Women warriors of subcontinent

[divya]

Raziya Sultan​

¤ The First Women Who Ruled India

Altamash was the first king to appoint a woman as his official successor. However, the Turk nobility was not going to have any of this liberal stuff and after Altamash’s death his eldest son Rukn-ud-din Feroze Shah was raised to the throne. Soon it became apparent why Altamash had chosen his daughter above his many sons. Rukn-ud-din left all the hard work of governing to his scheming mother Shah Turkaan and whiled away his time with nautch girls. When not smoking opium, he could be found riding an elephant on the streets of Delhi, scattering gold coins to all and sundry. Unfortunately for him Shah Turkaan used her position to avenge all real and supposed insults handed to her in the days when she was a handmaid (before Altamash married her). Very soon rebellion occurred from all sides and the upshot of it all was that Shah Turkaan and Rukn-ud-din were put to death. He had lasted precisely six months and seven days.

Now the nobility turned to Sultana Raziya, the successor Altamash had selected. Raziya Sultan is a much-romanticized figure in Indian history. As late as three centuries later, the legal aspect of her accession was still a matter of heated theological debate. of course, what makes her more interesting was that she had an affair with her Assyrian slave, Yakut.


¤ Raziya Proved To Be A Capable Ruler

By all accounts Raziya vindicated her father’s faith in her. She was a very shrewd ruler, and for all her feminine beauty an autocrat who kept the nobility in their place. The army and the people of Delhi were solidly behind the queen. She needed all the support she could get for many of her most powerful governors were in revolt against her. It was in tackling them that Raziya gave evidence of her immense sagacity. She played such a skilful game of political intrigue that very soon the rebels were fighting each other. On the military front, she defeated one of their principal leaders Wazir Muhammad Junaidi so convincingly that he retired from active politics. Soon she was successful in winning over most of the remaining nobles to her side.


¤ Sultana's Unacceptable Love

In hindsight it seems that nothing could have stopped Raziya from becoming one of the most accomplished rulers of the Delhi Sultanate. Except love. What undid her was her relationship with Yakut. Though it happened behind many veils and doors, their relationship was no secret in the Delhi court. The thought of a woman of pure Turkish descent consorting with an Assyrian slave must have been poison for the insular Turkish Maliks.

The governor of Lahore was the first to react but Raziya sharply put him in his place. Hot on his heels came a more serious threat in the shape of Malik Ikhtiar-ud-din Altunia, the governor of Bhatinda, who refused to accept Raziya’s suzerainty. The story goes that Altunia and Raziya were childhood friends. As they grew up together, he fell in love with Raziya and the rebellion was simply a way of getting back at Raziya for preferring a slave.


¤ The Love Tragedy

Tragedy followed swiftly. Yaqut was murdered and Altunia imprisoned Raziya. To save her own head, Raziya sensibly decided to marry him. While all of this was happening, Raziya’s brother Bahram had been named Sultan in Delhi. Raziya marched with her husband towards Delhi but to no avail. On October 13, 1240, she was defeated by Bahram and the unfortunate couple was put to death the very next day.

Raziya’s reign was followed by Bahram Shah (1240-42), Ala-ud-din Masud Shah (1242-1246) and Nasir-ud-din Mahmud (1246-66). However skipping these virtual unknowns let’s come to the next Sultan who mattered in the scheme of things.

Accounts by court flatterers would have us believe that Nasir-ud-din Mahmud was a very pious, simple and modest man. Don’t believe a word of this – just a cover up for his vacillating, indecisive and unassertive ways. Court politics and intrigue continued unabated. Clearly the need of the hour was a king of blood and iron. By a happy coincidence Delhi got one rather quickly.

---------- Post added at 11:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:02 AM ----------

Rani Lakshmi Bai


Rani Lakshmibai was one of the leading warriors of the India's first struggle of independence. She is a symbol of bravery, patriotism and honor. She was born on 19th November, 1835 at Poona. Her father Moropant Tabme was a court advisor, and mother Bhagirathi was a scholarly woman. At a very early age she lost her mother. Her father raised her in an unconventional way and supported her to learn to ride elephants and horses and also to use weapons effectively. She grew up with Nana Sahib and Tatya Tope, who were active participants in the first revolt of independence.

In 1842, Rani Lakshmibai was married to Raja Gangadhar Rao who was the Maharaja of Jhansi. After the marriage to Gangadhar Rao she was called Lakshmi Bai. In 1851, she gave birth to a son but unfortunately he died in his fourth month. After this tragic incident, Damodar Rao was adopted by Maharaja of Jhansi as his son. Moved by the death of his son and his poor health, Maharaja Gangadhar Rao also died on 21st November 1853. When the Maharaja died, Rani Lakshmi Bai was just eighteen years old, but she didn't lose her courage and took up her responsibility.

