who defended the fort of Chitradurga with just a pestle from the forces of Hyder Ali. And to such an illustrious pantheon, belonged Rani Chennamma of Kittur.

While we know of the Rani of Jhansi’s fight against British, Kittur Rani’s preceded hers much earlier. The backdrop to this was the Doctrine of Lapse, one of the most controversial policies introduced by the British around 1847. #AzaadiKaAmritMahotsav

Chenamma was born in the village of Kakati, to a Lingayat family and was married to Raja Mallasarja, the ruler of Kittur when she was 14. With the passing away of her husband in 1824, followed by her son,she was left in a state of grave crisis. #AzaadiKaAmritMahotsav

Apart from her personal loss, she also had to contend with the Doctrine of Lapse introduced by Lord Dalhousie, in which the British could annex a kingdom if it had no male heir. She adopted Shivalingappa as heir to the throne. #AzaadiKaAmritMahotsav

As per the doctrine, if the ruler of any princely state, under the suzerainty of the East India Company died without producing a heir, it would have it’s princely status abolished, and be annexed by the British.
The Doctrine actually rode over the right of an Indian ruler to choose his succesor, in the event of not having a heir. On top of it the British, decided whether the succesor choosen was competent or not.
To put it very simply, the princely states were essentially slave states to the British, with no rights of their own. The Doctrine began to be implented vigorously by Lord Dalhouise, then Governor General, from 1848 to 1856.

Her husband was a great warrior himself, who had fought against Tipu Sultan, and was captured by him. There was a story of how he broke out from the prison, and escaped from Srirangapatna disguised as a sadhu.
A grief stricken Chenamma, threw herself into the administration and affairs of the kingdom.She was aided by wise people like Guru Sidappa, Sangoli Rayanna around her, and proved to be an able and competent ruler.

The then district collector of Dharwad, St John Thackeray, appointed Mallappa Setti and Haveri Venkata Rao, to look after the affairs of Kittur, and also ordered to lock the Treasury till further orders from the Company.
Chenamma sent letters to Thackeray, the commisioner Chaplin and Mountstuart Elphinstone pleading her cause, at the same time allying with neighbouring princely states like Kolhapur.

It was in vain as the British attacked Kittur on October 23,1824 with a force of 20,797 men and 437 artillery mainly from the Madras Native Horse Artillery. However the brave warriors of Kittur, led by the Rani put up a valiant fight, forcing the British to retreat.

Thackeray was shot dead by Amatur Balappa, the Rani’s personal bodyguard,while two British officers Stevenson and William Elliot were captured as hostages. The traitors Kannuru Verappa and Saradara Mallappa, who had betrayed the Rani were also killed in the assault.

The Rani released both the hostages, hoping this would stop the war with the British,who however attacked Kittur again on December 3, 1824 with a much larger army. It was another fierce battle in which the sub collector of Solapur, Munro was killed.

Though Chennamma led a fierce assasult on the British aided by her valiant army chief Sangoli Rayanna, she was ultimately defeated. Her faithful lieutnant Gurusidappa, was captured too.
Rani Chennamma along with her nieces Janaki Bai, Veeramma, was placed in captivity at Bailhongal Fort, where she ultimately passed away on February 21, 1829 at the age of 50.

However one man, did not give up the struggle against the British, Sangoli Rayanna. Born in the village of Sangoli( Belgavi dt), which explains his name too, to Bharamappa and Kanchamma.
He belonged to an illustrious lineage of warriors hailing from the Kuruba community, who had fought in many a campaign. His grandfather Rahgappa Veerappa Desai, was known for his bravery and earned the title of “Sāvira oṇṭe Saradāra”, meaning leader of a thousand camels.

His father himself was a warrior of note,and had killed the tyrannical British officer Hook, who was harassing the residents. While Rayanna's great grandfather was an expert at Ayurveda, it was a truly illustrious lineage he hailed from.
Rayanna escaped along with the Rani’s adopted son Shivalingappa,whom he sought to make the next ruler of Kittur. And soon proved to be a thorn in the flesh for British, harassing them with constant raids and attacks in and around Kittur. #AzaadiKiNishaniyan

The British retaliated by imposing heavy taxes on the areas that Rayanna controlled. He mobilized the local residents against the British and waged a guerilla war.
With a well trained army under his command, he attacked the British, as well as the corrupt Zamindars most of whom were collaborating with them. Along with his close aide Gajaveera, began to organize constant raids on British officials in the region.
#AzaadiKiNishaniyan

Rayanna was also one of the early revolutionaries who made use of guerilla tactics, much like Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja and later Vasudev Balwant Phadke. He also began to recruit the local peasants in his army, and made good use of their knowledge of the area.

He would often vandalize British offices, and loot the money, and soon he became a constant terror to them. Unable to capture him directly, the British used treachery, this time through Rayanna’s uncle Lakshmanraya.
#AzadiKaAmritMahotsav

The man who harassed the British for a long time, was finally caught by betrayal and treachery of his own. Imprisoned along with Shivalingappa, Sangoli Rayanna, was hanged on January 26th, 1831 at Nandagad, from this banyan tree which is now a memorial.

I may die now but I will soon take birth again and come back to fight for my kingdom and the people until it is free from the clutches of British.
- Krantiveera Sangoli Rayanna
Born on August 15th
Hanged to death on January 26th
A true legend.
#AzaadiKiNishaniyan

To date many ballads are sung in North Karnataka on him, where he is something of a legend. Bengalooru City Railway Station has been renamed in honor of Sangoli Rayanna. There is a small temple in his honor in his native village of Sangoli in Belgavi dt. #AzaadiKiNishaniyan

But the everlasting legacy of Sangoli Rayanna, is that women in villages of North Karnataka to date tie cradles to the banyan tree where Rayanna was hanged and wish for a son like him. #Naman to the hero. #AzaadiKiNishaniyan

There was a 2012 Kannada movie on Sangoli Rayanna, with Darshan in the lead role, Jayaprada as Kittur Rani Chenamma, Shashikumar as Channabasava. Quite a decent watch with good performance by Darshan.
youtube.com

On #IndependenceDay take time to remember the sacrifices of Sangoli Rayanna and Kittur Rani Chennamma for the cause of freedom, whose story needs to be known to as many. #AzadiKaAmritMahotsav #AzaadiKiNishaniyan