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12 Warrior Queens Of Southern Asia

1. Rani Velu Nachiyar

the 18th century queen from Sivagangai district of Tamil Nadu who fought against the British and recaptured her kingdom. She is widely known as the first queen to put up a resistance against the colonial power, even before the Rani of Jhansi.Velu Nachiyar was born in Ramnad to the royal couple Mannar Sellamuthu Sethupathy and Sakandhimuthal in 1730 AD. Velu Nachiyar did not have any brothers and she was brought up like a prince, trained in martial arts, horse riding, archery and handling different weapons. She was also educated in many languages including English, French and Urdu.When Velu Nachiyar was 16, she married Sivagangai Mannar Muthuvaduganathur. The couple had a daughter named Vellachi. In 1772, the Nawab of Arcot and the British troops belonging to the East India Company united and invaded Sivagangai. They killed Muthuvadugananthur in a battle known as the Kalaiyar Koil war.Velu Nachiyar and Vellachi escaped and lived in Dindugal with the help of the Maruthu brothers of Sivagangai and some other powerful friends. In the years that Velu Nachiyar spent in Dindugal, she formed alliances and plotted her revenge against the British. In 1780, she led the charge against her enemies with an army she had built along with the help of Sultan Hyder Ali of Mysore. She is also credited to have been the first person to use a human bomb - Kuyili, her loyal follower (and some say adoptive daughter), doused herself in oil/ghee and set herself aflame to blow up the ammunition of the British.Velu Nachiyar was successful in recapturing her kingdom and became the queen of Sivagangai once again. In her reign, she formed a women's only army called Udaiyaal in memory of (another) her adoptive daughter who died in the battle against the British. Velu Nachiyar ruled Sivagangai for more than 10 years before she died of an illness in 1796.On July 18, 2014, the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaa inaugurated the Veeramangai Velu Nachiyar Memorial in Sivagangai and also declared that January 3 will be celebrated every year as her birth anniversary.


