राजर्षी शाहू महाराज

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 महाराष्ट्रातील समाज सुधारक-राजर्षी शाहू महाराज (१८७४-१९२२) : राजर्षी शाहू महाराजांचा जन्म २६ जुन १८७४ रोजी कागलच्या घाटगे घराण्यात झाला. कागलचे जहागीरदार जयसिंगराव आबासाहेब घाटगे हे त्यांचे जन्मदाते वडील राधाबाई ही त्यांची जन्मदाती माता. शाहू महाराजांचे मूळ नाव यशवंतराव होते. ते दहा वर्षांचे असताना कोल्हापूरचे राजे चौथे शिवाजी यांची राणी आनंदीबाई हिने १८ मार्च १८८४ रोजी त्यांना दत्तक घेतले व ते कोल्हापूर संस्थानाचे छत्रपती शाहू महाराज झाले.

जन्म : २६ जुन १८७४

मृत्यू : ६ मे १९२२

पूर्ण नाव : छत्रपती शाहू महाराज भोसले

वडील :आबासाहेब घाटगे

आई : राधाबाई

पत्नी :  महाराणी लक्ष्मीबाई भोसले

राजर्षी शाहू महाराज बालपण आणि शिक्षण

इ. स. १८८५ मध्ये त्यांना शिक्षणासाठी राजकोट येथे पाठविण्यात आले. तेथे त्यांनी चार वर्षे शिक्षण घेतले. त्यानंतर ते कोल्हापूरला परतल्यावर धारवाड येथे शिक्षणासाठी गेले. तेथे सर एस.एम. फ्रेजर यांच्या मार्गदर्शनाखाली राज्यकारभार, इतिहास, इंग्रजी भाषा इत्यादी विषयांचे शिक्षण घेतले. धारवाड येथे शिक्षण घेत असतानाच लक्ष्मीबाई यांच्याबरोबर एप्रिल १८९१ रोजी शाहू महाराजांचा विवाह झाला. शिक्षणक्रम संपल्यानंतर वयाच्या विसाव्या वर्षी २ एप्रिल १८९४ रोजी शाहू महाराजांनी कोल्हापूर संस्थानच्या राज्यकारभाराची सूत्रे हाती घेतली.

छत्रपती शाहू महाराज यांचे सामाजिक कार्य

बहुजन समाज सुशिक्षित झाल्याशिवाय त्यांचा उद्धार होणार नाही. त्यांच्या मागासलेपणाचे एक महत्त्वाचे कारण त्यांच्यातील शिक्षणाचा अभाव होय ही गोष्ट शाहू महाराजांनी ओळखून बहूजन समाजात शिक्षणाचा प्रसार करण्याचे ठरविले.

इ. स.१९०१ मध्ये त्यांनी मराठा विद्यार्थ्यांसाठी ‘व्हिक्टोरिया मराठा बोर्डिंग’ ची स्थापना केली. त्यांनी कोल्हापुरात निरनिराळ्या जातिधर्मांच्या विद्यार्थ्यांसाठी वसतिगृहांची स्थापना केली.

इ. स. १९०२ मध्ये राजर्षी शाहूंनी आपल्या राज्यातील सरकारी नोकऱ्यांत मागास वर्गांसाठी पन्नास टक्के जागा राखून ठेवण्याचा क्रांतिकारी निर्णय घेतला.

इ. स. १९०६ मध्ये शाहू महाराजांनी ‘शाहू छत्रपती स्पिनिंग आणि विव्हिंग मिल’ चा पाया घातला.

इ. स. १९०७ मध्ये सहकारी तत्वावर एका कापड गिरणीची त्यांनी उभारणी केली.

इ. स. १९०७ मध्येच शाहू महाराजांनी अस्पृश्य विद्यार्थ्याच्या शिक्षणाची सोय व्हावी म्हणून कोल्हापुरात ‘मिस क्लार्क बोर्डिंग’ या नावाचे वसतिगृह उघडले.

इ. स. १९०७ मध्ये कोल्हापूरच्या पश्चिमेला सुमारे ५५ कि.मी. अंतरावर दाजीपूरजवळ भोगावती नदीला बंधारा घालून जमिनीला पाणीपुरवठा करण्याची योजना त्यांनी आखली. ती इ. स. १९०८ मध्ये अमलात आणून त्या बंधान्याला ‘महाराणी लक्ष्मीबाई तलाव’ असे नाव देण्यात आले.

इ.स. १९११ मध्ये शाहू महाराजांच्या प्रेरणेने कोल्हापुरात सत्यशोधक समाजाची पुन स्थापना झाली.

१९१३ मध्ये शाहूंच्या आदेशानुसार खेड्यांमध्ये चावडी, धर्मशाळा, मंदिरे व होते. या इमारतींमधून शाळा सुरू झाल्या.

इ. स. १९१६ मध्ये बहुजन समाजाला राजकीय हक्क मिळवून देण्यासाठी त्यांनी निपाणी येथे डेक्कन रयत संस्थेची स्थापना केली.

इ. स. १९१७ मध्ये शाहूंनी प्राथमिक शाळेतील फी माफीची घोषणा केली. २१ नोव्हेंबर १९१७ रोजी काढलेल्या जाहीरनाम्यानुसार कोल्हापूर संस्थानात प्राथमिक शिक्षण सक्तीचे करण्यात आले.

