FEMALE WARRIORS

 Hello ladies and gents this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about

5 unsung female warriors whom India should never forget

Here's to the women of India who picked up the sword to fight for their own freedom.

Unsung women warriors in the Indian history

Names like Bajirao and Maharana Pratap have been the talk of the country and are immortal names in the pages of history. Most of us have read texts about the brave men warriors but very little is known about the women who also bravely fought for freedom.

Can you tell five names that come to your mind when you think of women warriors fighting for the freedom of India? We know Rani of Jhansi who fought the British, but can we recall any more women who freed us from rulers other than the British? Probably not.

It's high time we talk about these unsung women warriors and know about their stories.

Here's to the women of India who picked up the sword to fight for their own freedom.

Five unsung female warriors who faced all the odds and bravely fought for independence:

1. Mata Bhag Kaur

Only daughter of a prominent landowner of a village in the present day Amritsar, Mai Bhago came to become a great warrior who led a group of 40 Sikh warriors against the 10,000 strong Mughal army in the Battle of Muktsar in 1705.

Later, she even served as a bodyguard to Guru Gobind Singh during his exile in Maharashtra.

2. Onake Obavva

Obavva was not a princess, but the wife of a guard at Chitradurga Fort.

Down in southern India, Haider Ali, Sultan and de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore, was trying to conquer Chitradurga but found no success even after numerous attempts. One day, the Sultan noticed a woman trying to enter the fort through a hole.

Seeing this, he ordered his men to use the same way to enter and conquer the fort. Obavva noticed the activity and since her husband was away for lunch, she decided to take matters into her own hands.

She guarded the crevice, making sure that no one enters the fort. By the end of it all, Obavva had killed almost 100 men.

3. Keladi Chennamma

After marrying King Somashekhara Nayak, Keladi Chennamma became the queen of Keladi (Karnataka).

Once when Shivaji's second son Rajaram was on a run from the Mughals, Chennamma gave him shelter. Upon learning that she took Rajaram under her wing, Aurangzeb sent his men to fight her.

She fought bravely and defeated the Mughal Emperor's army. At the end of the war, a treaty was signed between Keladi and the Mughals, through which the Emperor recognised Keladi as a separate kingdom.

4. Belawadi Mallamma

The first woman to form a women's army, Belawadi Mallamma was born to Sode king Madhulinga Nayaka and was the wife of Prince Isaprabhu.

During a war between her kingdom and the Maratha empire, her husband was killed. Mallamma picked up the sword fought with her army to save her kingdom. She was, however, captured.

Later, Chatrapati Sivaji released her after seeing her bravery.

5. Abbakka Rani

Rani Abbakka from Chowta dynasty ruled a small coastal town called Ullal, 8 km away from Mangalore. During her reign, the Portuguese wanted to conquer the coastal town and use it as a port.

They made their first attempt in 1525. But Rani Abbakka resisted and fought fiercely against the Portuguese, gaining the name Rani Abhaya (fearless queen).

An annual celebration is held each year in Ullal in memory of the queen and as always have a chilled day from the Viking