India@75: Meet 7 Brave Warrior Queens of South India Who Fought for Freedom from British

Curated By :

Last Updated:August 15, 2022, 08:00 IST

On the occasion of Independence Day, News18 looks at the brave queen warriors of southern India and their inspiring tales

On October 22 every year, the Karnataka government celebrates Kittur Utsava as mark of respect to warrior queen Chenamma. (News18)

As the country celebrates its 75th Independence Day, News18 brings you a list of fiery women from the southern part of India who played a significant role in India’s freedom struggle.

There is a story from Karnataka that is often told to show the strength of women who fought against the invaders.

Kittur Rani Chenamma was a queen from the Nayaka Dynasty who hailed from a tiny village called Kakati in modern-day Belagavi. Born in 1778, she was married to Mallasarja Desai, the ruler of Kittur, at the age of 15. She lost her husband in 1816 and her only son a few years later in 1824. This warrior queen fought against the British and defied the British policy of annexation, Doctrine of Lapse, introduced by Lord Dalhousie.

The doctrine stated: “If the ruler of a state dies without a natural heir, the state would be ruled by the sovereign, the British." It would have forced the state of Kittur to be brought under the British rule. Chenamma refused to hand over her territory to the colonialists. After her son’s death, Chennamma adopted a boy, Shivalingappa, and named him the heir to the throne.

Here comes the twist. Shivalingappa was not accepted as Chenamma’s heir by the East India Company. Despite her letters to the Lieutenant-Governor of the Bombay Presidency, Mountstuart Elphinstone, the British attacked Kittur with a 20,000-strong army.

The brave Chenamma fought with her troops and won the first round of the war in October 1824. Her army took two British officers hostage, but they were later released with the understanding that the war would be terminated.

The humiliation of the defeat was too much to digest for the British. The next time they brought in bigger armies from Mysore and Solapur and surrounded Kittur. While the queen tried her best to avoid another war and negotiate with the British, they were in no mood to settle. The British continued to relentlessly attack Kittur.

Chenamma and her loyal lieutenant Sangolli Rayanna fought against the foreign forces, but were betrayed by traitors in their army who mixed cow dung with the cannon gunpowder.

For 12 straight days, the valiant queen and her soldiers defended Kittur. Rani Chenamma was defeated and captured by the British during the second attack and jailed in a fort in Bailhongal for life. She is said to have spent the rest of her days reading holy texts until her death in 1829.

Inspired by her valour, Rayanna continued the fight against the British, but was subsequently caught and hanged by the British.

On October 22 every year, the Karnataka government celebrates Kittur Utsava as mark of respect to the great warrior queen.

Onakke Obavva: A Guard’s Wife Who Killed Hyder Ali’s Soldiers

Unlike many women of royalty who fought battles against the colonisers, Obavva was not a princess. She was the wife of a guard, Kahale Mudda Hanuma, at Karnataka’s Chitradurga fort or Elusuttina Kote (the fort of seven circles in Kannada), who died safeguarding it.

Ruled by Madakari Nayaka, the kingdom had been fighting the troops of Hyder Ali, the ruler of the Mysore Kingdom and father of Tipu Sultan, who attacked the fort unsuccessfully several times. The fort, which was built of stones, made it impossible for Ali’s army to penetrate.

As the story goes, a spy working for Ali once saw a woman entering the fort through a crevice. He then sent a message to Ali about his discovery. Having found a way to penetrate the fort, Ali sent his troops to attack it from either side and deputed his soldiers to find the hole and get inside. Hanuma was deputed to keep a watch on any activity or movement that could pose a threat to the fort and alert the soldiers.

One afternoon, Obavva had come to the fort with lunch for her husband when she realised that she had missed getting water to drink. It is said that she rushed towards a nearby lake using the small crevice in the wall to fill her pot with water. It was at this time that Obavva noticed some suspicious activity and heard the muffled sounds of Ali’s soldiers trying to enter the fort through the small hole. She wanted to rush back to alert her husband, but realised he was having his food. She decided to fight them.

Obbava got an ‘onake’ or pestle used to pound paddy grains from her home and hid it on one side of the rock. When a soldier appeared, she hit him hard with the onakke causing his death on the spot. She then dragged the corpse aside so that the next incoming soldier would not suspect anything. She continued to attack them one by one and killed nearly a hundred of them. By the time her husband and the soldiers realised they were under attack, Obavva had killed quite a number of the enemy’s soldiers. Nayaka’s soldiers landed at the spot and managed to kill most of Ali’s troops, except one. Folklore has it that Obavva missed spotting a soldier who crept behind her and killed her. This very stone hole from where enemy soldiers crawled only to die at the hands of Obavva has now been rechristened as ‘Obavvana Kindi’ (Kindi meaning window in Kannada) and is a famous tourist spot.

Her courage and quick thinking remains a story of inspiration.