इ. स.१९१७ मध्येच त्यांनी पुनर्विवाहाचा कायदा करून विधवा विवाहाला कायदेशीर मान्यता मिळून दिली.

इ. स. १९१८ मध्ये शाहूनी आपल्या संस्थानातील महार वतने रद्द केली आणि जमीन अस्पृश्यांच्या नावावर रयतवारीने करून दिल्या. अस्पृश्यांकडून वेठबिगारी पद्धतीने कामे करून घेण्यास कायद्याने बंदी घातली.

इ.स. १९१८ मध्येच शाहूंनी आपल्या संस्थानात आंतरजातीय विवाहाला मान्यता देणारा कायदा केला तसेच त्यांनी स्वतः असे काही विवाह घडवून आणले.

इ.स. १९१८ मध्येच शाहूंनी वतनदारांच्या जाचातून शेतकन्यांची मुक्तता करण्यासाठी खेड्यातील कुलकर्णी वतने रद्द केली आणि त्या जागी पगारी तलाठी नेमण्याची व्यवस्था केली.

आपल्या राज्यात अस्पृश्यता पाळली जाऊ नये म्हणून शाहू महाराजांनी जाणीवपूर्वक लक्ष दिले. अस्पृश्यांना शाळा, दवाखाने, पाणवठे, सार्वजनिक विहिरी इत्यादी ठिकाणी समानतेने वागवावे, असे आदेश त्यांनी काढले.

इ.स. १९१९ मध्ये बलुतेदार पद्धत बंद करण्याविषयीच्या कायद्याचा भंग करणाऱ्याला त्यांनी १०० रु. दंड व चार दिवसांची कारावासाची शिक्षा देणारा कायदा केला.

इ.स. १९२० मध्ये कोल्हापर संस्थानातील माणगाव येथे त्याना अस्पृश्याची परिषद भरविली.

इ. स. १९२० मध्ये त्यांनी घटस्फोटाचा कायदा केला.

इ. स. १९२० मध्ये हुबळी येथे ब्राह्मणेतर सामाजिक परिषद भरली होती. तिचे अध्यक्षस्थान शाहू महाराजांनी भूषविले होते.

२६ जुन हा शाहु महाराजांचा जन्म दिवस महाराष्ट्र शासनाने २००६ पासुन”सामाजिक न्याय दिन” म्हणून साजरा करण्याचे घोषीत केले आहे.

शाहु महारांचे सुरवातीचे शिक्षक म्हणुन श्री कृष्णाजी भिकाजी गोखले व हरिपंत गोखले यांना नेमले होते.

२० मार्च १८८६ रोजी शाहु महाराज यांचे वडील जयसिंगराव यांचा मृत्यू झाला.

०८ मे १८८८ रोजी “कोल्हापूर ते मिरज” या रेल्वे मार्गाची पायाभरणी ही शाहू महाराजांच्या हस्ते करण्यात आली.

१८९० ते १८९४ या काळात शाहु महाराजांनी “धारवाड येथील “एस.एम.फ्रेजर” यांच्या मार्गदर्शनाखाली शिक्षण घेतले. इंग्रजी भाषा, जगाचा इतिहास व राज्य कारभाराचे धडे शाहु महाराजाना एस.एम.फ्रेजर यांनी दिले.

०१ एप्रील १८९१ रोजी बडोदा येथील गुणाजी खानविलकर यांची कन्या “लक्ष्मीबाई यांच्याशी शाहू महाराज यांचा विवाह झाला.

शाहु महाराजांना राधाबाई व आऊबाई अशा दोन मुली तर राजाराम व शिवाजी अशी दोन मुले अशी एकुण ०४ आपत्ये होती. यातील राजकुमार शिवाजी यांचा १९२० साली रानडुकराच्या शिकारीच्या वेळी घोड्याहुन पडुन मृत्यु झाला होता. १८९३ मध्ये कोल्हापूर संस्थानने स्वतःचे कायदे पुस्तक तयार केले.

०२ एप्रील १८९४ रोजी शाहु महाराजांचा “राज्याभिषेक” होवुन वयाच्या २० व्या वर्षी कोल्हापूर संस्थानाची सुत्रे शाहु महाराजांनी स्विकारली व शाहु महाराजांच्या राजकीय कार्यकाळास सुरुवात झाली.

शाहु महाराजांच्या राज्याभिषेक साहेळ्या दरम्यान ब्रिटीश सरकार तफै मुंबईचा गव्हर्नर लॉर्ड हॅरिसन हा उपस्थित होता.

१८९५ मध्ये शाहु महाराजांनी कोल्हापूर येथे “शाहपूरी” ही गुळाची बाजारपेठ सुरु केली.

१८९६ साली सर्व जाती जमातींच्या विद्यार्थांसाठी शाहू महाराजांनी “राजाराम” हे वस्तीगृह सुरु केले व याच सालापासुन शाहू महाराजांच्या वस्तीगृह निर्मातीच्या कार्याला सुरुवात झाली..

१८९७ साली महारोग्यांसाठी “हिक्टोरीया लेप्रसी” या हॉस्पीटलची स्थापना शाहू महाराजांनी केली.

