Jhansi

Overview

Jhansi is a historic city in the southern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Located in the Bundelkhand region, it serves as the administrative headquarters of Jhansi district and Jhansi division. The city is widely known for the seventeenth-century Jhansi Fort and for its association with Rani Lakshmibai, who became a leading figure in the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

Key facts

Geography

Jhansi lies in the Bundelkhand plateau, a region characterised by rocky terrain, granite outcrops and a semi-arid climate. The city stands at the confluence of the cultural and geographical zones of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, with the state border lying close to the south. The Betwa and Pahuj rivers flow in the wider region. Summers are hot and dry, the monsoon brings moderate rainfall between June and September, and winters are cool.

History

Origins and early period

The settlement around present-day Jhansi developed in association with the fort built on Bangra hill. The fort is generally attributed to Raja Bir Singh Deo of Orchha in the early seventeenth century. Jhansi grew as a fortified town under the Bundela kingdom of Orchha and later passed to the Marathas in the eighteenth century.

Maratha rule and the kingdom of Jhansi

Under the Marathas, Jhansi became the seat of a subordinate principality. The Newalkar family served as governors and later as rulers of the state of Jhansi, recognised by the Peshwa and subsequently by the British East India Company through treaty arrangements.

1857 and Rani Lakshmibai

Following the death of Maharaja Gangadhar Rao, the East India Company applied the Doctrine of Lapse and annexed Jhansi in 1854, refusing to recognise the adopted heir of his widow, Rani Lakshmibai. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Jhansi became one of the major centres of resistance. The Rani led the defence of the city against the British force commanded by Sir Hugh Rose in 1858, and later joined other rebel leaders at Kalpi and Gwalior, where she was killed in battle. The events made Jhansi a prominent symbol in the historiography of the first war of Indian independence.

Colonial and post-independence period

After the suppression of the rebellion, Jhansi was placed under direct British administration and became part of the United Provinces. The city developed as a railway junction during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with lines connecting north India to central and western India passing through it. After 1947, Jhansi continued as a divisional headquarters in Uttar Pradesh.

Administration

Jhansi is administered by the Jhansi Municipal Corporation (Nagar Nigam). The city is the headquarters of Jhansi district and of Jhansi division, which also covers the districts of Jalaun and Lalitpur. It forms a parliamentary constituency that sends a member to the Lok Sabha.

Economy

The economy of Jhansi is based on trade, services, government employment, defence establishments, education and small-scale industry. Brassware, engineering goods and agricultural produce from the surrounding Bundelkhand region are traded through the city. The Indian Railways is a significant employer, with the Jhansi Division of North Central Railway based in the city.

Transport

Jhansi Junction is one of the major railway stations in north-central India and lies on the busy Delhi–Chennai and Delhi–Mumbai trunk routes. The city is connected by National Highways to Lucknow, Kanpur, Gwalior, Bhopal and Khajuraho. Bus services operated by the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation link Jhansi with cities across the state and neighbouring regions. The nearest major airport for scheduled commercial flights is Gwalior.

Education

Educational institutions in Jhansi include Bundelkhand University, which was established in 1975, the Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College, and several engineering and degree colleges. The city also hosts schools affiliated with the CBSE, ICSE and Uttar Pradesh state boards.