2. Rani Keladi Chennamma

The quiet and beautiful little temple town of Keladi in Shimoga district of Karnataka was once the capital city of a long line of dynastic rulers. The kingdom of Keladi founded by Chaudappa Nayak emerged out of its feudal status to the powerful Vijayanagar Empire in South India, which fell apart after the 1565 battle of Tellikota.
Rani Chennamma was the eleventh ruler of Keladi, succeeding her husband Somashekhar Nayak to the throne.This Rani’s life reads like the plot of a dramatic novel, romance, deception, betrayal, murder, wars and intrigue painting a fascinating and absorbing picture.It appears that the tenth king saw his future wife at the Rameshwar Fair and was struck by her. So struck, that he decided he would marry only her, daughter of Sidappa Shetty of Kotepura, though she did not come from a royal background.Despite this passionate beginning to their relationship, the king turned out to be undependable, his head and heart easily swayed by the next exciting proposition. In this case, the proposition was a dancer, Kalavathi of Jambukhandi.So it was that very soon after her fantasy marriage in the Bidanur palace of the Keladi kings, Chennamma found herself alone and unwanted, while her husband the king grew more and more enamoured of Kalavathi and her step-father Bharame Mavuta grew more and more influential as a result of his new found change in circumstances.
The ministers and others who had to deal with the king would often meet him at Bharame Mavuta’s house. Of course this was a matter of concern, debate, gossip. Factional politics began. Nobody trusted anybody else and nobody knew which side to take.Meanwhile, Chennamma had kept herself busy studying multiple disciplines. Known for her sense of justice and fairness, she became famous for her interest in politics and administrationwarfare weaponry, music, arts and literature. Unfortunately, it also became only too obvious that she was not going to play the role of mother to a biological heir. For one thing, she had no children. For another, the king had lost interest in her.This made things harder for her and it became a big weapon in the hands of Bharame Mavuta. To be a childless queen in a world where dynasty and succession are all-important issues, is to be at the receiving end of overt and hidden humiliation and absolutely no guarantee of support from any quarter.To add to all of this, the neighbours at Bijapur had their eye on Keladi and the situation seemed ripe for a little aggression with the aim of acquiring some additional assets! So the sultan of Bijapur began to aim warlike noises in the direction of the woman at the helm of Keladi.Meanwhile, Thimmanna Nayak, Chief Minister of the Keladi kingdom, decided to bring up the issue of succession and proposed to the queen that she adopt his choice of successor, Veerbhadra Nayak. Chennamma however had no cause to trust anyone by now and decided to trust herself. Not only would she decide whom to adopt, but she would also prepare to fight anyone to protect the kingdom of Keladi.Three things she now did.One was to attempt to bring Somashekhar Nayak back to his senses by visiting him in the house of Bharame Mavuta. Unsuccessful.Ask her father Siddappa Shetty to help her with the defence and the forces of Keladi. Successful.Adopt her own choice of successor, Basappa Nayak. Again, successful. (fyi, it is this Basappa Nayak, later known as Keladi Basavraj who wrote a massive volume called Sivatattva Ratnakar which survives till today as a reference work on the history of that period. )Thimmanna Nayak withdrew any semblance of support to the queen and left Bidanur.Bharame Mavuta continued to plot quietly with the king in his control.And the sultan of Bijapur sent his agent Jannopant to Chennamma to negotiate for Keladi, even as his general Muzzaffar Khan marched upon Keladi with the Bijapur army!Chennamma didn’t run, though it’s quite possible she might have flinched. Grimaced. Prayed a lot for guidance and the help of the gods. She also did something quite practical and sent Jannopant back to the sultan of Bijapur with a gift of money, no less than three lakhs! With this the situation was steady for the moment, the enemy kept at bay.But not for long. Jannopant joined hands with Bharame Mavuta and convinced him to help the sultan of Bijapur take over Keladi. As a first step, Bharame Mavuta now murdered the king.Not waiting for things to get completely out of control, Chennamma took her father’s advice and with the help of a few supporters raced out of Bidanur to occupy the fort of Bhuvanagiri located deep in the hills and jungles, difficult to approach and therefore easy to defend. Soon after, Bidanur was taken over by the Bijapur army.And soon after that, Chief Minister Thimmanna Nayak, terribly ashamed of his desertion of the queen, returned to her side at Bhuvanagiri. Soon he led the forces to Bidanur only to run head-on into the Bijapur army on it’s way out to attack the queen at Bhuvanagiri. The Keladi warriors won that battle and sent the Bijapur army home.Chennamma was in no mood to allow any further trouble from any quarter. She had Jannopant and Bharame Mavuta executed and their associates and supporters punished or banished. Channamma was officially declared queen of Keladi in 1671.In her time as queen, battles with local chieftains and neighbouring principalities were a constant. Keladi fought off Mysore’s Chikkadevaraya Wodeyar, losing a battle, winning two, entering into a treaty of friendship.She rendered a trade agreement with the Portuguese involving commodities like pepper and rice. She was given the epithet “The Pepper Queen or Raina da Pimenta” by the Portuguese. She is considered as the epitome of the Kannada women’s valor. Not that life had easier things in store. The challenges weren’t over. The thing is, this Rani Chennamma continued to take brave decisions that sometimes meant standing up to forces far stronger than her own.Like Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.When his forces were chasing Shivaji’s son Rajaram across the country, Rajaram came to Keladi disguised as one of a group of four travelling monks or ‘jangamars’. Chennamma chose to protect him, sheltering and hiding him while also getting her forces ready to fight Aurangzeb’s army if necessary.It did become necessary, for Azamuth Ara, Aurangzeb’s son, led the forces to Keladi even after Rajaram had escaped and made his way safely back to Jinji in (modern day) Maharashtra. Many a battle was fought between the army of the queen and that of the Mughals, until finally a peace treaty was signed between Aurangzeb and Channamma.

3. Rani Rudrama

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Rani Rudrama was the ruler of the Kakatiya Dynasty in the Deccan Plateau and one of the ruling queens in Indian history. Rudrama Devi has began to rule the kingdom jointly with her father as his co-regent from 1259-60 under the name of Rudradeva Maharaja. Her nomination and ascension to the throne was not entirely accepted due to she was a woman. Rudramadevi married to Veerabadra, a Vengi Chalukya prince of Nidadhavola. The couple were blessed with the two girl children. Rudramadevi died in Chandupatla village when in battle with Ambadeva, a rebel Kayastha chief this incident gave her severe grief but this incident became her power. Her reign was mark by the uprising of her feudatories, who did not like the succession of a woman to the throne. Rani Rudrama overcame all the difficulties and maintained the integrity of the empire.The Yadava king Mahadeva invaded the Kakatiya Empire during the years 1268-70. But nothing came out of this. It was a mere raid and did not result in any loss of territory to the Kakatiyas.In 1280 Prataparudradeva, the grandson of Rudrama was appointed as the Yuvaraja. In 1285, the Pandyas, the Yadavas and the Hoysalas allied themselves and tried to annex the Kakatiya Empire, but Prataparudradeva, the Yuvaraja, tackled the situation successfully.She also completed the construction of Warangal Fort and and even captured many other forts.The administrative system of Rani Rudrama was efficient and the general people led a happy life.It is believed that she died as as result of injury during a war.