नोव्हेंबर १८९९ मध्ये शाहू महाराजांच्या जिवनास कलाटणी देणारे “वेदोक्त प्रकरण” घडले. शाहू महाराज पंचगंगा नदी काठी स्थानासाठी गेले असतान त्यांचे पुरोहीत नारायण भटजी हे वेदोक्त मंत्राऐवजी पुराणोक्त मंत्र म्हणत असल्याचे महाराजांचे सहकारी राजाराम शास्त्री भागवत यांनी महाराजांना लक्षात आणुन दिले. या बाबत महाराजांनी विचारणा केली असता महाराज हे क्षेत्रीय नसल्यामुळे त्यांना वेदोक्त मंत्राचा अधिकार नसल्याचे सांगतीले. येतुन खऱ्या अर्थाने ब्राम्हणेत्तर संघर्ष चळवळीस सुरुवात झाली.

१९०१ मध्ये शाहु महाराजंनी आप्पासाहेब राजोपाध्याय यांचे बतने जप्त केली. व नारायण भट्ट सेवकरी यांच्या कडुन वेदोक्त पद्धतीने श्रवणी केली.

वेदोक्त प्रकरणामध्ये लोकमान्य टिळक व शृंगरीचे जगद्गुरु शंकराचार्य यांनी ब्राम्हणांची बाजु घेतली शाहू महाराजांवर टिका केली.

१६ एप्रील १९०२ रोजी वेदोक्त प्रकरणासंदर्भात ब्रिटीश शासनाने नेमलेल्या वेदोक्त समितीने शाहू महाराजांच्या बाजूने निकाल देऊन शाहुंना वेदोक्त मंत्राचा अधिकार असल्याचा निकाल दिला.

राजर्षी शाहु महाराज हे “डेक्कन एज्युकेशन सोसायटी” चे पदसिद्ध अध्यक्ष होते. वेदोक्त प्रकरणानंतर शाहु महाराजांनी या अध्यक्ष पदाचा राजीनामा दिला.

१९०१ मध्ये शाहु महाराजांनी कोल्हापुर संस्थानामध्ये “गोहत्या प्रतीबंधक कायदा लागु केला.

१९०१ साली शाहू महाराजांनी “ब्हिक्टोरीया मराठा बोडीग’ ची स्थापना केली. परंतु या बोडीगमध्ये फक्त ब्राम्हण मुलेच राहु लागल्याने शाहूंनी निरनिराळ्या जातीच्या लोकांसाठी वस्तीगृहे सुरु केली. ०१८ एप्रील १९०१ रोजी जैन, लिंगायत व मुस्लिम विद्याच्यांसाठी स्वतंत्र्य वस्तीगृहे शाहु महाराजांनी स्थापन केली.

०२ जुन १९०२ रोजी शाहू महाराज हे इंग्लंडच्या ०७ व्या एडवर्ड च्या राज्यरोहन संमारंभासाठी इंग्लंडला गेले होते. या कार्यक्रमाचे वेळी केंब्रिज विद्यापीठाने शाहु महाराजांना LLD ही पदवी बहाल केली.

छत्रपती शाहू महाराज महत्वाचे

१९०२ साली शाहू महाराजांनी “पाटबंधारे धोरण” घोषीत केले.

२६ जुलै १९०२ रोजी शाहू महाराजांनी कोल्हापुर संस्थानातील मागासवगीय लोकांसाठी ५० टक्के जागा राखीव / आरक्षीत ठेवल्या. आरक्षण बाबतचा हा जाहीरनामा ‘करवीर गैजेट” मधुन प्रकाशित करण्यात आला होता.

१९०५ साली शाहू महाराजांनी राजोपाध्याय यांची इनामें जप्त केली व छात्र जगतगुरुचे नवे पीठ निर्माण करुन मराठा जातीच्या “सदाशिव बेनाडीकर” यांची पीठाचे प्रमुख म्हणून नेमणुक करण्यात आली.

तसेच संस्थान मध्ये निरनिराळ्या जातीचे पुरोहीत निर्माण करण्याकरीता “पुरोहीत शाळा” निर्माण केल्या.

१९०६ मध्ये शाहु महाराजांनी “छत्रपती शाहू स्पिनींग व जिनींग मिल” स्थापन केली. (२००३ मध्ये महाराष्ट्र शासनाने ही मिल बंद केली आहे) 0 १९०६ साली शाहु महाराजांनी कोल्हापूर संस्थानात “रात्रशाळा” सुरु केल्या. तर १९०७ साली शाहु महाराजांनी मुलींसाठी रात्रशाळा सुरु केल्या.

१९०७ साली कोल्हापुरच्या पश्चिमेस ५५ किमी अंतरावर दाजीपुर जवळ भोगावती नदीवर धरण बांधुन त्याच्या जलाशयास महाराणी लक्ष्मीबाई” हे नाव देण्यात आले. या धरणाचे काम सबनीस या इंजिनीअर कडुन करुन घेण्यात आले. याच धरणाशेजारी शाहू महाराजांच्या मुलीच्या नावावर “राधानगरी” हे गाव बसविण्यात आले.

१९०८ साली शाहु महाराजांनी अस्पृश्यांसाठी “मिस क्लार्क” हे वस्तीगृह स्थापन केले.

२० मे १९११ रोजी शाहु महाराजांनी संस्थानामार्फत विद्याथ्यांना १५ टक्के शिष्यवृत्तीची घोषणा केली.

प्रसिद्ध करुन संस्थानातील मागासवर्गीय १९११ साली शाहु महाराजानी शिंपी समाजाच्या मुलांसाठी “नामदेव वस्तीगृह” सुरु केले.

