Fact Check: Viral Image Misidentified As Freedom Fighter Rani Laxmibai; Features An Unknown Woman

New Delhi (Vishvas News). A photo of a woman is going viral on social media with the claim that this image is of freedom fighter Rani Laxmibai and it was clicked 159 years ago by photographer Hoffman. The post further claims that  this photo was showcased at the World Photography Program in Bhopal on August 19 2024.

Vishvas News investigated and found this claim to be false. According to historians, the viral photo is not of Rani Laxmibai.

What is going viral?

On November 1, 2024, Facebook user ‘Salam India’ (Archive) shared the viral picture with the caption, “This is the real photo of Rani of Jhansi. It was taken 159 years ago by British photographer Hoffman and displayed at the World Photography Exhibition held in Bhopal on August 19 2024. A like is a must.”

Investigation

To verify the authenticity of the viral claim, we conducted a Google search using relevant keywords and found the oldest post shared in 2010. The image was widely shared by users on Facebook (Archive) back in 2010.

We found the same photo on an Instagram account named ‘apexfactsofficial’(Archive). On looking at the photo, it appeared noticeably clear and modern and the woman seemed to be camera-friendly, raising doubts about the claim. Using the Google reverse image search, we could not find any information supporting  the claim.

During our investigation, we found a related report on India Today’s website, published on June 25, 2010, addressing the controversy surrounding Rani Lakshmibai’s alleged picture. The report includes statements of many historians who have done extensive research and written about her. Amresh Mishra, author of ‘War of Civilization: India AD 1857’, stated, “I have never heard of any picture of the queen of Jhansi. She has appeared only in paintings and artistic impressions.” Similarly, historian Mahmood Farooqui pointed out that photography was not so common in the 1850s, making it difficult for the queen’s authentic picture to exist.

During our investigation, we also found a report on the BBC website published on November 11, 2017, discussing the ongoing controversy regarding the alleged photograph of Rani Lakshmibai.

In our search, we came across the book ‘Wanderings in India‘, written by Rani Lakshmibai’s lawyer and Australian journalist John Lang on Google Books. The book describes Rani Lakshmibai’s appearance and personality,  which differs significantly from the viral picture. Our investigation so far indicates that controversies have often arisen regarding Rani Lakshmibai’s picture, but, certainly, the viral picture is not hers.

On the Metmuseum’s website, we found a report related to the history of photography. According to the information available, photography was in its initial stages in 1850, with constant advancements being made to improve cameras and photographic techniques. In such a situation, clicking such a clear and high-quality photo would have been impossible at that time.

We contacted Mukund Mehrotra, a historian from Jhansi and a researcher on Rani Lakshmibai, who confirmed that the viral claim is false. He explains that the historical descriptions of Rani Lakshmibai portrey her quite differently; she used to wear a turban and wear plain clothes and dress simply. This photo, which has been viral with a false claim for years, does not resemble Rani Lakshmibai.

Lastly, we scanned the account of the user who shared the photo with the misleading claim and found that the user has around one million followers.