Distinguished Women of Past and Present First Page Name Index Subject Index Related Sites Search Lakshmi Bai (c.1830-1858) Lakshmi Bai, the Rani of a principality called Jhansi in northern India, led an uprising against a takeover of her homeland by the British. She became a heroine and a symbol of resistance to the British rule. Lakshmi Bai was born around 1830 into a wealthy, high-caste family.