Inspired by her story, the Chitradurga police launched a squad of women police constables called ‘Obavva Pade’. The squad educates women in the district on offences under the Indian Penal Code, molestation, atrocities against women, cybercrimes, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Keladi Chenamma: The Queen Who Challenged Aurangzeb

The 11th ruler of the kingdom of Keladi in modern-day Shivamogga, Rani Chenamma of Keladi (not to be confused with Rani Chenamma of Kakati), succeeded her husband Somashekhar Nayaka to the throne. Somashekhar Nayaka was mesmerised by Chenamma, the daughter of a local merchant, Siddappa Shetty. Local lore has it that the king described her as a woman having the complexion of a pearl, eyes that shone bright, a broad forehead, a long commanding nose and curly hair. Despite objections from his ministers about her not being from a royal background, love-struck Somasekhar married her. She was educated by royal tutors in politics, administration, warfare, weaponry, music, arts and literature.

Dussehra was celebrated in Keladi with great pomp and splendour. During one such celebration, Somashekhar was enamoured by a dancer, Kalavathi of Jambukhandi. He called her to his place and deputed her as Keladi’s royal dancer and mistress.

Kalavathi and her stepfather Bharame Mahut began to conspire and control the king by drugging his food. As the king took ill, Chenamma, the queen, began handling the affairs of the kingdom with the help of ministers and her trusted confidante, Thimanna Nayak. However, Nayak and the queen fell apart when she disregarded his advice to adopt a son to continue the royal line. Seeing an opportunity of discontent and rift in the kingdom, the Sultan of Bijapur decided to wage a war and acquire the kingdom they had tried to conquer for over a century. He sent an agent to speak to Chenamma. It was a ruse as the agent was followed by an army that would invade Keladi. In order to stave off the invasion, Chenamma bribed Jannopant, the agent, with Rs 3 lakh. She was buying time to prepare for war and to save her kingdom. She moved the entire army along with the royal precious wealth from Bidanur fort to the Bhuvanagiri fort.

Jannopant used that very money to bribe Bharame Mahut. Mahut is said to have acquired poison to kill the king. All this when the army of the Sultan of Bijapur army arrived at their doorstep. A bereaved yet strong Chenamma ascended the throne and adopted Basappa Nayaka as her son. The sultan’s army marched towards Bhuvanagiri. Although they were heavily outnumbered, Chenamma’s army crushed the invading forces and the Bijapuri army was completely destroyed. Upon her victory, the victorious queen executed the plotters, Bharame Mahut and Jannopant.

As the ruler, Chenamma built strong ties with the Portuguese and began exporting spices and rice from the Keladi ports. She also made peace with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj after she gave shelter to his son Rajaram and stood against the wrath of Alamgir (Aurangzeb). In return, Shivaji offered to protect her and her kingdom against the Adil Shahis and Portuguese. Chenamma ruled Keladi until her death in 1696 and handed the administration to Basappa Nayak also known as Keladi Basavaraj.

Belwadi Mallamma: The Queen Who Inspired Chhatrapati Shivaji

This brave and valiant queen was famous for training women in specialised warfare and also waging a war against the British and then powerful Marathas led by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Born to the Sonde king Madhulinga Nayaka, she was known for her valour and was feared by the British and Mughals alike, say local historians.

During those days, while the men were at battle, the women were kept ready as the second line of defence and both boys and girls from the royal family were trained in military skills and administration. Mallamma, along with her brothers, was also trained by an eminent Shankar Bhatt who made her proficient in horse riding, javelin throw, fencing and archery.

Malamma’ marriage to Ishaprabhu, the prince of Belwadi, has an interesting story. The prince, as part of the swayamvara, was asked to prove his masculinity and valour by killing tigers equal to his age and then one more. Ishaprabhu killed 21 tigers and won her hand in marriage.

While Malamma received immense support from her husband while running the affairs of the kingdom, she also took the opportunity to train the womenfolk in martial arts and raised a 5,000-strong army of women, a rare feat during those days.

During these times, Chhatrapati Shivaji was gaining a lot of popularity and also consolidating his position in the Deccan region. Ishaprabhu, too, became an admirer of the Maratha king and on one occasion was preparing for a grand reception for Shivaji. But an incident that took place resulted in a rift between the groups.

It is believed that while camping in Belwadi, Maratha soldiers ran short of milk and demanded that the supply of milk and its products be increased for them. When the locals said they were unable to do so, as they had to cater to the demands of the villagers as well, a few Maratha soldiers stole their cattle at night, landing the farmers in trouble. When Ishaprabhu heard this, he sent his commander Siddhanagouda Patil to negotiate with the Marathas and bring back the cattle, but the official was humiliated. An angry Malamma, along with her women warriors, attacked the soldiers, leaving 12 dead and several wounded. While the livestock was released, Shivaji as furious. He waged a war against the Belawadi and Ishaprabhu was stabbed from behind by a soldier and died on the battlefield. Malamma defended her fort for 27 more days to avenge her husband’s death. Wearing her saree veeragacche (soldier’s tuck, a tight tucking of the front pleats in the back) style, she fought the enemy troops on horseback. The story goes that during the battle one of the Maratha soldiers cut the leg of the horse that she was riding. Malamma fell, but got back on her feet and continued fighting.