Lord Dalhousie, the Governor -General of India at that time, was a very shrewd person who tried to take advantage of the misfortune of Jhansi to expand the British Empire. The British rulers did not accept little Damodar Rao, as the legal heir of late Maharaja Gangadhar Rao and Rani Lakshmi Bai. Their plan was to annexe Jhansi on the ground that it did not have any legal heir. In March 1854 Rani of Jhansi was granted an annual pension of 60,000 and was ordered to leave the Jhansi fort. She was firm on the decision not to give up the dominion of Jhansi to Britishers.

For strengthening the defense of Jhansi Rani Lakshmibai assembled an army of rebellions, which also included women. For this great cause she was supported by brave warriors like Gulam Gaus Khan, Dost Khan, Khuda Baksh, Sunder-Mundar, Kashi Bai, Lala Bhau Bakshi, Moti Bai, Deewan Raghunath singh and Deewan Jawahar Singh. She assembled 14,000 rebels and organized an army for the defense of the city.

In March 1858, when the Britishers attacked Jhansi, Rani Lakshmibai's army decided to fight and the war continued for about two weeks. The army fought very bravely, even though Jhansi lost to the British forces. After a fierce war when the British army entered Jhansi, Rani Lakshmi Bai, tied her son Damodar Rao to her back fought bravely using two swords with both her hands. She escaped to the fortress of Kalpi under the cover of darkness and was accompanied by many other rebellions. She departed to Gwalior and a fierce battle was fought between the British and the Rani's army. On the unfortunate day of 18th June of 1858, this great warrior martyred her life for India's freedom.

 

[divya]

Queen Vishpala (c. 7000 B.C.)​

Queen Vishpala's name and deeds come down to us via the Rigveda, an ancient Indian religious text. Vishpala was probably an actual historical figure, but that is difficult to prove 9,000 years later.

According to the Rigveda, Vishpala was an ally of the Ashvins, the twin horsemen-gods. The legend states that the queen lost her leg during a battle, and was given a prosthetic leg of iron so that she could return to the fight. Incidentally, this is the first known mention of someone being outfitted with a prosthetic limb, as well.

 

[bhagat]

Rani Rudrama Devi (Telugu: రాణి రుద్రమ దేవ&#3135 (CE 1259-1289) was one of the most prominent rulers of the Kakatiya dynasty on the Deccan Plateau, being one of the few ruling queens in Indian history. She was born, as Rudramba, to King Ganapathideva (or Ganapatideva, or Ganapathi Devudu). As Ganapathideva had no sons, Rudramma was formally designated as a son through the ancient Putrika ceremony and given the male name of Rudradeva. When she was only fourteen years old, Rani Rudramma Devi succeeded her father. Rudramadevi was married to Veerabhadra, Eastern Chalukyan prince of Nidadavolu[1]
Despite initial misgivings by some of her generals who resented a female ruler, she suppressed both uprisings within Kakatiya territory and incursions by neighboring kingdoms with the help of others, most notably Gona Gonna Reddy. An able fighter and dynamic ruler, Rudramba defended the kingdom from the Cholas and the Yadavas, earning their respect. She was one of very few female rulers in south India during her time. Rani Rudramma Devi ruled from CE 1261 or 1262 until CE 1295 or 1296.
Among Rani Rudramma Devi's accomplishments during her reign was the completion of Warangal Fort, begun by her father, in the Kakatiya capital of Warangal (one stone hill). Parts of the fort are still standing, including examples of distinctive Kakatiya sculpture. Rudramma Devi remains one of India's most important women.
Legend has it that due to her upbringing as a boy, Rani Rudrama was not much a connoisseur of music and art, but she was quite taken by a form of Shiva Tandavam - Perini which was extinct and it was brought back by Dr. Nataraja Ramakrishna. She found this dance more of an exercise to the soldiers and had it made part of the training of the royal force.

