4 Women Warriors Who You Might Not Know

Almost every one knows about the great queen, Rani Laxmi Bai who left no stone unturned to drive away the British in 1857. However, she was not the only one who rose against the British and nor was she the only woman to have done so. There were many more women who haven't been mentioned in the history books of our schools. We shall try to look at the contribution of four of such women in this post.

Rani Avantibai

After the death of her husband, the British forced Rani Avantibai, to give up her kingdom. She was also not given the power to rule as there was no legal heir to the kingdom. She was stripped off her title and forced to live on a meagre pension. It was at that time that Rani Avantibai started organising an army to fight the Britishers and increased hatred for them amid her troops by shedding light on their wrongdoings. During the revolt of 1857, she successfully attacked the Britishers and gained control of her several territories. But her rule did not last longer than four months. The Britishers were set to regain control with her efforts of reorganising her army failing miserably. She died a tragic death. In order to save her honour and avoid being captured, she stabbed herself with her own sword.

Rani Velu Nachiyar

Rani Velu Nachiyar was considered to be the first woman of Tamil origin to challenge the British Empire. Her husband, the King was assassinated by the Britishers. She then sought refuge and protection of Haider Ali, and successfully made allies under his wing. Rani Velu was credited with building the first human bomb and forming an all-women’s army as early as 1780. She successful quashed the British and recaptured her kingdom and ruled over it for over 10 years before her death.

Jhalkari Bai

Marking the participation of viranganas in the Indian rebellion, Jhalkari Bai led the Durga Dal which was the women's brigade of Jhansi. While her husband was a soldier in the Jhansi army, Jhalkari Bai was skilled in archery and swordplay. She had an uncanny resemblance to Rani Lakshmibai, which she used to trick the British. She successfully took the command of the army and helped the real Queen Lakshmibai escape. The British discovered her true identity only after imprisoning her. She was later released and lived till 1890. Jhalkari Bai and the Durga Dal are some of the strongest women figures because they decided to not wait on the side lines or embrace widowhood, but arm themselves up and assert their power.

Begum Hazrat Mahal

In the Revolt of 1857, popularly termed by many people as the first war of Independence, Begum Hazrat Mahal declared war against the British East India Company. With the support of Raja Jailal Singh, she regained Lucknow and declared her 14-year-old son, Prince Birjis Qadr as the ruler of Oudh. But his rule did not last for long, as the British re-captured Lucknow and most parts of Oudh. The Begum was dictated to retreat. She went to many kings for asylum but was denied by all, hence she went to Nepal where she breathed her last in 1879.