4. Rani Abbakka

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Abbakka Mahadevi was the queen of Tulunadu who fought the Portuguese in the latter half of the 16th century. She belonged to the Chowta dynasty who ruled over the area from the temple town of Moodabidri. Her uncle tirumalaraya forged a matrimonial alliance for Abbakka with Lakshmappa Arasa, the powerful king of neighbouring Mangalore. The marriage, however was short lived and Abbakka returned to Ullal. Her husband thus longed for revenge against Herand was to later join the Portuguese in their fight against Abbakka. After overrunning Goa and taking control of it, the Portuguese turned their attention southwards and along the coast. They first attacked the South Kanara coast in 1525 and destroyed the Mangalore port. Ullal was a prosperous port and a hub of the spice trade to Arabia and other countries in the west. Being the profitable trading center that it was, the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British vied with one another for control of the region as well as the trade routes. They however, had not been able to make much headway as the resistance from the local chieftains was very strong. The local rulers even forged alliances cutting across caste and religion lines.Though Abbakka was a Jain by faith, her administration was well represented by Hindus and Muslims. Her army too consisted of people of all sects and castes. She even forged  The Portuguese made several attempts to capture Ullal as it was strategically placed. But Abbakka repulsed each of their attacks for over four decades. For her bravery, she came to be known as Abhaya Rani (‘The Fearless Queen’). She was also one of the earliest Indians to fight the colonial powers. Her husband’s treachery, Abbakka lost the war, was arrested and jailed. However, even in prison she revolted and died fighting .


5. Rani Nagamma

Rani Nagamma was a renowned statesperson and minister to King Nalagama, the ruler of Palanadu in Guntur district. Nagamma is said to have been widowed at an early age. Her husband Singa Reddy, died on the third day of their marriage due to snake bite. Minister Gopanna is believed to be her mentor. Nagamma later rose to become the prime-minister of Palanadu Kingdom under the rule of Nalagama Raju. The most interesting part is Nagamma has managed to fight the war with her mind games, more than a physical war, which made the circumstances that, even after winning the war the opponents had to give up the rule due to lack of stable political and social status after the victory. She is one of the key characters along with Bramha Naidu in the epic war - Palnati Yudham (War of Palnad) set in the medieval Andhra Pradesh , a southern state of India . She can be listed as one of the most powerful women in the medieval times in India and in the world. also Nagamma is highly credited for the rule of Vengi Chalukyas even though the king was not a great warrior or tactician.                          


6. Maharani Karnavati

Maharani Karnavati was married to Rana Sanga of Chittorgarh, was the mother of Rana Vikramaditya and Rana Uday Singh and the grandmother of legendary Maharana Pratap. Rana Sanga of Mewar lead a confederation of Rajput Kings against Babur to capture the throne of Delhi. But in the Battle of Khanua in 1537, the combined Hindu forces were defeated, Rana Sanga died shortly afterwards from his wounds. After Vikramaditya’s coronation he was attacked and defeated by Bahadur Shah. Rani Karnavati called Humayun for help when Bahadur Shah attacked for second time but he was busy battling in Bengal. Resulting Bahadur Shah plundered Chittor and realising defeat Maharani Karnavati perform jauhar the mass suicide in fire. Humayun reached the Chittor and did defeat Bahadur Shah and reinstated Karnavati’s son Vikramaditya Singh as the ruler of Mewar.


