The Women Warriors of India
India, a county full of colors and diversity and so is its history. In our school days during History lectures we all were fascinated by the valor, bravery, courage of so many great rulers and Warriors like Akbar, Ashoka, Chandragupta Maurya, Shivaji Maharaj, and many more but how often did we hear about female Warriors??
All of us heard of Rani Laxmibai for sure, but how many of us can give 2–3 names of Female Warriors of India other than Rani Laxmibai?
I think very few can do that because there are so many Female Warriors who did not receive as much attention as they deserve.
I would like to put light on some of the Unsung Female Warriors of India.
- Jhalkari Bai: She was born in a village near Jhansi and at a very young age she lost her mother. It was his father who raised her. She learned Horse riding and weaponry as there was no source for formal education. She was married to a soldier of Rani Laxmi Bai’s Army, and he introduced him to the Rani. She resembled Rani in various aspects and hence she was included in the women’s wing of the army. During the Rebellion of 1857, General Hugh Rose attacked Jhansi with a large army and due to causalities Laxmibai had to escape and Jhalkari bai pretended to be the Queen which led to the confusion and gave Laxmibai’s Army an advantage.
2. Onake Obavva: She was no queen or princess, she was the wife of a common guard and courageous women who killed around 100 men single-handedly to save the Chitradurga fort. During the reign of Madakari Nayaka, the city of Chitradurga was besieged by the troops of Hyder Ali. Hyder Ali planned to send his soldiers through the hole in the rock of the fort. Obavva noticed army troops trying to enter the fort through the hole, She used Onake(a wooden long club meant for pounding paddy grains) and hit them on their head and one by one killed around 100 men and saved the fort. It was on that very evening that she was found dead (the exact reason for her death not known). She is considered to be the epitome of Kannada’s female pride.
3. Begum Hazrat Mahal: also known as the Begum of Awadh, has an important role in the battle against The East India Company. She was the second wife of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. After her husband had been exiled to Calcutta, she took charge of Awadh and seized control of Lucknow. She organized an army of women, whose command was in the hand of Uda Devi. She actively took part in the revolt of 1857 against the Doctrine of Lapse under which Dalhousie wanted her to surrender Lucknow of which she refused. But after the fall of Lucknow, she had to escape. She took refuge in Nepal and took her last breath in the year 1879.
4. Uda Devi: A warrior, who actively participated in the battle against the East India Company in Sikandar Baugh, November 1857. She was armed with pistols and hid on a peepal tree and targeted the advancing British troops. She killed more than half a dozen British soldiers before she was shot dead. She is still known for the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
These are few amongst many Indian Female Warriors. They not only give inspiration but they also serve as an example that a woman can go beyond limits for her country!
Jai Hind!
