The Forgotten Story of Rani Lakshmibai’s Adopted Son, Damodar Rao

History often remembers its heroes in singular frames. A lone queen on horseback, sword raised, riding into legend. What it frequently forgets are the quieter lives that followed the thunder of cannons and rebellion. One such life is that of Damodar Rao, the adopted son of Rani Lakshmibai, a child whose fate altered the course of Jhansi’s history, and whose adulthood unfolded in obscurity, shaped by loss, resilience and relentless petitioning. While Rani Lakshmibai has rightly earned her place as an immortal symbol of resistance during the 1857 uprising, Damodar Rao’s story remains tucked away in footnotes. Yet without him, the annexation of Jhansi may never have occurred in the way it did. His adoption challenged British authority, triggered

the application of the Doctrine of Lapse, and set the stage for one of the fiercest rebellions against colonial rule. Ironically, the boy for whom a kingdom was denied lived long enough to watch the Empire settle into power, while he himself survived on a pension and memories. This is not the story of battlefield glory. It is the story of what happens after legends die.

Born Anand Rao: A Child at the Centre of a Kingdom’s Fate

Damodar Rao was born Anand Rao on 15 November 1849 at Parola Fort in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, to Vasudev Rao Newalkar, a relative of the Jhansi royal family. His early life was unremarkable until tragedy struck the palace of Jhansi. Maharaja Gangadhar Rao and Rani Lakshmibai lost their biological son at a very young age, leaving the dynasty without a male heir. In November 1853, just a day before the Maharaja’s death, Anand Rao was formally adopted and renamed Damodar Rao. The adoption took place in the presence of a British political officer. A letter was issued by the dying ruler, requesting that the child be treated with respect and that governance of Jhansi be entrusted to the Rani during her lifetime. The letter, however, did not save the kingdom.

Doctrine of Lapse: How an Empire Erased a Child’s Claim

The British East India Company, under Governor-General Lord Dalhousie, refused to recognise the adoption. Citing the Doctrine of Lapse, they declared Jhansi annexed. Damodar Rao, still a toddler, was deemed legally irrelevant. When informed of the decision, Rani Lakshmibai is believed to have uttered the line that would echo through Indian history: “Mai apni Jhansi kabhi nahi doongi.” In March 1854, she was stripped of power, granted an annual pension of Rs 60,000, and ordered to vacate the palace and fort. Damodar Rao grew up witnessing dispossession before he could even understand inheritance. Trivia: The Doctrine of Lapse was used to annex several princely states, but Jhansi became its most emotionally charged example because of the visible presence of a living heir.

The Siege of Jhansi and a Legendary Escape

When rebellion erupted in 1857, Jhansi became one of its fiercest theatres. British forces laid siege to the fort in March 1858. Rani Lakshmibai led the defence personally, refusing evacuation offers that demanded surrender. As the fort fell, legend took over history. According to popular accounts, the Rani tied young Damodar Rao to her back and leapt from the fort on horseback, escaping under cover of darkness. The horse did not survive the ordeal; the mother and child did. More measured historical accounts suggest a night-time escape surrounded by loyal guards, but the symbolism remains unchanged: a queen choosing exile and danger over submission, carrying the living reminder of a denied throne.

From Kalpi to Gwalior: War Without a Kingdom

After escaping Jhansi, Rani Lakshmibai joined forces with Tatya Tope and other rebel leaders. Damodar Rao moved with the camps, exposed to hunger, flight and the constant threat of capture. The final stand came at Gwalior. On 17 June 1858, at Kotah ki Sarai, Rani Lakshmibai was killed in battle. Damodar Rao survived. At barely nine years old, he had lost his mother, his kingdom, and the rebellion that defined his childhood.

Life in the Forests: Survival After Defeat

Following the Rani’s death, Damodar Rao fled with around sixty retainers. British reprisals were swift and brutal. Villagers across Bundelkhand were terrified to offer shelter. The group survived in forests, enduring hunger and disease. Eventually, help came through old confidants. With intervention from Raja Pratapsinh of Jhalrapatan and negotiations led by trusted aides, the British agreed to pardon the boy. Surrender, for Damodar Rao, was not betrayal. It was survival.

A Prince Under Surveillance: Life in Indore

Damodar Rao was sent to Indore and placed under British guardianship. Sir Richard Shakespeare, the local political agent, arranged his education under a Kashmiri tutor, Munshi Dharmanarayan. He was taught Urdu, English and Marathi. He was allowed only seven followers. All others were dismissed. His annual pension was fixed at Rs 10,000, later reduced in practical disbursement. He lived in a Residency-provided house, watched closely but largely ignored. Despite repeated petitions, his claim to Jhansi was never reconsidered, even after the British Crown replaced Company rule.

Marriage, Photography and a Quiet Identity

Damodar Rao married twice; his first wife died young. His second marriage was into the Shivre family. In 1904, he had a son, Lakshman Rao. One of the lesser-known aspects of his life was his passion for photography, a rare hobby in late 19th-century India. Surviving references suggest he documented people and places around him, perhaps attempting to preserve what history refused to record officially. He adopted the surname “Jhansiwale”, a quiet assertion of identity in a world that denied him lineage.

Death Without a Throne, But Not Without Legacy

Damodar Rao died on 28 May 1906 at the age of 58. He was survived by his son, and today, descendants bearing the Jhansiwale name continue to live with this inherited history. He never ruled. He never reclaimed Jhansi. Yet his existence altered history irrevocably.