7. Maharani Ahilya Devi Holkar

Ahilya Devi Holkar was the Holkar queen of the Maratha ruled Malwa Kingdom, she was married to Khanderao in 1733. Ahilyabai’s husband Khanderao Holkar was killed in the battle of Kumbher in 1754. Twelve years later, her father-in-law, Malhar Rao Holkar, died. A year after that she was crowned as the queen of Malwa Kingdom. She tried to protect her kingdom from Muslim Invaders, the plungerers. She personally led armies into battle. She appointed tukojirao Holkar as the Chief of Army. The Peshwa granted her permission on 11 December 1767, and with Subhedar Tukojirao Holkar (Malharrao’s adopted son) as the head of military matters, she proceeded to rule Malwa in a most enlightened manner, even reinstating a Brahmin who had opposed her. Ahilyabai never observed purdah but held daily public audience and was always accessible to anyone who needed her ear. As a tribute to the great ruler, Indore domestic airport has been named Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport. Similarly, Indore University has been renamed as “Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya.”

8. Rani Kittur Chennamma

Rani Kittur Chennamma was the queen of Kittur, a princely state in Karnataka. She is regarded as First Indian Ruler to led armed rebellion against the British East India Company in 1824. She became queen of her native kingdom and married Raja Mallasarja, of the Desai family and had one son. After their son’s death in 1824 she adopted Shivalingappa, and made him heir to the throne. The British East India Company did not accept this and ordered Shivalingappa’s expulsion, Chennamma defied the order and war broke out. The British tried to confiscate the treasure and jewels of Kittur, valued at around 1.5 million rupees. Rani Chennamma fought fiercely but was ultimately captured and imprisoned at Bailhongal Fort, where she died on 21 February 1829.


9. Maharani Tarabai

Tarabai Bhonsle (1675 – 9 December 1761 at Satara) was a royal family from the Maratha Empire of India. She was the queen of Chhatrapati Rajaram Bhonsle, son of the empire’s founder Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Tarabai was the daughter of the famed Maratha general Hambirao Mohite. On Rajaram’s death in 1700, she proclaimed her infant son, Shivaji II as Rajaram’s successor and herself as the regent. As the regent she personally took charge of the war against Aurangzeb’s forces.After the death of Raja Ram, Kama, his son, came to the throne. However, he died after a few weeks on account of smallpox. Tara Bai, Raja Ram's widow, put another son named Shivaji on the throne and became herself the regent. Tara Bai was a vigorous lady. She took keen interest in the affairs of the State. She possessed a lot of knowledge of civil and military affairs.According to Khafi Khan, "She took vigorous measures for ravaging the imperial territory, and sent armies to plunder the six Subhas of the Deccan as far as Sironj, Mandsor, and the Subhas of Malwa.She won the hearts of her officers and for all the struggles and schemes, the campaigns and sieges of Aurangzeb up to the end of his reigns the power of the Marathas increased day by day. By hard fighting, by the expenditure of the vast treasures accumulated by Shah Jahan and by the sacrifice of many thousands of men, he had penetrated into the old territories of the imperial throne, plundering and destroying wherever they went.... Whenever the commander of the army hears of a large caravan, he takes six or seven thousand men and goes to plunder it.If the collector cannot levy the Chauth, the General destroys the towns. The headmen of the villages, abetted by the Marathas, make their own terms with the Imperial Revenue Officer. They attack and destroy the country as far as border of Ahmedabad and the districts of Malwa, and spread their devastations through the provinces of the Deccan to the environs of Ujjam. They fall upon and plunder caravans within ten or twelve kos of the imperial camp, and have even had the hardihood to attack the Royal Treasure."
In addition to the capture of Satara, the Mughals got the Forts of Parli (1700), Panhala (1701), Kondana (1701), Khelna (1702), Rajgarh and Toma (1704). Some were got by military velour and other by treachery and bribery. In 1705 was captured the Fort of Waging era which belonged to the Berads. The inmates of the fort carried their women and children with them and set fire to all that was left behind. The result was that the Mughals got nothing in spite of their victory. The capture of Waging era was the last military victory of Aurangzeb.In spite of his best efforts. Aurangzeb failed to crush the spirit of the Marathas. On the other hand, the latter had become the masters of the situation and their resources increased on account of their raids and robberies. According to Menisci (1704), "The Maratha Leaders and their troops move in these days with much confidence, because they have cowed the Mughal Commanders and inspired them with fear.At the present time, they possess artillery, muskets, bows and arrows with elephants and camels for all their baggage and tents. They carry these to secure some repose from time to time. In short they were equipped and moved about just like the armies of the Mughals only a few years ago they did not march in this fashion."In 1703, the Marathas attacked Berar and in 1706, they invaded Gujarat and sacked Baroda. In the same year the Marathas threatened the camp of Aurangzeb at Ahmednagar such was the Mughal State of affairs.According to Menisci the entire land had become too much depopulated that neither fire nor light could be found in the course of a three or four days journey. "In the Deccan there was no rain from 1702 to 1704, but instead plague prevailed. In these two years have expired over two millions of soul; fathers compelled by hunger, offering to sell their children for a quarter to half a rupee and yet forced to go without food, finding none to buy them."
Famine, pestilence and flood fought on the side of the Marathas, According to J.N. Sarkar, "The soldiers and camp-followers suffered unspeakable hardships in marching over flooded rivers and rain-soaked roads, porters disappeared, transports beasts died of hunger and overwork, scarcity of grain was chronic in the camp."
Tara Bai managed the affairs of the state in the name of her son Shivaji II. She was assisted in the work by Paras Ram rrimbak, Dhanaji Jadav and Shankerji Narayan. She moved from place to plate with a view to guiding the Maratha operation against the Mughals. She was the very soul of the Maratha resistance. No amount of suffering could weaken her resolve. Her indomitable personality was responsible for the success of the Marathas.
According to J.N. Sarkar, "The difficulties of Aurangzeb only multiplied by the disappearance of a common head and a Central Government among the Marathas, as every Maratha captain with his own retainers fought and raided in a different quarter and on his own account. It now became a people's war, and Aurangzeb could not end it, because there was no Maratha Government or State Army for him to attack and destroy. It was not a simple military problem but had become a trial of endurances and resources between the Mughal Empire and indigenous people of the Deccan. They were no longer a tribe of banditti or local rebels, but the one dominating factor of Deccan politics, the only enemy left to the Empire, and yet an enemy all pervasive, from Bombay to Madras across the Indian Peninsula, elusive as the wind, without any headman or stronghold whose capture would naturally result in the extinction of that power." After the death of Aurangzeb, she became supreme power of the Maratha Kingdom. In order to divide the Maratha onslaught, the Mughals released Shahu, Chhatrapati Sambhaji’s son. Due to throne battles and internal politics, Tarabai was sidelined but kept fighting for power. After the death of Shahu Maharaj, Tarabai later signed a peace treaty with the Peshwa, acknowledging his superiority. Hailed as Bhadrakali, her name is still celebrated in the country side in parts of Maharashtra. Her fight with Mughals keeping them at banks of river Narmada can not be neglected.


