Kapurthala’s Spanish Maharani

Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi is one of the best known heroes of the Revolt of 1857. Yet very little is known about the little boy, her adopted son, Damodar Rao, who she was fighting the British for. The trigger for her taking up arms was the infamous law, the ‘Doctrine of Lapse’ by which the British were refusing to recognise ‘adopted heirs’ as legitimate successors. This was an excuse to annex states.

The story of what happened to the 9 year old boy Damodar Rao is both heart wrenching and forgotten.