Women's Day 2022: Five Women Warriors Of India That You Should Know About

Born in the family of Chandel Rajput king Salibahan, Rani Durgavati was the ruling queen of Gondwana. After the demise of her husband, she ruled the kingdom in her son's name and is known for her bravery and valour. As per reports, Rani Durgavati fought against the Mughal invasion when General Khwaja Abdul Majid Asaf Khan brought a massive army into her kingdom in an attempt to take over. Not ready to give in, Rani Durgavati fought till the very end. Despite being wounded, she continued to fight and eventually killed herself with a dagger instead of surrendering. To honour her bravery, ¡®Balidan Diwas¡¯ is celebrated.

The stories of Mata Bhag Kaur continue to inspire even today. The daughter of a prominent landowner in Amritsar, Mai Bhago was known to be a great warrior that led 40 Sikh warriors against the Mughal army in the Battle of Muktsar in 1705. It is believed that the Sikh army fought against an army of 10,000.

A woman known to be way ahead of her time, Lakshmi Sahgal's ideologies and contribution showcase the strength of women freedom fighters in India. Lakshmi, who was a revolutionary fighting for India¡¯s independence, was an officer in the Indian National Army led by Subhash Chandra Bose. She was also the leading member of 'Rani of Jhansi', a women dedicated wing of freedom fighters solely comprising of women. Fondly remembered as Captain Lakshmi, she fought against the British and was kept under house arrest for two years in Burma. However, she used every opportunity to fight and resist the British.

Kittur Chennamma, the queen of of Kittur -- the then princely state in Karnataka -- fought against the British East India Company in 1824 in defiance of the doctrine of lapse. Kittur Chennamma is remembered for her bravery and constantly attacking the Britishers post the unfair policy after they tried to take over her state post the death of her son and husband. She continued to fight till the very end and even won several battles before being imprisoned,

Tarabai Bhosale was the queen of Chhatrapati Rajaram Bhonsale and daughter-in-law of the renowned ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Maharani Tarabai's stories of bravery and valour are famous even today. During her time, she is known fo have fought against the Mughal emperor and prevented them from taking over her kingdom post her husband's death. With her strategy and skills, she was able to defeat Aurangzeb and his army.