10. Rani Laxmibai

Rani Lakshmi Bai was one of the leading warriors of the India's first struggle for independence. A symbol of bravery, patriotism and honour, Rani Lakshmi Bai was born on 19 November 1828 at Poona. Her actual name was Manikarnika. Her father Moropant Tabme was a court advisor, and mother Bhagirathi was a scholarly woman. At a very early age she lost her mother. Her father raised her in an unconventional way and supported her to learn to ride elephants and horses and also to use weapons effectively. She grew up with Nana Sahib and Tatya Tope, who were active participants in the first revolt of independence.In 1842, Rani Lakshmi Bai got married to Raja Gangadhar Rao who was the Maharaja of Jhansi. After her marriage, she came to be known as Lakshmi Bai. In 1851, she gave birth to a son but unfortunately he died in his fourth month. After this tragic incident, Damodar Rao was adopted by the Maharaja of Jhansi as his son. Moved by the death of his son and his poor health, Maharaja Gangadhar Rao also died on 21 November 1853. When the Maharaja died, Rani Lakshmi Bai was just eighteen years old, but she didn't lose her courage and took up her responsibility. Lord Dalhousie, the Governor-General of India at that time, was a very shrewd person who tried to take advantage of the misfortune of Jhansi to expand the British Empire. The British rulers did not accept little Damodar Rao, as the legal heir of late Maharaja Gangadhar Rao and Rani Lakshmi Bai. Their plan was to annex Jhansi on the ground that it did not have any legal heir. In March 1854, Rani of Jhansi was granted an annual pension of 60,000 and was ordered to leave the Jhansi fort. She was firm on the decision not to give up the dominion of Jhansi to the British.
For strengthening the defence of Jhansi, Rani Lakshmi Bai assembled an army of rebellions, which also included women. For this great cause she was supported by brave warriors like Gulam Gaus Khan, Dost Khan, Khuda Baksh, Sunder-Mundar, Kashi Bai, Lala Bhau Bakshi, Moti Bai, Deewan Raghunath Singh and Deewan Jawahar Singh. She assembled 14,000 rebels and organised an army for the defence of the city. In March 1858, when the British attacked Jhansi, Rani Lakshmi Bai's army decided to fight and the war continued for about two weeks. The army fought very bravely, even though Jhansi lost to the British forces. After a fierce war when the British army entered Jhansi, Rani Lakshmi Bai, tied her son Damodar Rao to her back and fought bravely using two swords in both her hands. She escaped to the fortress of Kalpi under the cover of darkness and was accompanied by many other rebellions. She departed to Gwalior and a fierce battle was fought between the British and the Rani's army. On the unfortunate day of 17 June of 1858, this great warrior martyred her life for India's freedom.

