Kittur Chennamma
| Rani Chennamma | |
|---|---|
Statue of Rani Chennamma in Bengaluru | |
| Queen regent of Kittur | |
| Regency | 1816–1824 |
| Predecessor | Mallasarja (as King) |
| Successor | Monarchy abolished |
| Monarch | Shivalingarudra Sarja (1816–1824) Shivalingappa (1824) |
| Born | Chennamma 14 November 1778 Kakati, Belagavi District, present day Karnataka, India |
| Died | 21 February 1829 (aged 50) Bailhongal, Bombay Presidency, Company Raj |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | Mallasarja |
| Father | Dhulappa Desai |
| Mother | Padmavati |
| Religion | Jainism (by birth) Lingayat-Shavite Hinduism (possibly by marriage) |
Chennamma of Kittur (14 November 1778 – 21 February 1829) was the Queen of the princely state of Kittur in present-day Karnataka. She led a rebellious armed resistance against the British East India Company, in order to retain control over her dominion. She defeated the British army in the first war, but died as a prisoner after her second rebellion. As one of the first and few female rulers to lead kittur forces against British colonisation, she continues to be remembered as a folk heroine in Karnataka.