छत्रपती शाहू महाराज विशेषता

राजर्षी शाहू महाराजांना महर्षी विठ्ठल रामजी शिंदे यांनी ‘सर्वांगपूर्ण राष्ट्रपुरुष’ अशा शब्दांत यथार्थपणे गौरविलेले आहे.

👉"सामाजिक न्याय दिनानिमित्त आयोजित प्रश्नमंजुषा" सोडवण्यासाठी येथे क्लिक करा👈

Computer GK-1

MCQs on Jhansi Rani Lakshmibai

 1. What was the name of Rani Lakshmi Bai’s Husband?

a) Ganpathi Rao

b) Gangadhar Rao

c) Tantia Tope

d) Gangaputhra Rao

Answer b) Gangadhar Rao

2. Which among the following places is the birth place of Rani Lakshmi Bai?

a) Varanasi

b) Agra

c) Patna

d) Jhansi

Answer a) Varanasi

3. What was the name of Rani Laksmi Bai’s Father?

a) Bajirao Peshwa

b) Nana Sahib Peshwa

c) Moropant Tambe

d) Gangadhar Rao

Answer c) Moropant Tambe

4. What was the name of the son adopted by Rani Lakshmi Bai?

a) Gangadhar Rao

b) Gangapati Rao

c) Ganpathi Rao

d) Damodar Rao

Answer d) Damodar Rao

5. Along with Tatya Tope, Rani Laksmi Bai captured the fort of ________?

a) Gwalior

b) Agra

c) Meerut

d) Patna

Answer c) Meerut

6. Birth name of Rani Lakshmi Bai?

a) Avanti Bai

b) Manikarnika

c) Rudrama Devi

d) Abbakka

Answer b) Manikarnika

7. Who asked Rani Lakshmi Bai to surrender and leave the fort?

a) Tantia Tope

b) Hugh Rose

c) Tantia Tope

d) Lord Dalhousie

Answer b) Hugh Rose

8. Name the horses of Jhansi Ki Rani?

a) Sarangi, Patal, Badal

b) Sarangi, Pavan, Badal

c) Sarangi, Patal, Ravi

d) Sarangi, Ravi, Patal

Answer b) Sarangi, Pavan, Badal

9. In which year did Rani Lakshmi Bai died?

a) 1946

b) 1858

c) 1850

d) 1853

Answer b) 1858

10. In which year King Gangadhar Rao died?

a) 1875

b) 1853

c) 1850

d) 1890

Answer c) 1850

11. Name the queen who ordered Britishers to attack Jhansi and kill Lakshmibai?

a) Queen Elizabeth I

b) Queen Elizabeth II

c) Zara Philips

d) Queen Victoria

Answer d) Queen Victoria

12. What is the name the adopted son of Lakshmibai?

a) Damodar Rao

b) Anand Rao

c) Ganapat Rao

d) Gangadhar Rao

Answer b) Anand Rao

13. What is the famous poem written by Subhadra Kumari Chauhan about Lakshmibai?

a) Jhansi ki Devi

b) Jhansi ki rani

c) Manikarnika

d) Rebel queen

Answer b) Jhansi Ki Rani

14. How much annual pension did East India Company offer Rani Lakshmibai to leave the Jhansi fort?

a) 60,000

b) 50,000

c) 70,000

d) 80,000

Answer a) 60000

15. Where did Rani Lakshmibai died?

a) Jaipur

b) Varanasi

c) Gwalior

d) Mangalore

Answer c) Gwalior

16. The Rani Jhansi Marine National Park is located in _________

a) Maharashtra

b) Uttar Pradesh

c) Andaman and Nicobar Islands

d) West Bengal

Answer c) Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi

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 Jhansi Rani Lakshmibai – Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi was the queen of the princely state of Jhansi in North India currently present in Jhansi district in Uttar Pradesh, India. The peshwa called her “Chhabili”, which means “playful”. She was educated at home and was more independent in her childhood than others of her age; her studies included shooting, horsemanship, fencing. The Rani Mahal, the palace of Rani Lakshmibai, has now been converted into a museum. It houses a collection of archaeological remains of the period between the 9th and 12th centuries AD.

Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi (19 November 1828 — 18 June 1858), was an Indian queen of the Maratha princely state of Jhansi in North India (present-day Jhansi district in Uttar Pradesh, India). She was one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and became a symbol of resistance to the British Raj for Indian nationalists.

Early life

Rani Lakshmibai was born on 19 November 1828 in the town of Varanasi into a Marathi Karhade Brahmin family. She was named Manikarnika Tambe and was nicknamed Manu. Her father was Moropant Tambe and her mother Bhagirathi Sapre (Bhagirathi Bai). Her parents came from Maharashtra. Her mother died when she was four years old. Her father was the Commander of the war of Kalyanpranth. Her father worked for Peshwa Baji Rao II of Bithoor district. The Peshwa called her "Chhabili", which means "playful". She was educated at home, able to read and write, and was more independent in her childhood than others of her age; her studies included shooting, horsemanship, fencing and mallakhamba with her childhood friends Nana Sahib and Tatya Tope. Rani Lakshmibai contrasted many of the patriarchal cultural expectations for women in India's society at this time.

