2025-10-28 Tue

Kittur Rani Chennamma was an Indian queen of Kittur, a princely state in Karnataka. She was the first female independence activist in India; she bravely fought against the British Empire and became a folk hero in Karnataka. Rani Channamma was well-trained in archery, sword fighting, and horse riding.

Rani Chennamma married at the age of 15 to Mallasarja Desai, the ruler of Kittur. In 1816, her husband died, leaving her with a young son. A few years later, in 1824, her only son also passed away. After her son’s death, Channamma adopted a boy named Shivalingappa and declared him the heir to the throne.

That same year, the British East India Company sought to annex Kittur under policies that disallowed adoption of heirs without British approval (a precursor to the later Doctrine of Lapse). Chennamma resisted this policy and led a rebellion against the British. She defeated them in the first battle but was later captured during a second uprising. She died in British imprisonment in 1829.

On 24 October 2025, the Government of India released a Rs 200 commemorative coin to mark the 200th anniversary of Rani Chennamma's victory at Kittur.