Damodar Rao of Jhansi

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Damodar Rao (born as Anand Rao) (15 November 1849 – 28 May 1906) was the adopted son of Maharaja Gangadhar Rao and Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi State. Born as Anand Rao to Vasudev Rao Newalkar in 15 November 1849 Parola Fort, Jalgaon, Maharashtra. Vasudev Rao a cousin of Raja Gangadhar Rao, he was adopted by the maharaja after his own son died. The adoption of Anand Rao, who was renamed Damodar Rao, occurred on the day before the Maharaja died. The adoption was in the presence of the British political officer who was given a letter from the Maharaja instructing that the child be treated with respect and that the government of Jhansi should be given to his widow for her lifetime. After the death of the Maharaja in 21 November 1853, because Damodar Rao (born Anand Rao) was adopted, the British East India Company, under Governor-General Lord Dalhousie, applied the Doctrine of Lapse, rejecting Damodar Rao's claim to the throne and annexing the state to its territories. When she was informed of this...

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