Rani Lakshmibai was accustomed to riding on horseback accompanied by escorts between the palace and the temple, although sometimes she was carried in a palanquin. Her horses included Sarangi, Pavan and Baadal; according to historians she rode Baadal when escaping from the fort in 1858. Her palace, the Rani Mahal, has now been converted into a museum. It houses a collection of archaeological remains of the period between the 9th and 12th centuries AD.

History of Jhansi, 1842 - May 1857

Manikarnika was married to the Maharaja of Jhansi, Gangadhar Rao Newalkar, in May 1842 and was afterwards called Lakshmibai (or Laxmibai) in honour of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi and according to the Maharashtrian tradition of women being given a new name after marriage. In September 1851, she gave birth to a boy, later named Damodar Rao, who died four months after birth. The Maharaja adopted a child called Anand Rao, the son of Gangadhar Rao's cousin, who was renamed Damodar Rao, on the day before the Maharaja died. The adoption was in the presence of the British political officer who was given a letter from the Maharaja instructing that the child be treated with respect and that the government of Jhansi should be given to his widow for her lifetime.

After the death of the Maharaja in November 1853, because Damodar Rao (born Anand Rao) was an adopted son, the British East India Company, under Governor-General Lord Dalhousie, applied the Doctrine of Lapse, rejecting Damodar Rao's claim to the throne and annexing the state to its territories. When she was informed of this she cried out "Main apni Jhansi nahi doongi" (I shall not surrender my Jhansi). In March 1854, Rani Lakshmibai was given an annual pension of Rs. 60,000 and ordered to leave the palace and the fort.

According to Vishnu Bhatt Godse the Rani would exercise at weightlifting, wrestling and steeplechasing before breakfast. An intelligent and simply-dressed woman, she ruled in a business-like manner.

Indian Rebellion of 1857: Beginning of the Rebellion

On 10 May 1857 the Indian Rebellion started in Meerut. When news of the fighting reached Jhansi, the Rani asked the British political officer, Captain Alexander Skene, for permission to raise a body of armed men for her own protection; Skene agreed to this. The city was relatively calm in the midst of the regional unrest, but the Rani conducted a Haldi Kumkum ceremony with pomp in front of all the women of Jhansi to provide assurance to her subjects, in the summer of 1857 and to convince them that the British were cowards and not to be afraid of them.

Until this point, Lakshmibai was reluctant to rebel against the British. In June 1857, rebels of the 12th Bengal Native Infantry seized the Star Fort of Jhansi containing the treasure and magazine, and after persuading the British to lay down their arms by promising them no harm, broke their word and massacred 40 to 60 European officers of the garrison along with their wives and children. The Rani's involvement in this massacre is still a subject of debate. An army doctor, Thomas Lowe, wrote after the rebellion characterising her as the "Jezebel of India ... the young rani upon whose head rested the blood of the slain".

Four days after the massacre the sepoys left Jhansi, having obtained a large sum of money from the Rani, and having threatened to blow up the palace where she lived. Following this, as the only source of authority in the city the Rani felt obliged to assume the administration and wrote to Major Erskine, commissioner of the Saugor division explaining the events which had led her to do so. On 2 July, Erskine wrote in reply, requesting her to "manage the District for the British Government" until the arrival of a British Superintendent. The Rani's forces defeated an attempt by the mutineers to assert the claim to the throne of a rival prince Sadashiv Rao (nephew of Maharaja Gangadhar Rao) who was captured and imprisoned.

There was then an invasion of Jhansi by the forces of Company allies Orchha and Datia; their intention however was to divide Jhansi between themselves. The Rani appealed to the British for aid but it was now believed by the governor-general that she was responsible for the massacre and no reply was received. She set up a foundry to cast cannon to be used on the walls of the fort and assembled forces including some from former feudatories of Jhansi and elements of the mutineers which were able to defeat the invaders in August 1857. Her intention at this time was still to hold Jhansi on behalf of the British.

Siege of Jhansi

From August 1857 to January 1858 Jhansi under the Rani's rule was at peace. The British had announced that troops would be sent there to maintain control but the fact that none arrived strengthened the position of a party of her advisers who wanted independence from British rule. When the British forces finally arrived in March they found it well-defended and the fort had heavy guns which could fire over the town and nearby countryside. According to one source Hugh Rose, commanding the British forces, demanded the surrender of the city; if this was refused it would be destroyed. The same source claims that after due deliberation the Rani issued a proclamation: "We fight for independence. In the words of Lord Krishna, we will if we are victorious, enjoy the fruits of victory, if defeated and killed on the field of battle, we shall surely earn eternal glory and salvation." Other sources, for example, have no mention of a demand for surrender. She defended Jhansi against British troops when Sir Hugh Rose besieged Jhansi on 23 March 1858.

The bombardment of Jhansi began on 24 March but was met by heavy return fire and the damaged defences were repaired. The defenders sent appeals for help to Tatya Tope; an army of more than 20,000, headed by Tatya Tope, was sent to relieve Jhansi but they failed to do so when they fought the British on 31 March. During the battle with Tatya Tope's forces part of the British forces continued the siege and by 2 April it was decided to launch an assault by a breach in the walls. Four columns assaulted the defences at different points and those attempting to scale the walls came under heavy fire. Two other columns had already entered the city and were approaching the palace together. Determined resistance was encountered in every street and in every room of the palace. Street fighting continued into the following day and no quarter was given, even to women and children. "No maudlin clemency was to mark the fall of the city" wrote Thomas Lowe. The Rani withdrew from the palace to the fort and after taking counsel decided that since resistance in the city was useless she must leave and join either Tatya Tope or Rao Sahib (Nana Sahib's nephew).

