Rani Avantibai Lodhi
Rani Avantibai Lodhi (died March 20, 1858) was the wife of Vikramaditya Singh, the ruler of the Indian state of Ramgarh. When he died, leaving his wife with no heir, the British placed Ramgarh under their administration. Avantibai vowed to fight the British to regain her land and her throne. She raised an army of four thousand and personally led it against the British in 1857. When, after a few months' struggle, she saw that her defeat was imminent, she killed herself with her own sword.
Great lady . To day we have thieves and thugs,cheats and crooks ruling the nation at every corner.
ReplyDeletei salute you mam
ReplyDeleteI am studying in TISS Mumbai and researching on Lodhi women's status today. There is a recent PHd on Lodhis by Dr BL Lodhi from Allahabad University.
ReplyDeleteWe are an indigenous tribe who has been living along the north indian rivers. We are a sub-caste of Nishad and it is somewhere in central Uttar Pradesh when the distinction happens. The Nishads to the west of it are all Lodhs while there are very few lodhs in the east except for the Lodhas of west bengal. There anthropology by PK Bhowmick too clearly indicates a common linkage. the Lodhs of MP, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh are all migrants from the north.
The word Rajput or Kshatriya was added in 1932 in a Lodh Mahasabha. My maternal grandfather Shri Nathu Singh was leading the organisation for a long time.
We have mostly lived in single community villages that have resisted Brahminism/ Hinduism for long. Many of the customs followed in Lodhi households are still tribal. I recently studied my own village in Bulandshahr district, Nayabas Kutubpur and can clearly make out that there is no significance of mainstream Hindu Gods in the daily lives of the villages. They worship pathiyari and chamad maiya (just stones) and worship bawani and go to nagar kot for a pilgrimage which is a shakti peeth. (all shakti peeth are related to indigenous tribes and later assimilated into hinduism through stories)
While most of the recently assimilated tribals are assert their tribal identity, our community seems to have fallen in the trap of brahmins. Hinduism is the worst religion because of its caste system. Our egalitarian society is slowly turning brahminical which will impact the progress of women, affecting the society as a whole.
I see our growth and progress in freeing ourselves from the clutches of brahminism.
I know many of us do not wish to listen to the truth because the glorification of our heroes and through assimilation of some of our culture by Hinduism. you will surprised that this assimilation is not more than 200-300 year old. I am willing to engage in further conversation if you are willing to look more deeply into the rituals and customs in your family and village 200-300 years back and share details.
Warm Regards,
Amita
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