Siege of Jhansi

The 1857 siege of Jhansi saw Rani Lakshmibai defend her state against invading forces from Orchha and Datia. Beset by attack and political slander, she led a fierce resistance. A brief truce ended in renewed conflict, forcing her to fight on to protect her throne and people.

Siege of Jhansi
Part of the Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Rani of Jhansi leads her troops in the siege of Jhansi
Date August–October 1857 Location Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh 25°26′0″N 78°34′0″E Result Jhansi–Tatya–Gwalior victory
Belligerents
Jhansi State Forces of Tatya Tope Gwalior State	British Orchha State Datia State
Commanders and leaders
Rani of Jhansi	Nateh Khan  Rani of Orcha (WIA) Raja of Datia
Strength
8,200 men Unknown under Tatya and Gwalior	40,000 men 28 guns
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Heavy several men and elephants were killed

Background

During the 1857 uprising, Orchha's Prime Minister Nathe Khan began mobilizing forces against Jhansi, claiming allegiance to the British. In response, the Rani of Jhansi sent him correspondence from British official Erskine, confirming her provisional recognition as regent. Despite this, Nathe Khan pressed on, ignoring that the Union Jack gifted earlier to a Jhansi prince and now flying over the fort symbolized British connection. He reportedly offered the Rani a pension if she renounced power, which she refused. Meanwhile, Datia, west of Jhansi, also turned hostile. With British forces focused on Delhi and Lucknow, the Rani’s appeals for aid went unanswered. She secured support from rebellious rulers of Banpur and Shahgarh, retained loyalty from local nobles, and recruited mutinous soldiers and Afghan mercenaries. Ironically, all these anti-British forces united under the British flag, symbolizing the complex political climate. To fund the defense of her state, the Rani sold assets and borrowed heavily.

Siege

In the aftermath of the 1857 uprising, Jhansi faced a grave threat not just from the British, but also from neighboring princely states. On 10 August 1857, Nathe Khan of Orchha invaded Jhansi, capturing Mauranipur and surrounding districts. By 3 September, Orchha's forces reportedly 40,000 strong with 28 guns laid siege to the city. Although the Rani had earlier received British recognition as regent, her appeals for support went unanswered, and rival princes initiated a campaign to discredit her, accusing her of collusion with rebels.

Despite these attacks, the Rani organized a spirited defense. Adopting a tactical ruse, she allowed the enemy to advance, only to strike decisively when they came within range of the city’s artillery. Rejecting misleading British accounts that portrayed her as reckless or complicit, Indian sources depict her as rallying her troops with resolve and entrusting command to her trusted noble, Jawahar Singh, in a display of symbolic leadership.

The Rani of Orchha gathered around 17,000 troops and five guns, challenging the Rani of Jhansi to fight in the open, a proposal the latter accepted. On 23 September, Jhansi’s combined forces about 3,600 cavalry and 8,200 infantry marched out to engage the enemy. The ruler of Datia demanded the Rani of Orchha execute her minister to secure his support, but she refused. In the ensuing battle, several prominent Thakurs were killed, and the Rani of Orchha fled once again. That night, she sent 500 sepoys, 25 elephants, and 50 torchbearers to identify the fallen, but Jhansi's batteries opened fire, killing many; only a few managed to escape and report the loss.

As the siege continued, the Rani launched counterattacks, including a notable battle on 23 September where her forces inflicted losses on the besiegers. A temporary truce was achieved with help from the Raja of Banpur in late October, but conflict soon resumed. Letters by the Rani to British officials reflect her desperation, citing economic collapse, mounting debts, and the refusal of Orcha and Datia to relinquish captured territories. For several months, she fought not against the British but to defend her throne from internal rivals and rebellious landholders. In the end, the besiegers has to lift the siege without achieving anything.

As a matter of fact, for the next eight months, the Rani had to fight, not against the British for independence of India, but against her own neighbours and subjects for her very existence"

— R. C. Majumdar