According to tradition with Damodar Rao on her back she jumped on her horse Badal from the fort; they survived but the horse died. The Rani escaped in the night with her son, surrounded by guards. The escort included the warriors Khuda Bakhsh Basharat Ali (commandant), Gulam Gaus Khan, Dost Khan, Lala Bhau Bakshi, Moti Bai, Sunder-Mundar, Kashi Bai, Deewan Raghunath Singh and Deewan Jawahar Singh. She decamped to Kalpi with a few guards, where she joined additional rebel forces, including Tatya Tope. They occupied the town of Kalpi and prepared to defend it. On 22 May British forces attacked Kalpi; the forces were commanded by the Rani herself and were again defeated.

Flight to Gwalior

The leaders (the Rani of Jhansi, Tatya Tope, the Nawab of Banda, and Rao Sahib) fled once more. They came to Gwalior and joined the Indian forces who now held the city (Maharaja Scindia having fled to Agra from the battlefield at Morar). They moved on to Gwalior intending to occupy the strategic Gwalior Fort and the rebel forces occupied the city without opposition. The rebels proclaimed Nana Sahib as Peshwa of a revived Maratha dominion with Rao Sahib as his governor (subedar) in Gwalior. The Rani was unsuccessful in trying to persuade the other rebel leaders to prepare to defend Gwalior against a British attack which she expected would come soon. General Rose's forces took Morar on 16 June and then made a successful attack on the city.

Death and burial

On 17 June in Kotah-ki-Serai near the Phool Bagh of Gwalior, a squadron of the 8th (King's Royal Irish) Hussars, under Captain Heneage, fought the large Indian force commanded by Rani Lakshmibai, who was trying to leave the area. The 8th Hussars charged into the Indian force, slaughtering 5,000 Indian soldiers, including any Indian "over the age of 16". They took two guns and continued the charge right through the Phool Bagh encampment. In this engagement, according to an eyewitness account, Rani Lakshmibai put on a sowar's uniform and attacked one of the hussars; she was unhorsed and also wounded, probably by his sabre. Shortly afterwards, as she sat bleeding by the roadside, she recognized the soldier and fired at him with a pistol, whereupon he "dispatched the young lady with his carbine". According to another tradition Rani Lakshmibai, the Queen of Jhansi, dressed as a cavalry leader, was badly wounded; not wishing the British to capture her body, she told a hermit to burn it. After her death a few local people cremated her body.

The British captured the city of Gwalior after three days. In the British report of this battle, Hugh Rose commented that Rani Lakshmibai is "personable, clever and beautiful" and she is "the most dangerous of all Indian leaders". Rose reported that she had been buried "with great ceremony under a tamarind tree under the Rock of Gwalior, where I saw her bones and ashes".

Her tomb is in the Phool Bagh area of Gwalior. Twenty years after her death Colonel Malleson wrote in the History of the Indian Mutiny; vol. 3; London, 1878-

"Whatever her faults in British eyes may have been, her countrymen will ever remember that she was driven by ill-treatment into rebellion, and that she lived and died for her country, We cannot forget her contribution for India."

— Colonel Malleson

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Child Psychology and Pedagogy (MCQ)

 Child Psychology and Pedagogy Objective questions with answers (MCQ)

1. The most difficult age for the development of a child is

(a) Early childhood

(b) Teenage

(c) Young age

(d) Adult age

2. Heredity and atmosphere are correlating

(a) Companions

(b) Dependent

(c) Elders

(d) All of these

3. Which of the following factors comes in the way of girls’ personal rights?

(a) Social Recognition

(b) Family

(c) Gender Difference

(d) All of these

4. Which of the following is not an accepted stage in Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development?

(a) Interpersonal relations

(b) Individualism

(c) Social contract and social rights

(d) Universal principles

5. Which of the following is not considered a factor of cognition?

(a) Fear

(b) Retreat

(c) Anger

(d) Hunger

6. An ideal teacher should concentrate

(a) On teaching methods

(b) On the subject being taught

(c) On students and their behaviours

(d) On all of these

7. The motif of the concept of curricular flexibility is to benefit

(a) Disabled students

(b) Minority students

(c) Reserved castes

(d) All of these

8. Which of the following is not considered a tool for formative assessment

(a) Oral questions

(b) MCQ

(c) Assignments

(d) Projects

9. What do you understand by the term Peer Group?

(a) People of the same profession

(b) Friends and acquaintances

(c) Family members and relatives

(d) All of these

10. A problem child has

(a) Pampering guardians

(b) Hereditary problems

(c) IQ problems

(d) Physical problems

11. Absenteeism can be tackled by:

(a) teaching

(b) punishing the students

(c) giving the sweets

(d) contacting the parents

12. Discipline means:

(a) strict behaviour

(b) severe punishment

(c) obedience

(d) going by the rules

13. If any girl child does not come to school regularly you will

(a) no bother

(b) struck-off her name

(c) complain to the Principal

(d) meet the parents and encourage them.

