Morning Star/ Polestar Queen • 1778 – 1829
Kittur
Kittur Chennamma was the Rani of Kittur, a former princely state in Karnataka. As a young girl, Chennamma was trained in horse riding, sword fighting and archery from an early age. She swiftly became one of the earliest warrior queens, and female rebel rulers against British rule.
At the age of 15, Chennama married Raja Mallasarja, ruler of Kittur state. However in 1824, both her husband and son unfortunately died in succession, leaving her with a highly volatile and unstable state to rule. Following the death of her husband and son, Rani Chennamma adopted another child, Shivalingappa in the same year, making him the heir to the throne. However this troubled the East India Company greatly. According to the Doctrine of Lapse, if the ruler of an independent state died childless, the right of ruling the State reverted to the sovereign. Consequently they demanded Shivalingappa ‘s expulsion, leaving Chennama to save her state from British rule.
In 1824 Chennama led an armed force against the British East India Company in protest against their attempts to maintain Indian control over the region. However though she fought fiercely and powerfully, Chenamma was finally defeated in the third war and died imprisoned.
Kittur Chenamma has become an icon of bravery and female folk hero in Karnataka, a fighting symbol of the independence movement in India. The Kittur Utsava that is celebrated annually commemorates the initial victory of Chennamma against the British (celebrated on the 22nd-24th of October, every year) and The Kittur Fort is standing evidence of one of the first freedom struggles in the country.
https://karnatakatravel.blogspot.com/2009/05/kittur-rani-chennamma.html
https://yourstory.com/2015/08/herstory-flashback-kittur-rani-chennamma/
https://www.karnataka.com/belgaum/kittur-fort-and-palace/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kittur_Chennamma
https://www.srikanta-sastri.org/kittur-rani-chennamma/4590688242