Rudrama Devi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[divya]

Ahilyabai Holkar​

Punyashlok Rajmata Devi Ahilyabai Holkar (Marathi: देवी अहिल्याबाई होळक&#2352 (31 May 1725-13 August 1795) (ruled 11 December 1767- 13 August 1795) also known as the Philosopher Queen was a Holkar dynasty Queen of the Malwa kingdom, India. She is often compared with Catherine II of Russia, Elizabeth I of England, Margaret I of Denmark.[1] Ahilyabai was born in the village of Chaundi in Jamkhed, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. She moved the capital to Maheshwar south of Indore on the Narmada River.
Ahilyabai's husband Khanderao Holkar was killed in the battle of Kumbher in 1754. Twelve years later, her father-in-law, Malhar Rao Holkar, died. She tried to protect her kingdom from Thugs, the plunderers. She personally led armies into battle. She appointed Tukojirao Holkar as the Chief of Army. She is also famous for her sense of justice. One day, she found her only son, putting poisonous scorpions into the shoes of her subjects resulting in their deaths. She ordered his execution under the elephant feet.[2]
Rani Ahilyabai was a great builder and patron of many Hindu temples which embellished Maheshwar and Indore. She also built temples and Dharmshala (Free lodging)at sacred sites outside her kingdom, at prominent religious places like Dwarka in Gujarat east to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple at Varanasi on the Ganges, Ujjain, Nasik and Parali Baijnath in Maharashtra. Seeing the destroyed and desecrated temple in Somanath, Rani Ahilyabai built a temple where Lord Shiva is still worshipped by Hindus.

 

[bhagat]

Nayakuralu Nagamma

Nayakuralu Nagamma was a renowned statesperson and minister to king Nalagama, the ruler of Palanadu in Guntur District. She is one of the key characters along with Bramha Naidu in the epic war - Palnati Yudham (War of Palnad) set in the medieval Andhra Pradesh, a southern state of India. She can be listed as one of the most powerful women in the medieval times in India and in the world

The ruling Haihaya clan of Palanadu, Nalagama and his cousin Malideva went to war at karampudi in guntur district with competing claims over the kingdom. This war was very important in the social history of Andhra Pradesh. The southern incursion of northern velama community was strongly resented by the conservative local Reddy community. While Bramhanaidu Velama, was the adviser of Malideva and regent of Velanati Chodas of coastal Andhra, Nayakuralu Nagamma was a Reddy and adviser to king Nalagama.
In the war that ensued Malideva and Bramhanaidu were defeated by Nalagama and Nagamma's forces. Some of the ruling dynasties of that time: Kakatiyas, Kalyani Kalachuris, Hoysala Bhallalas took the side of Nagamma. After this war the Velanati Chodas were weakened and that led to the firm establishment of Kakatiyas, which expanded into the coastal andhra Pradesh.

 

[lkozhi]

ABBAKKA RANI : THE UNSUNG WARRIOR QUEEN




“Abbakka rode the horse stately and worked deep into the night dispensing justice. She is the last known person to have Agnivana (fire arrow).”



The Arabian Sea water that splashes the shores of Ullal near Mangalore in Karnataka could tell you the story of Abbakka Rani, locally known as Abbakka Mahadevi. Such is her personality in the region that she has become a folk legend. Abbakka Rani is one of the earliest freedom fighters of India who resisted the Portuguese.The regions where Abbakka was queen is known as Tulunadu. Rani Abbakka was queen is known as Tulunadu. Rani Abbakka, though a Queen of a little known small princely state, Ullal, was magnetic woman of indomitable courage and patriotism. While Rani Jhansi has become a symbol of courage, Abbakka, nearly 300 years her predecessor, has been largely forgotten by history. Her furious wars with Portuguese are not well recorded. But whatever is available speaks of a luminous personality of awesome valour and bravery.Sources, such as archival records, travelogues of several Portuguese travelers and historical analysis confirm that there were three Abbakkas: mother and two daughters, who fought against the Portuguese Army between 1530 and 1599.

Though it is the second daughter who was the most courageous, the folklore treats all three Abbakkas as one great Queen and a brilliant personality Abbakka Mahadevi or Rani Abbakka. In this article also she is being treated as a single character – Abbakka Rani.

Ullal fort, the capital of Abbakka’s kingdom, is located just a few kilometers away from the city of Mangalore, on the shores of the Arabian Sea. It is a historical as well as a pilgrim spot because of the beautiful Shiva Temple built by the Queen and a unique natural rock, called the Rudra Rock. The rock appears to change colours every second, as the sweater splashes on it.

According to local legends. Abbakka was an extraordinary child and as she grew up showed signs of being a visionary. there was no equal to her in military science and warfare, mainly in archery and sword fighting. Her father encouraged her in this and after she was well versed in all areas, she was married to a neighbouring local king of Bangher. The marriage did no last long with Abbakka breaking the ties by returning the jewels given by his to her. The husband thus nurtured revenge against Abbakka and later on joined the Portuguese in a treaty, to fight Abbakka.