14. In co-education you want to:

(a) make separate rows of boys and girls

(b) you give preference to boys over girls

(c) you. give preference to none

(d) you deal according to need

15. One of the basic principles of socializing Individuals is:

(a) religion

(b) caste

(c) educational

(d) imitation

Directions (16-20):

Which of the’ skills do you consider most essential for a teacher?

16. (a) Oration skills

(b) Listening skills

(c) Managerial skills

(d) Teaching skills

17. (a) encourage children to search for knowledge

(b) have all the information for the children

(c) ability to make children memorize materials

(d) enable children to do well in tests

18. (a) identify gifted children

(b) have an understanding of all children abilities

(c) identify children with learning disabilities

(d) none of the above

19. (a) ability to help children understand texts thoroughly

(b) ability to help children do all the exercises

(c) ability to raise possible actions from the texts

(d) ability to help children form their own opinions on the text

20. (a) to communicate well

(b) to use difficult language

(c) to impress students

(d) to read out the textbook

21. Success in developing values is mainly dependent upon:

(a) government

(b) society

(c) family

(d) teacher

22. Good reading aims at developing:

(a) understanding

(b) pronunciation

(c) sensitivity

(d) increasing factual knowledge

23. The primary duty of a teacher is to be responsible for his/her:

(a) family

(b) students

(c) society

(d) nation

24. Which of the following is not related to educational achievement?

(a) Heredity

(b) Experiences

(c) Practice

(d) Self-learning

25. One of the students of a class hardly talks in the class. How would you encourage him to express himself?

(a) By organizing discussions

(b) By encouraging children to take part in classroom activities

(c) By organizing educational games/programmes in which – children feel like speaking

(d) By giving good marks to those who express themselves well

26. The stage in which a child begins to think logically about objects and events is known as

(a) sensory-motor stage

(b) formal operational stage

(c) preoperational stage

(d) concrete operational stage

27. Four distinct stages of children’s intellectual development were identified by

(a) Kohlberg

(b) Erikson

(d) Skinner

(c) Piaget

28. Parents should play a ………….. role in the learning process of young children.

(a) negative

(b) proactive

(c) sympathetic

(d) neutral

29. Which is the place where the child’s cognitive development is defined in the best way?

(a) Playground

(b) School and classroom

(c) Auditorium

(d) Home

30. …….. is considered a sign of motivated teaching.

(a) Maximum attendance in class

(b) Remedial work is given by the teacher

(c) Questioning by students

(d) Pin drop silence in the class

31. At lower classes the play-way method of teaching is based on

(a) theory of physical education programmes

(b) principles of methods of teaching

(c) psychological principles of development and growth

(d) sociological principles of teaching

22. Dyslexia is associated with

(a) mental disorder

(b) mathematical disorder

(c) reading disorder

(d) behavioural disorder

23. Education of children with special needs should be provided

(a) along with other normal children

(b) by methods developed for special children, in special schools

(c) in a special school

(d) by special teachers in special schools

34. In the process of learning, motivation

(a) sharpens the memory of learners

(b) differentiates new learning from old learning

(c) makes learners think unidirectionally

(d) creates interest in learning among new learners.

35. A student of grade 5 with visual deficiency should be

(a) excused to do a lower level of work

(b) helped with his/her routine work by parents and friends

(c) treated normally in the classroom and provided support through audio CDs.

(d) given special treatment in the classroom

Right to Education Act

 

The Act is completely titled “the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act”. It was passed by the Parliament in August 2009. When the Act came into force in 2010, India became one among 135 countries where education is a fundamental right of every child.

The 86th Constitutional Amendment (2002) inserted Article 21A in the Indian Constitution which states:

“The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of 6 to 14 years in such manner as the State, may by law determine.”

As per this, the right to education was made a fundamental right and removed from the list of Directive Principles of State Policy.

The RTE is the consequential legislation envisaged under the 86th Amendment.

The article incorporates the word “free” in its title. What it means is that no child (other than those admitted by his/her parents in a school not supported by the government) is liable to pay any kind of fee or charges or expenses which may prevent him or her from pursuing and completing elementary education.

This Act makes it obligatory on the part of the government to ensure admission, attendance and completion of elementary education by all children falling in the age bracket six to fourteen years.

Essentially, this Act ensures free elementary education to all children in the economically weaker sections of society.

RTE Provisions

The provisions of the RTE Act are briefly described below. The Act provides for:

• The right of free and compulsory education to children until they complete their elementary education in a school in the neighborhood.
• The Act makes it clear that ‘compulsory education’ implies that it is an obligation on the part of the government to ensure the admission, attendance and completion of elementary education of children between the ages of six and fourteen. The word ‘free’ indicates that no charge is payable by the child which may prevent him/her from completing such education.
• The Act provides for the admission of a non-admitted child to a class of his/her appropriate age.
• It mentions the duties of the respective governments, the local authorities and parents in ensuring the education of a child. It also specifies the sharing of the financial burden between the central and the state governments.
• It specifies standards and norms for Pupil Teacher Ratios (PTR), infrastructure and buildings, working days of the school and for the teachers.
• It also says there should be no urban-rural imbalance in teacher postings. The Act also provides for the prohibition of the employment of teachers for non-educational work, other than census, elections and disaster relief work.
• The Act provides that the teachers appointed should be appropriately trained and qualified.

The Act prohibits:

• Mental harassment and physical punishment.
• Screening procedures for the admission of children.
• Capitation fees.
• Private tuition by the teachers.
• Running schools with no recognition.