 11 .Chand Sultana, the Warrior Queen of Ahmednagar

Chand Bibi (The Lady Moon) was the daughter of Sultan Hussein Nizam Shah of Ahmednagar ( in Maharashtra, India ) and his wife Sultana Khanzada Humayun. She was married to Sultan Ali Adil Shah of Bijapur, when the four Deccan Sultans (Ali Adil Shah of Bijapur, Hussein Nizam Shah of Ahmednagar, Ibrahim Qutub Shah of Golconda and Ali Barid Shah of Bidar ) had united against Rama Raya of Vijayanagara, during the Battle of Talikotta in 1565. In 1580, Sultan Ali Adil Shah was murdered by an eunuch; and since he had no sons, he was succeeded by his nephew Ibrahim Adil Shah II (1580- 1626 ), a child of nine years. Chand Bibi became the regent during his minority from 1580 to 1584. When Khudija Sultana, sister of Ibrahim Adil Shah, was married to Miran Hussein, son of Murtaza Nizam Shah (the then ruler of Ahmednagar and brother of Chand Bibi ), Chand Bibi also accompanied the bride to Ahmednagar, and remained there. Events in Ahmednagar : By 1591, Mughal emperor Akbar had asked all the four Deccan sultanates to acknowledge his supremacy. After the death of Ibrahim Nizam Shah in 1594, Mian Manju Deccani, his minister, imprisoned Ibrahim's infant son Bahadur, and placed Ahmad Shah, a descendant of Nizam Shah, on the throne. When the Abyssinian nobles discovered that Ahmad was not a lineal descendant of Nizam Shahi dynasty, they refused to acknowledge the new king and rebelled. Unable to oppose this, Mian Manju invited Prince Murad (son of Akbar), who was in Gujarat at that time, to assist him and also promised him to surrender the fort. Akbar had already given orders to Prince Murad and Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan to march to Deccan. But what happened was that, while Murad was on his way to Ahmednagar, Mian Manju had successfully suppressed the rebellion. He now regretted for having invited the Mughals to invade Ahmednagar. Mian Manju requested Chand Bibi to take command of the fort and himself marched towards Bijapur with Ahmad Shah.
Chand Sultana and the Mughals :
Cession of Berar : Prince Murad and the Khan-i-Khanan reached Ahmednagar and laid siege to the fort by Dec 1595. Chand requested help from Ibrahim Adil Shah and Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah of Golconda against Mughals. When Murad learned this, he ordered the capture of the fort as soon as possible; and within few days, five mines were constructed around the fort. It is said that Khwaja Muhammad Khan Shirazi, a Mughal noble, informed Chand about Murad's plan. Chand herself with the assistance of some nobles, dig out and destroyed two of the mines. Others were still in the process of digging out rest of the mines. At this time, the Prince ordered to blow up the mines, without informing the Khan-i-Khanan. Murad was in fact jealous of the Khan-i-Khanan; he wanted the sole credit of capturing Ahmednagar. Three of the mines were exploded. Many of the counter-miners were killed and a part of the fort was broken up. People began to flight. The Queen, on the contrary, put an armour, and with a veil on her face and a sword in her hand, flew to defend the breach. Seeing the braveness of their Queen, the people who fled, came back and joined her. According to Ferishta, Chand Bibi caused guns to be brought to bear on the assailants, and stones to be hurled on them, so that they were repulsed in several repeated attacks. During the whole night, she supervised the repairs of the breach and it was built up to the height of eight feet before daylight. On the next day, she dispatched letters to Adil Shah and Qutub Shah to hasten the arrival of their forces, and some of them fell into the hands of Murad. The Mughal army was already suffering due to lack of provisions. Seeing these letters, they became more distressed. At this situation, Prince Murad decided to negotiate with her. As per the treaty, she surrendered Berar to the Mughals (Feb 1596).
