Lakshmibai Newalkar, the Rani of Jhansi (pronunciationⓘ; born Manikarnika Tambe; 19 November 1828 — 18 June 1858),[1][2] was the Maharani consort of the princely state of Jhansi in the Maratha Empire from 1843 to 1853 by marriage to Maharaja Gangadhar Rao Newalkar. She was one of the leading figures in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, who became a national hero and symbol of resistance to the British rule in India for Indian nationalists.