The Act envisages that the curriculum should be developed in coherence with the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution, and that which would take care of the all-round development of the child. The curriculum should build on the knowledge of the child, on his/her potentiality and talents, help make the child free of trauma, fear and anxiety via a system that is both child-centric and child-friendly.

Significance of RTE

• With the passing of the Right to Education Act, India has moved to a rights-based approach towards implementing education for all. This Act casts a legal obligation on the state and central governments to execute the fundamental rights of a child (as per Article 21 A of the Constitution). 
• The Act lays down specific standards for the student-teacher ratio, which is a very important concept in providing quality education.
• It also talks about providing separate toilet facilities for girls and boys, having adequate standards for classroom conditions, drinking water facilities, etc.
• The stress on avoiding the urban-rural imbalance in teachers’ posting is important as there is a big gap in the quality and numbers regarding education in the villages compared to the urban areas in the country.
• The Act provides for zero tolerance against the harassment and discrimination of children. The prohibition of screening procedures for admission ensures that there would be no discrimination of children on the basis of caste, religion, gender, etc.
• The Act also mandates that no kid is detained until class 8. It introduced the Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) system in 2009 to have grade-appropriate learning outcomes in schools.
• The Act also provides for the formation of a School Management Committee (SMC) in every school in order to promote participatory democracy and governance in all elementary schools. These committees have the authority to monitor the school’s functioning and prepare developmental plans for it.
• The Act is justiciable and has a Grievance Redressal mechanism that permits people to take action when the provisions of the Act are not complied with.
• The RTE Act mandates for all private schools to reserve 25 per cent of their seats for children from socially disadvantaged and economically backward sections. This move is intended to boost social inclusion and pave the way for a more just and equal country.
• This provision is included in Section 12(1)(c) of the RTE Act. All schools (private, unaided, aided or special category) must reserve 25% of their seats at the entry-level for students from the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and disadvantaged groups.

When the rough version of the Act was drafted in 2005, there was a lot of outcry in the country against this large percentage of seats being reserved for the underprivileged. However, the framers of the draft stood their ground and were able to justify the 25% reservation in private schools.

This provision is a far-reaching move and perhaps the most important step in so far as inclusive education is concerned.

• This provision seeks to achieve social integration.
• The loss incurred by the schools as a result of this would be reimbursed by the central government.
• The Act has increased enrolment in the upper primary level (Class 6-8) between 2009 and 2016 by 19.4%.
• In rural areas, in 2016, only 3.3% of children in the 6 – 14 years bracket were out of school.

Criticism of RTE Act

Even though the RTE Act is a step in the right direction towards the achievement of making education truly free and compulsory in India, it has met with several criticisms. Some of the criticisms are given below:

1. The Act was drafted hastily without much thought or consultation being given to the quality of education imparted.
2. Children below 6 years are not covered under the Act.
3. Many of the schemes under the Act have been compared to the previous schemes on education such as the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, and have been plagued with corruption charges and inefficiency.
4. At the time of admissions, many documents such as birth certificate, BPL certificate, etc. are required. This move seems to have left out orphans from being beneficiaries of the Act.
5. There have been implementational hurdles in the 25% reservation of seats for EWS and others in private schools. Some of the challenges in this regard are discriminatory behaviour towards parents and difficulties experienced by students to fit in with a different socio-cultural milieu.
6. Regarding the ‘no detention’ policy till class 8, an amendment to the Act in 2019, introduced regular annual exams in classes 5 and 8. 
7. In case a student fails in the annual exam, he/she is given extra training and made to appear for a re-exam. If this re-exam is not passed, the student can be detained in the class. 
8. This amendment was made after many states complained that without regular exams, the learning levels of children could not be evaluated effectively. 
9. The states which were against this amendment were six states with higher learning outcomes due to their effective implementation of the CCE system as mandated in the Act. (The six states were Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Telangana and Maharashtra.)
10. It has been found that many states find it difficult to move to the CCE system of assessment. This is chiefly due to a lack of teachers’ training and orientation.
11. Another criticism levelled against the Act is that instead of increasing the standards and outcomes of the public education system in India, it passes the buck to private schools with some respect.

Making the right to education a fundamental right took more than 6 decades after independence. Now, the government and all stakeholders should focus on the quality of education, and gradually move towards having a single educational system and platform across the country for all sections of society in order to foster equality, inclusion, and unity.

What are the basic features of Right to Education Act?

Some of the basic features of the RTE are:

1. Free and compulsory education for all children in the age group 6 to 14.
2. There will not be any detention or examination until elementary education is completed. However, there has been an amendment to this (as mentioned above in the criticisms of the Act).
3. This makes providing education a legal obligation of the governments.
4. It also makes it mandatory for all private schools to reserve 25% of their seats for the EWS and disadvantaged groups.

What is the age limit for RTE?

All children between the ages of 6 and 14 have the right to free education under the provisions of the Act.

What is Article 21 of the Constitution?

Article 21 deals with the right to life and personal liberty. It is a fundamental right. 

What is the importance of the right to education?

Education is a significant step to achieving all other basic human rights. Education can help decrease poverty, reduce social inequalities, empower women and others marginalized, bring down discrimination and finally help individuals live life to their fullest potentials. It helps improve access to opportunities for a better life in terms of employment and business. It can also bring about peace and overall prosperity to a region. Therefore, education is one of the most important rights.