Chand Sultana, Regent of Nizam Shahi Sultanate (1595-1599): After the retreat of Mughals, Mian Manju again came up with Ahmad Shah. Chand Sultana, with the help of her nephew Ibrahim Adil Shah, quelled Mian Manju's revolt. At Bijapur, Ibrahim Adil Shah gave an estate to Ahmad and also enrolled Mian Manju as noble of Bijapur. Chand now proclaimed Bahadur Nizam Shah (1595-1599) as the new Sultan and became his regent. She appointed her adviser Muhammad Khan as the Viceroy. Gradually the Khan usurped the authority of the whole Kingdom and promoted his relatives to chief offices. Hearing this, Ibrahim sent his general Sohail Khan for her assistance. After the capture of Muhammad Khan, she appointed Abhang Khan, an Abyssinian, as the new Viceroy. Defeat of the Deccan Confederates : On his return to Bijapur, Sohail Khan learned that the Mughals had captured territories that were beyond the limits of Berar. Chand appealed to Adil Shah and Qutub Shah, asking them to unite against the Mughals; and the forces arrived accordingly. The Mughal forces under Mirza Shahrukh and Khan-i-Khanan met with the combined forces of Nizam Shahis, Adil Shahis and Qutub Shahis under Sohail Khan near Sonpet on the banks of River Godavari in Feb 1597. The battle lasted for two days, and in this fierce battle, Sohail Khan was defeated. Meanwhile, the new Viceroy Abhang Khan, who had now obtained unlimited power in the Kingdom, was making plans to remove the Queen and took the regency in his own hands. Suspicious of his acts, Chand removed him from the position of Viceroy. Offended by this, he turned a rebel. Ibrahim Adil Shah tried to effect a reconciliation between the two, however, didn't succeed. By this time Prince Murad died (1599). Abul Fazl was sent to Deccan to take charge of Berar. Taking advantage of Murad's death, Abhang Khan sent an army to retook Bir from Mughals. By this time Akbar dispatched Prince Danyal ( youngest son of Akbar ) and Khan-i-Khanan to Ahmednagar. Hearing this, Abhang Khan marched towards Jaipur Kotly Ghat, to oppose Prince Danyal, but, the Prince reached Ahmednagar by another route. Akbar himself camped at Burhanpur and laid siege to Asir. Unable to withstand the Mughals, Abhang Khan retreated to Ahmednagar and tried to compromise with Chand. Since she was not willing, he fled to Junair.
Death of the Sultana (1599):
According to Abul Fazl, Chand had sent letters to him inviting friendship and promised to surrender the fort after punishing Abhang Khan. As per the treaty she will accept Junair as her fief and would accompany Bahadur to the court. Meanwhile Prince Danyal and his army entered Ahmednagar and laid siege to the fort. She requested Hamid Khan, an eunuch, for advice. She declared that after seeing the misconduct of several officers within the past years, she could place no trust on them. Also told him that she is going to surrender the fort to Mughals on a condition of no injury should be caused to the inhabitants of the fort. After that she will retire to Junair with the young King. Hearing this Hamid Khan went to the streets and exaggeratedly spread her words that she was in treaty with the Mughals. The Deccanis headed by Hamid Khan entered her apartment and put her to death. Thus ended the life of the brave Queen of Ahmednagar.
Akbar Finally Captures the Fort : After the death of Chand Sultana, Ahmednagar fell into the hands of Mughals by Aug 1600. Sultan Bahadur Nizam Shah was taken as prisoner and sent to Akbar at Burhanpur. By this time Akbar had captured the fort of Asir. After appointing Prince Danyal as Viceroy of Deccan, he returned to Agra.


