The unsung war heroines

Banisha Kundu 

History remembers brave men. There are paeans sung in honour of their valour, texts written eulogising their courage and memorials built to commorate their sacrifices. History really remembers and celebrates its brave men well! But how does it treat its brave women? They too played a part in several wars against the British and the French and the Portuguese. The past hasn’t been as considerate. Even the descendant of Tipu Sultan, who fought as valiantly as the men in the army, slipped through the cracks of history for lack of recognition.

Patriarchal society drew borders to make women away from administrative roles and ranks. The royalties adhered to the same protocols as well.  Sons succeeded their fathers, as daughters were mere tools to establish political alliances between kingdoms. A woman would occupy the throne only if her husband died young and the son wasn’t old enough to rule the kingdom.

Expect for Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi, Raziya Sultana and Maharani Gayatri Devi, women rulers weren’t given their due.  Here is remembering some unsung women warriors and their feats

Noor Inayat Khan, who worked as a British spy during World War II, was a descendant of Tipu Sultan. Born on January 1, 1914, she opposed her father’s diktat of following Mahatma Gandhi and got herself enrolled in the British army. She infiltrated inside the enemy’s borders and channeled the secrets to London before getting caught. She was classified as extremely dangerous, shackled in chains, and was kept in solitary confinement. Noor and three other female special operations’ agents were transferred to Dachau concentration camp in September, 1944. According to other prisoners, right before the Nazis shot her; she screamed her last word, “Liberté.” She was only 30 year old then. Even though she was from a royal lineage, she chose a life replete with challenges and wished to help India gain India independence. However, she wasn’t appreciated for her achievements by the Indians. Even her existence was forgotten, unlike the English, who unveiled her statue in 2012 at Gordon Square, London.

Rani Abbakka Devi was another warrior queen, who embarked on a journey never to return from. Born in the Chowta Dynasty that ruled over parts of coastal Karnataka; she was one of the first freedom fighters of India who ruined the plans of the Portuguese to reign over the country. As the rightful queen to the Ullal Empire, which followed the matrilineal tradition of female accessing the throne, she kept the Portuguese, the Dutch and the English at bay for four long decades. 

She was defeated ultimately by the Portuguese, but not before etching her name as the brave Indian warrior on the pages of history. It’s said that she died in the cell. While some believe that she was wounded during the battle and was hidden at an isolated place by her loyal soldiers.  Similar to the mystery of her death, Rani Abbakka Devi’s life and achievements continue remain a secret. 

Rani Velu Nachiyar challenged the mighty British Empire and is popular as ‘India’s Joan of Arc’. She trained an army of women, who led her to victory during her hiatus. Born in 1730 to King Chellamuthu Sethupathy and Rani Sakandhimuthal of Ramanathapuram; her husband, Muthu Vaduganathan Periya Udaya Thevar of Sivagangai Royal family, was killed by British. She escaped with her daughter and sought refuge from Hyder Ali at Virupachi, a sworn enemy of the British. Eight years later, after defeating the British, she regained her empire in 1780. On December 31, 2008, a commemorative postage stamp of her was released, paying tribute to this unsung warrior.