The greatest place has been taken by the sacrifices made by Indian women. To secure our independence, they fought valiantly and bravely despite numerous exploitations, tortures, and difficulties. Thousands of American women displayed incredible bravery, selflessness, and political cunning throughout the history of the freedom movement.
As early as 1817, when Bhima Bai Holkar valiantly engaged British colonel Malcolm in guerilla warfare and defeated him, women began to take part in India’s freedom struggle. Thirty years before the “First War of Independence 1857,” many women, notably Rani Channama of Kittur and Rani Begam Hazrat Mahal of Avadh, battled against the British East India Company.
1. Rani Lakshmibai
“Jhansi ki Rani” was another name for Rani Lakshmi bai. She was one of the most notable and pioneering women to struggle for India’s independence. She battled alone with the British soldiers, showing no signs of fear. She married Raja Gangadhar Rao, the ruler of Jhansi, at an early age. The British authorities forbade her from crowning her son as king of Jhansi because he was an adopted kid following the terrible death of Gangadhar Rao. The British grabbed control of Jhansi along with the repercussions. This type of governance was not acceptable to Rani Lakshmi Bai or her son.
She seized the armies and overthrew the British monarchy. She battled against all odds, and in her final battle, she fought the Britishers while tying her son to her bosom. Despite their greatest efforts, the Britishers ultimately failed to capture Jhansi ki, Rani. She set herself on fire and killed herself when she realized there was no other way to go. Her name will live on in golden history thanks to her fortitude and bravery.
2. Begum Hazrat Mahal
She was one of India’s most well-known female independence warriors and was regarded as the equal of Jhansi Ki Rani Lakshmi Bai. She was one of the original independence fighters who inspired the rural population to resist and speak out against British authority in 1857, when the uprising initially began. She seized power in Lucknow and proclaimed her son to be the new king of Oudh. She was compelled to flee to Nepal as a result of the British government seizing control of Lucknow from the king during this difficult battle.
3. Sarojini Naidu
She is referred to as the Indian Nightingale. She was one of the most influential and well-known women who battled for freedom from the British government. She was an activist and independent poet. She was even imprisoned for her involvement in the Quit India campaign and the Civil Disobedience movement. She visited numerous towns and gave speeches about the value of freedom, social welfare, and the empowerment of women.
Sarojini Naidu was the second woman to be elected president of the Indian National Congress and the first woman to hold the office of governor of an Indian state. She passed away in 1949 after suffering a heart attack, but her contribution to India’s cause for independence will never be forgotten.
4. Aruna Asaf Ali
She was instrumental in the Salt Satyagraha. Due to her involvement in the Salt Satyagraha against the British administration, she was even put in jail. This demonstrates how daring the women were during the Indian freedom movement when she led the Quit India Movement after being released from prison. In the Tihar prison, she fought for the rights of political prisoners as well. She went on a hunger strike to protest this, which caused the prison conditions to be altered. She defied all gender norms and was a bold lady. Despite being a Brahmo, she wed a Muslim man. Her family didn’t agree with her choice, but she knew it was the correct thing to do for herself and society as a whole.
5. Savitri Bai Phule
She established the first girls’ school in India and was the country’s first female teacher. She once said, “Educating a girl educates the whole family; educating a boy only educates the individual.” What she believed in may be summed up in these few sentences. Jyotirao Phule, her husband, encouraged her throughout her journey. Both of them pushed against the stereotypes and raised awareness of the empowerment of women in society. She was committed to educating society’s female members, and she is renowned for her fearless literary creations in countries all over the world. Today, Savitribai Phule is solely responsible for this idea’s inception and for enabling a girl to discover her actual potential via education.
6. Kasturba Gandhi
An unheard-of name in the war for Indian independence, she is the wife of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the nation’s father, as we all know. Gandhi’s contribution to India’s independence is well known, while Kasturba Gandhi is less well known. She was an important leader in the fight for women’s liberation. She advocated for civil rights as a political activist as well. Like her spouse, she collaborated closely and equally with all the freedom fighters. During Gandhi’s tour to South Africa, when she was with him, she became a prominent member of the Phoenix community in Durban. She assisted in raising people’s awareness of discipline, literacy, health, hygiene, and cleanliness during the Indigo Planters Movement.
7. Vijay Laxmi Pandit
Vijay Laxmi Pandit, the sister of Jawaharlal Nehru, joined the Non-Cooperation Movement. In conjunction with the Civil Disobedience Movement, she was jailed three times: in 1932, 1941, and 1942. She was chosen to serve as the minister of local self-government and public health after being elected to the United Provinces’ provincial legislature in 1937. As India’s envoy at the inaugural United Nations meeting in San Francisco, she was crucial in opposing the power of the British. She was the first woman to hold the office of President of the General Assembly of the UN.
8. Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay
In December 1929, Smt. Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay was chosen as the president of the Youth Congress. She urged the National Congress leaders to set Poorna Swaraj as their objective. When Kamaladevi held to the Tricolor to defend it during a fight on January 26, 1930, she attracted the nation’s attention. She was pelted with blows as she resolutely stood guard over the flag while heavily bleeding. She sparked an energetic movement within the All India Women’s Conference. In addition to the countless numbers of Indian women who sacrificed their lives for the country’s freedom, a large number of foreign women also saw in India a chance for the world to be saved.
9. Annie Besant
On October 1st, 1847, Annie Besant was born in Annie Wood, Ireland. She was a well-known political activist, defender of freedom, and supporter of women’s rights and the anti-Church movement. In the 1870s, Annie Besant joined the National Secular Society, and the Fabian Society promoted freedom of thought and an end to the Catholic Church’s oppression in England. She joined the Theosophical Society in 1889 because she was a socialist and sought spiritual comfort. In 1893, she travelled to India with the intention of evangelising the Theosophical Society’s principles. She became steadily more involved in the continuing fight for freedom against British rule after arriving in India.
10. Usha Mehta
Usha Mehta was a woman from a little village in the Gujarati state who was born on March 25, 1920. She was considered as one of the combatants in the struggle against the British at a very young age. She participated in her first protest against the Simon Commission when she was 8 years old. For starting Secret Congress Radio, she is renowned. She participated in the Quit India Movement as well. She received the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian honor in India.
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