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Question 17 of 25

Q.How has the art helped in keeping alive the memory of Rani of Jhansi ? Explain.

CBSECBSE Class XII Board 2022Subjective· 3mImportance★★★★★
68% · 17/25 Questions
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The art of the Rani of Jhansi — through paintings, ballads, and later films — has transformed her from a historical figure into a living symbol of resistance, keeping her memory vibrant across generations.

The Rani of Jhansi, Lakshmibai, is not merely a name in history textbooks; she is a presence that refuses to fade. This enduring memory owes much to the power of art. In a time before mass media, visual and performing arts were the primary ways a society remembered its heroes. For the Rani, art did something remarkable: it turned a specific, regional queen into a national icon of courage.

Consider the earliest artistic responses. Within months of her death in 1858, popular ballads and folk songs in Bundelkhand began celebrating her. These were not dry historical accounts — they were living stories, sung in village squares and at festivals. The most famous of these, the Jhansi ki Rani poem by Subhadra Kumari Chauhan (written later, in the early 20th century), captured her spirit in lines that every Indian schoolchild still recites: "Khoob ladi mardani, woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi." This poem, set to music and recited at patriotic gatherings, did more than any official record to etch her image into the public mind.

Paintings and prints played an equally crucial role. The earliest known portraits of the Rani were produced by Indian artists in the late 19th century, often showing her on horseback, sword raised, charging into battle. These images were not photorealistic — they were symbolic. The horse, the sword, the determined gaze — these became visual shorthand for defiance. Later, during the nationalist movement of the early 1900s, these paintings were reproduced as cheap lithographs and distributed widely. They appeared on calendars, in schoolbooks, and on the walls of homes across India. Every time someone looked at that image, they were not just seeing a queen; they were seeing the idea that resistance against British rule was possible.

Note

The most famous visual representation — the Rani on a horse, leaping over a wall — is actually a later artistic invention. No contemporary eyewitness account describes this exact scene, but the image became so powerful that it is now accepted as historical fact. This shows how art can sometimes reshape memory itself. …

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