Kittur Queen Chennamma is remembered for leading an armed resistance against the British East India Company in 1824, long before the Revolt of 1857. The rebellion began after the Company refused to recognise her adopted son, Shivalingappa, as the rightful heir to Kittur in present-day Karnataka. When British forces moved towards Kittur in October 1824, Chennamma and her soldiers put up fierce resistance. British political agent St John Thackeray was killed during the battle, marking a significant setback for the Company. The British later returned with larger forces and captured Kittur after a prolonged siege. Chennamma was imprisoned at Bailhongal Fort, where she died in 1829. Her commander Sangolli Rayanna continued the resistance through guerrilla warfare before being captured and executed in 1831.The Kittur rebellion remains an important chapter in Karnataka’s history and highlights that resistance to British expansion began well before 1857.
Kittur Queen Chennamma: The Rebellion Before 1857