The Portuguese had made several attempts to capture Ullal, strategically placed. But Abbakka had repulsed each of their attack with sheer courage and ingenuity. The queen’s story is retold from generation to generation through folk songs and yakshagana, the popular folk theatre, In bootaradhana, (which literally means appeasing the possessed, a local ritual dance) the personal in trance narrates the great deeds of Abbakka Mahadevi. Abbakka, dark and good looking, always dressed in simple clothes like a common village woman. She rode the horse stately and worked deep into the night dispensing justice.

According to the folklore, Abbakka is the last known person to have the Agnivana (fire-arrow) in her fight against the Portuguese. Though Abbakka was a Jain by faith her administration was well represented by Hindus and Muslims. Her army too consisted of people from all sects and caste including Moggaveeras, a fisher folk community. The first attack by the Portuguese in south Kanara coast was in 1525, when they destroyed the Mangalore port. Rani Abbakka was alerted by the incident and started preparing herself to protect her kingdom. In 1555, the Portuguese sent Admiral Don Alvaro da Silvereira against the Queen of Ullal Abbakka Devi Chowta who had refused to pay them the tribute. She fought with courage and intelligence and pushed them back.



In 1558 the Portuguese Army perpetrated another wanton cruelty on Mangalore, putting to death a number of men and women, both young and old, plundering a temple, burning ships and finally setting the city itself on fire.Again, in 1567, the Portuguese army attacked Ullal, showering death and destruction. The great Queen Abbakka Devi Chowta (Bucadevi I) resisted it.The same year one general Joao Peixoto was sent by the Portuguese Viceroy Antony Norohna with a fleet of soldiers. He captured the city of Ullal and also entered the royal court. However the Queen escaped and took asylum in a mosque. The same night, she counter-attacked the Portuguese army, with a help of 200 of her soldiers and killed General Peixoto and 70 Portuguese soldiers.The invaders were forced to flee to their ships in disgrace. The Portuguese soldiers who remained in Ullal were dead drunk, in over confidence and were dancing. Taking advantage of this opportunity, about 500 Muslim supporters of Abbakka Rani attacked the Portuguese and killed Admiral Mascarenhas along with the help six thousand Muslim soldiers in 1568, and the foreign army had to leave the Mangalore fort.

In 1569, the Portuguese Army not only regained the Mangalore Fort but also captured Kundapur (Basrur). Abbakka Rani was a source of threat to the Portuguese. They won the confidence of Abbakka’s estranged husband, kind of Bangher and started attacking Ulla. Abbakka Rani fought vigorously.

She formed an alliance in 1570 with Bijapur Sultan Ahmed Nagar and the Zanmorine of Calicut, who where also opposing the Portuguese. Kutty Pokar Markar, a general of the Zamorine fought on behalf of Abbakka and destroyed the Portuguese fort at Mangalore but while returning he was killed by the Portuguese.

Abbakka lost the war as her husband assisted the Portuguese by revealing to them her strategies of warfare, which he was familiar with. She was arrested and jailed. However, the warrior that she was, she was, she revolted in the prison and died as a soldier – fighting.

Though Abbakka has been admired and worshipped in the local folk forms, it is very recently there there have been efforts to honour her memory.

As a result of these efforts the Karnatka Government has erected a statue of the Queen in the city of Bangalore. IGNCA is making a documentary on Abbakka Rani, incorporating the folk myth.

.

 

[The_magnificent]