12.Razia Sultana

Razia Sultan was the Sultan of Delhi in India from 1236 to 1240; she the first Muslim female ruler. Her ascent to the throne is of much historical significance not only because she was a woman, but also becaue her ancestors were originally slaves, not nobility. Her father Iltutmish had come to Delhi as a slave serving under Qutb-ud-din and had risen to the post of a provincial governor. Upon Qutb-ud-din’s death, Iltutmish gathered the support of the Turkish nobility and became the sultan. As ruler, Iltutmish created history by becoming the first sultan to appoint a woman as his successor when he named his daughter Razia as his heir apparent. Razia was a bold young woman, trained in military warfare and administration. However, her ascent to the throne did not come easily. Her brother had taken over the throne after the death of their father, and she could claim the crown only after her brother died. After becoming the Sultan of Delhi she adopted masculine attire and proved to be an efficient, just, and noble ruler. Completely devoted to her empire, she was well respected and loved by her subjects. The brave sultan met a tragic end when her brother usurped the throne and she got killed in the ensuing conflicts.
Childhood & Early Life
Razia Sultan was born as Raziya al-Din in 1205 in Budaun, India, to Shams-ud-din Iltutmish as his only daughter. She had three brothers. Her father had come to Delhi as a slave working under Qutb-ud-din. He had impressed the ruler with his hard work and valor so much that Qutb-ud-din appointed him as a provincial governor. He went on to play a significant role in the governance and Qutb-ud-din eventually gave him his daughter in marriage.
After Qutb-ud-din's death his son Aram Baksh inherited the throne in 1210. However he proved to be an incompetent ruler and Iltutmish took over the throne with the backing of the Amirs—the Turkish nobility.
Iltutmish was not only a very efficient ruler, but also a very liberal minded person. He saw to it that all of his children, including Razia, received good training in martial arts and administration. He also observed that all of his sons were incompetent and more interested in enjoying the pleasures of life while his daughter was highly skilled and competent. He broke away from Muslim tradition and named Razia as his heir apparent, becoming the first sultan to appoint a woman as his successor.
Accession & Reign
Shams-ud-din Iltutmish died on 30 April 1236. Even though Razia was his appointed heir apartment, the Muslim nobility was not in favor of appointing a woman as a sultan. Thus her brother Rukn ud din Firuz was seated on the throne instead.
Rukn ud din Firuz proved to be very incompetent as a ruler. Iltutmish's widow Shah Turkaan ran the government for all practical purposes while the so-called ruler immersed himself in pursuit of pleasures. After just six months, on 9 November 1236, both Ruknuddin and his mother Shah Turkaan were assassinated.
Razia came to power on 10 November 1236 and ascended the throne with the name of Jalâlat ud-Dîn Raziyâ. Upon becoming the sultan, she adopted men’s attire and gave up the veil in a move which shocked the conservative Muslim society.
She quickly began establishing her authority and ordered for coins to be minted in her name as “Pillar of women, Queen of the times, Sultana Razia, daughter of Shamsuddin Altumish”.
She proved to be a good ruler, a just and benevolent sultan who genuinely cared about her subjects. A skilled and brave warrior, she led in battles and conquered new territories and attempted to strengthen her kingdom. She was also a good administrator.
She was also a religiously tolerant sultan who established schools, academies, and public libraries that included the works of ancient philosophers along with the Qur'an. Hindu works in the sciences and literature were also reportedly studied in the institutions.
However, her accession to the throne did not go well with the Turkish nobles who were jealous that a woman could become the sultan. They made a plan to revolt against her and hatched a conspiracy. The leader of this conspiracy was Malik Ikhtiar-ud-din Aitigin who had risen from the office of the governor of Badaun.
In accordance with the plan, Malik Ikhtiar-ud-din Altunia the governor of Bhatinda and her childhood friend, first raised a revolt. She courageously commanded an army against him, but was defeated and taken prisoner by Altunia. After Razia’s capture, her brother, Muizuddin Bahram Shah, usurped the throne.
Major Works
Razia Sultana was the first and last female ruler of Delhi Sultanate. A very brave woman, she defied Muslim tradition to ditch the veil and lead her horse into the battlefields. She is also credited to have been a just and generous ruler who genuinely cared about her subjects. Unfortunately her reign did not last long and she fell victim to conspiracies by jealous rivals.
Personal Life & Legacy
As sultan, she showed considerable favoritism towards an Abyssinian slave, Jamaluddin Yaqut. This fuelled rumors that she was in love with him—it has been debated for centuries whether the two were lovers or not. Yaqut was killed in the battle between Razia and Altunia.
After her capture by Altunia, she was incarcerated at Qila Mubarak at Bathinda. Altunia and Razia were childhood friends, and some sources also suggest that they were deeply in love once upon a time. She was treated royally even as a prisoner and eventually the couple got married. Razia and her husband decided to take back the kingdom from her brother. However they were defeated at the ensuing battle and fled Delhi. While escaping with their lives, they fell into the hands of Jats who  robbed and killed them on 13 October 1240.