Such was her charisma that when Shivaji saw her attack his forces, he thought she looked like ‘Goddess Jagdamba’. Shivaji’s troops later took her as a prisoner, but when he was told she was the queen of Belwadi, he released her as he was impressed by her bravery.

Abakka Rani Chowta: The Warrior Who Stood Against the Portuguese

Rani Abbakka belonged to the Chowta dynasty that ruled over a small coastal town called Ullal, near Mangaluru. The Portuguese who were at their peak in the early 1500s in India, after having destroyed the Zamorins of Calicut, the Sultan of Bijapur and captured Diu from the Sultan of Gujarat, were also eyeing the coastal town ruled by the Chowta to make it a port to help them with trade.

While they made several attempts to capture the kingdom, they faced stiff resistance from the Chowtas. When the Portuguese attacked the kingdom in 1525, Rani Abbakka resisted them and fought fearlessly. She was then known as Rani Abhaya or the queen who had no fear. Historians speak of how the Portuguese who did not consider the queen to be a fighter, sent a few boats and an army of soldiers to capture and bring her to their headquarters in Goa. But they were surprised when the boats never returned. Enraged, they sent a fleet of ships under the command of their famous admiral Dom Álvaro da Silveira. But the admiral returned, badly injured and empty-handed.

The Portuguese decided to capture the Mangalore port with an idea to attack the queen from that side. While they captured Mangalore, they gave another famous and experienced general João Peixoto a simple brief — capture Ullal and bring Rani Abbakka back as captive. It is said that when the Portuguese army landed at Ullal, they found the place deserted. They thought that the fear of their troops would have sent the queen and her troops away. Just as they began to relax and send a message of their victory to the chief, Rani Abbakka descended on them with more than 200 of her soldiers and killed General Peixoto.

Rani Mangammal: The Visionary Queen from Madurai

In the fight against the Mughals, one name that is often mentioned in the southern region is that of Rani Mangammal, who ruled the Madurai territory during the peak of 17th century AD. She was married to Chokkanatha Nayak of Madurai and after his death in 1682, the queen took over.

Her reign was known to have been well-praised and she was called the visionary queen who laid emphasis on providing roads and pathways for easy access, building temples and places to stay for the poor, while giving women ample opportunities to build their military prowess. Her diplomacy in handling situations, especially with neighbouring kingdoms, was phenomenal and she ruled over the kingdom of Madurai for over 15 years.

Despite facing threats from Marathas, Mughals, Deccan sultans and the Thanjavur dynasty, Rani Mangammal controlled Madurai with a firm hand. When her son Rangakrishna Muthu Virappa Nayak ascended the throne, he followed in his mother’s footsteps and fought courageously against Aurangzeb and his troops. However in 1689, he died, leaving behind a wife and their baby. To Mangammal’s horror, Rangakrishna Muthu Virappa Nayak’s wife committed sati soon after childbirth, a custom she vehemently opposed herself. Having made her grandson, Vijaya Ranga Chokkanatha, the heir to the throne at the age of three months, Mangammal once again ruled on behalf of her grandson. On one occasion, Aurangzeb sent his general Zulfikhar Ali to order Mangammal into submission. The smart, calculative warrior queen found that the kingdoms of the Marathas and Mysore found goodwill with Zulfikhar as they sent money as tribute to him. She followed suit and ensured that Madurai was saved from bloodshed and war. Such was her diplomatic move that she shared a cordial relationship with the Mughals and ensured that Zulfikhar would get costly gifts to maintain diplomacy. At one point, in order to recover a territory annexed by the Thanjavur kings, Mangammal used the Mughal’s help. Till date, she is considered a valiant queen who taught the royalty the art of smart diplomacy.

Rani Velu Nachiyar: India’s First Queen to Take on the British

As the queen of Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu, Rani Velu Nachiyar was the princess of Ramanathapuram who married the king of Sivaganga, Muthuvaduganatha Periyaudaiyathevar. As the only child to her parents, she was raised as a male heir, adept with sword-fighting and fighting with a mace.

She is considered one of the first queens of Tamil origin who rebelled against the British forces. Fondly called Veeramangai (warrior/brave woman), she was trained in warfare and skilled in weaponry. She formed an army to fight against the British in 1780, with the military assistance of Hyder Ali to keep the colonists at bay. The concept of a ‘human bomb’ was said to have first been devised during Nachiyar’s time. Like Belwadi Mallamma, she formed her own women’s army called Udaiyaat and trained them in warfare. While her husband was on his deathbed, she is said to have escaped with her infant daughter and during her time in exile, planned to gather her army and regain control over her kingdom. During this time, the Nawab of Arcot was tired of being attacked several times by different forces. To get neighbouring kingdoms as allies, he ordered Nachiyar to return to her province and rule by paying a sum to the Nawab.