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Firaxis Games has released a trailer for the latest addition to Civilization VII.
In this new trailer, they just revealed Lakshmibai, the ruler of Jhansi who became a symbol of rebellion against the British, and eventually, Indian independence.
The Real Life Lakshmibai
The historical Lakshmibai was a key figure in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and one who directly came into conflict with the British East India Company.
She was queen consert to the Jhansi’s raja, Gangadhar Rao, and the two adopted a son named Damodar Rao. When Gangadhar died, the British did not recognize Damodar’s succession.
Ignoring the new Lakshmibai’s protests, they annexed Jhansi citing their Doctrine of Lapse. And this set the stage for what was to happen next.
In May 1857, Indian soldiers successfully mutiniedin Jhansi, allowing the new Rani Lakshmibai to ascend as the new ruler. Lakshmibai would join the rebellion, eventually dying in glory near the city of Gwalior.
In the succeeding years, especially after India properly became independent, Lakshmibai emerged as a national hero for her actions.
Why Lakshmibai Made It To Civilization
Sid Meier’s first Civilization from 1991 is famous for casting Mahatma Gandhi as one of the playable world leaders. Although he was a famous pacifist, they humorously wrote him as a power hungry leader willing to use nuclear weapons.
With Lakshmibai, Firaxis can tell the story of a different kind of Indian leader, one who hews closer to the nation’s pre-modern history. And her story can connect the game’s version of India to what it was before British colonization.
And really, this was a version of India that wasn’t dominated by a monoculture. Instead, there was a true multicultural panoply in what is one of the largest land masses in the world. Jhansi was only one of many principalities and states that often had their own peoples, cultures, and traditions, in what is now modern India.
If anything, Civilization VII’s Philippine representative Jose Rizal is closer in personality and history to Gandhi than Lakshmibai is. Rizal and France’s Marie Curie would better represent states that hew closer to modern notions of nation states.
Firaxis has shared a preview so players can see what Lakshmibai can offer players when she comes in.
Lakshmibai is joining Genghis Khan in the Right to Rule Collection DLC. This also includes the cities of Assyria, Dai Viet, Qajar, Silla, four new Wonders, and 1 badge cosmetic.
Firaxis has not yet announced the official release date, but it is scheduled to release this month. You can watch Lakshmibai’s official trailer below.
