The ancestors of Maharaj Gangadhar Rao hailed from a
Brahmin family He was an able administrator and he improved the financial condition of Jhansi, which had deteriorated during his predecessor's rule. He took corrective steps to ensure the growth and development of the town of Jhansi. He controlled an army of around 5,000 men. He possessed wisdom, diplomacy, and was a lover of art and culture; even the British were impressed by his statesmanlike qualities. Maharaj Gangadhar Rao possessed considerable taste and some scholarship; he collected a fine library of Sanskrit manuscripts and enriched the architecture of the town of Jhansi. He was first married to Ramabai, who died soon after. She never became queen consort of Jhansi as Maharaj Gangadhar Rao started to hold the title of Raja (King) in 1843, after Maharani Ramabai's death. On 19 May 1842, Maharaja Gangadhar Rao married a young girl named Manikarnika Tambe, later renamed as
Lakshmibai, who was directly given the title of Rani (Queen Consort) after marriage. She eventually became the Queen of Jhansi and revolted against the British during the
Indian Rebellion of 1857. ==See also==