Title: Female Freedom Fighters of India
1Female Freedom Fighters of India - A complete list
Women Freedom Fighters of India Women Freedom
Fighters of India achieved freedom from 200 years
of British Rule in 1947. It took many peoples
contribution and sacrifice, to achieve this
remarkable feat to achieve independence from an
empire, where even the Sun dare not set. The
people who contributed to this freedom struggle
never cared for any kind of recognition or
reward, but it was their selfless effort, which
ushered an era of change, in the Indian
Subcontinent. Some of those freedom fighters
have become immortalised in peoples memories,
but some names have faded into oblivion, in the
pages of history. This article is about some of
these brave women freedom fighters of India, who
proved that they could achieve anything that
their male compatriots could do.
Here is a complete list of Female Freedom
Fighters of India
Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi
Jhalkaribai of Jhansi
Begum Hazrat Mahal
Matangini Hazra
Aruna Asaf Ali
Sucheta Kriplani
Velu Nachiyar
Abadi Bano Begum
Lakshmi Sahgal
2Bhikaiji Cama
Pritilata Waddedar
Kalpana Datta
Kanaklata Barua
Usha Mehta
Rajkumari Gupta
Bina Das
Durgabai Deshmukh
Kasturba Gandhi
Sarojini Naidu
Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi - Fearless Warrior of
India Very few "female freedom fighters of India"
have left the impression on future Indian
generations like, the queen of princely state of
Jhansi Rani Laxmibai. She was one of the
leading figures, in Indias first war of
Independence against the British Empire, which
started in 1857. At a very young age of 14 years,
she became the Queen, after getting married to
the King of Jhansi. When she was 23 years old she
gave birth to a baby boy, who unfortunately died
after 4 months. Then the Royal couple decided
to adopt a child, to ensure that the kingdom gets
a successor. But after the death of the king,
the British Governor general, refused to accept
the adopted son as a successor and decided to
annex the princely state. This seriously
infuriated the queen, who would never accept
subjugation, by foreigners. Almost at the same
time, Indias first war of independence started,
in which Queen Laxmibai played a pivotal role,
in the fight against the British.
Jhalkaribai of Jhansi
3The legendary story of Laxmibai is incomplete
without the story of her advisor JhalkariBai.
JhalkariBai was born in an ordinary family, but
from a very young age, she showed signs of
exceptional bravery, like when she was alone in
a jungle and was attacked by a tiger. She killed
the tiger with only an axe. In another similar
incidence, she killed a leopard which had
attacked her, by only a stick, she used for
herding cattle. She was married to a soldier in
the Queens army and came in contact with the
queen, where she due to her special qualities
rose through the ranks to become advisor to the
queen. Due to her horse-riding capability and
mastery of using different weapons, she became a
commander in the queens army.
Begum Hazrat Mahal Also a leading member in 1857
war of independence, she was the wife of Nawab
Wajid Ali Shah, ruler of the princely state of
Awadh. It was forcible annexation of her kingdom
and exile of her husband to Calcutta, which
brought the Begum, in forefront of the political
affairs of the state. During the first war of
Independence in 1857, she along with her
supporters rebelled against the British Empire,
and seized control over the city of Lucknow and
declared her son as the ruler of Awadh. She
mobilised the people against the British and
fortified the city, which was soon surrounded by
the British Army.
4Matangini Hazra As a freedom fighter and member
of Indian National Conference, she opted for the
non violent methods preached by Mahatma Gandhi.
She took part in Civil disobedience movement and
was arrested multiple times, but that did not
deter her from perusing the cause of freedom. As
part of Quit India Movement, the Indian National
Congress planned to take over multiple government
offices including police stations. This would be
a form of protest would be a step forward in
achieving independence. In one of such
procession, which led to Tamluk Police Station,
(In Midnapur district Province of Bengal),
Matangini Hazra, at age of 71 years lead six
thousand protesters, mostly women and all
unarmed.