Rani Durgavati

Rani Durgavati (October 5, 1524 – June 24, 1564) was born in the family of famous Rajput Chandel Emperor Keerat Rai. She was born at the fort of Kalanjar (Banda, Uttar Pradesh). Chandel Dynasty is famous in the Indian History for the defense of king Vidyadhar who repulsed the muslim attacks of Mahmud Ghaznavi. His love for sculptures is shown in the world famed temples of Khajuraho and Kalanjar fort. Rani Durgavati's achievements further enhanced the glory of her ancestral tradition of courage and patronage of arts.
In 1542, she was married to Dalpat Shah, the eldest son of king Sangram Shah of Gond Dynasty. Chandel and Gond dynasties got closer as a consequence of this marriage and that was the reason Keerat Rai got the help of Gonds and his son-in-law Dalpat Shah at the time of muslim invasion of Sher Shah Suri in which Sher Shah died.
She gave birth to a son in 1545 CE. who was named Vir Narayan. Dalpat Shah died in about 1550 CE. As Vir Narayan was too young at that time, Durgavati took the reins of the Gond kingdom in her hands. Deewan or Prime Minister Beohar Adhar Simha kayastha and minister Man Thakur helped the Rani in looking after the administration successfully and effectively. Rani moved her capital to Chauragarh in place of Singaurgarh. It was a fort of strategic importance situated on the Satpura hill range.
After the death of Sher shah, Sujat Khan captured the Malwa zone and was succeeded by his son Baz Bahadur in 1556 CE. After ascending to the throne, he attacked Rani Durgavati but the attack was repulsed with heavy losses to his army. This defeat effectively silenced Baz Bahadurand the victory brought name and fame for Rani Durgavati.
In the year 1562 Akbar vanquished the Malwa ruler Baz Bahadur and annexed the Malwa under Mughal dominion. Consequently, the state boundary of Rani touched the Mughal Sultanate.
Rani's contemporary was a Mughal General, Khwaja Abdul Majid Asaf Khan , an ambitious man who vanquished Ramchandra, the ruler of Rewa. Prosperity of Rani Durgavati's state lured him and he invaded Rani's state after taking permission from Mughal emperor Akbar.
When Rani heard about the attack by Asaf Khan she decide to defend her kingdom with all her might although her Deewan Beohar Adhar Simha pointed out the strength of Mughal forces. Rani maintained that it was better to die respectfully than to live a disgraceful life.
To fight a defensive battle, she went to Narrai situated between a hilly range on one side and two rivers Gaur and Narmada on the other side. It was an unequal battle with trained soldiers and modern weapons in multitude on one side and a few untrained soldiers with old weapons on the other side. Her Faujdar Arjun Das was killed in the battle and Rani decided to lead the defence herself. As the enemy entered the valley, soldiers of Rani attacked them. Both sides lost some men but Rani was victorious in this battle. She chased the Mughal army and came out of the valley.
At this stage Rani reviewed her strategy with her counselors. She wanted to attack the enemy in the night to enfeeble them but her lieutenants did not accept her suggestion. By next morning Asaf khan had summoned big guns. Rani rode on her elephant Sarman and came for the battle. Her son Vir Narayan also took part in this battle. He forced Mughal army to move back three times but at last he got wounded and had to retire to a safe place. In the course of battle Rani also got injured near her ear with an arrow. Another arrow pierced her neck and she lost her consciousness. On regaining consciousness she perceived that defeat was imminent. Her Mahout advised her to leave the battlefield but she refused and took out her dagger and killed herself on June 24, 1564. Her death is celebrated in India as a "martyrdom day" on June 24.In the year 1983, the Government of Madhya Pradesh renamed the University of Jabalpur as Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya in her memory. Government of India paid its tribute to her by issuing a postal-stamp commemorating her death, on 24 June 1988.

 

[Patriot]

Why don't you post about that bitc@h who was killed by her own security guard..umm..indra--fu@king--gandhi something.

 

[The_magnificent]

Why don't you post about that bitc@h who was killed by her own security guard..umm..indra--fu@king--gandhi something.

You mean the one who tore off Some Fu@king Nation in two parts and took 93000 Transgenders as POW ?

 

[The HBS Guy]

Why don't you post about that bitc@h who was killed by her own security guard..umm..indra--fu@king--gandhi something.

Good that you're taking Lord Ram's refuge. You do need divine assistance to prevent you from getting banned especially with the kind of posts you've been making today.

May the Lord help you.

 

[Leader]

Queen Vishpala (c. 7000 B.C.)​

Queen Vishpala's name and deeds come down to us via the Rigveda, an ancient Indian religious text. Vishpala was probably an actual historical figure, but that is difficult to prove 9,000 years later.

According to the Rigveda, Vishpala was an ally of the Ashvins, the twin horsemen-gods. The legend states that the queen lost her leg during a battle, and was given a prosthetic leg of iron so that she could return to the fight. Incidentally, this is the first known mention of someone being outfitted with a prosthetic limb, as well.

thats pretty old witch you digged...

 

[The HBS Guy]

thats pretty old witch you digged...

You could use being a little more respectful towards historical figures.

...or pardon me if I asked a bit too much of you.

 

[Leader]

Chand Bibi​

Here I recall Chand Bibi of Bijapur who gave tough fight to raving Mughal forces in the medieval times, when Europe was burning women slaying them that they are witches.Why to forget our famous freedom struggle where in from Baluchistan to Manipur women in their various forms and roles faught against British regime to get freedom.

 

[Leader]

Begum Hazrat Mahal​

Begum Hazrat Mahal like Rani Lakshmibai also fought against the Brits. She was the wife of the Nawab of Awadh(Lucknow) and when the nawab was exiled she took command of the state fighting bravely against the brits and not accepting any amnesty or allowences offered by them. She was eventually defeated and took refuge in Nepal.

 

[Leader]

Rani Avantibai​

she was the wife of the Raja of Rampgarh and when her husband died she had to fight against them. But like Begum Hazrat Mahal she was eventually outnumbered and overpowered.