History: Women rulers in Indian History

Women

Points to remember

Rani Rudramma

1259 - 1289 A.D.

·       Rani Rudrama Devi belonged to the Kakatiya dynasty on the Deccan Plateau.

·       She succeeded her father King Ganapathi deva when she was only fourteen years old.

Rani Durgawati

1524 - 1564 A.D.

·       Rani Durgawati ruled over Gondwana from 1548 to 1564

·       Mughal Emperor Akbar attacked Gondwana in 1564.

·       Rani Durgawati led the battle against the invading army but ultimately when her defeat became imminent, she killed herself choosing death to dishonour.

Chand Bibi

1550 - 1599 A.D.

·       Also known as Chand Khatun or Chand Sultana.

·       She was the daughter of Hussain Nizam Shah I of Ahmednagar.

·       In 1599, the forces of Akbar once again laid siege to the Ahmednagar fort. But when she tried to negotiate terms with the Mughals, Chand Bibi was killed by her own troops who misunderstood her.

Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar

1725 - 1795 A.D.

·       Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar ruled over Ahmednagar from 1766 to 1795.

·       She was the daughter of Manakoji Shinde

·       Her father-in-law Malhar Rao Holkar guided her in ruling the state till his death in 1766.

Kittur Rani Chennamma

1778 - 1829 A.D.

Rani Chennamma was married to Raja Mullasarja of Kittur, a princely state of Belgaum in Karnataka.

Rani Lakshmi Bai

1835 - 1858 A.D.

·       Rani Laxmibai was born in Varanasi and named Manu.

·       She was married to Gangadhar, the ruler of Jhansi in 1842.

·       When both her husband and her son died, she adopted a child to make him the heir to the throne.

·       The then British Governor General Lord Dalhousie refused to recognise the adoption and ordered annexation of Jhansi.

·       Rani Laxmibai joined other rulers who were rebelling against British rule.

·       She was mortally wounded at Gwalior and died in June 1858.

Rani Avantibai

- 1858 A.D.

·       She was married to Vikramaditya Singh, the ruler of Ramgarh State.

·       She raised an army of four thousand men and led it herself against the British in 1857.

·       She killed herself at the end of a fierce battle when she could no longer hold out against the British.