Hindu Women Rulers/Hindu Reigning Queens


               Women who participate in polity can be divided into two groups, passive and active. The former are those who do not interfere directly but instead influence the menfolk  from behind through advice or intrigues; there are examples galore of such kind of women in every society and naturally in Hindu society too. Less common are those who are allowed to act more directly, as legitimate rulers in their own right. Such women include generals, stateswomen, and monarchs who are recognized as such officially. This page lists the names of Hindu women belonging to this second group.

                 The list and associated information however is incomplete. I will try to update it  as much as possible, and highly appreciate it if anyone sends me new materials. (Dates are usually only approximate, indicating the century)


                 In the Vedic period little is known about women rulers or if there were any. The Vedic tribes seemed to have led both pastoral and cultivated lifestyles, but possibly being in the very early stages of civilization when military prowess was of overwhelming importance, women were not considered suitable chieftainess material. However we get the reference of a Dadhichi who turned his women into weapons; when Indra went to fight them he felt that he could face no danger from such weak soldiers. Mention is also made of a queen Bipsala who fought in the battlefield and lost one leg to her enemies; the Aswinis (divine doctors) fitted her with an iron leg. Many of the hymns in RigVeda were written by women rishis (equivalent of Hebrew Prophets); evidently they were influential religious leaders and so would have been listened to by the chiefs. We know that the queens had important roles to play in religious ceremonies, and many state ceremonies were not complete without their participation. However there is no evidence of Queens  as rulers rather than consorts and advisers. 

                 The early history of India in the post-Vedic period is equally obscure due to lack of sufficient written and archaeological materials. There were no strong Kingdoms, only a host of small principalities, republics and large confederations at most until the rise of the Magadha empire. We find it hard to get the names of male rulers of this period as well. However, two distinct views seem to have emerged regarding whether women could rule. Manusamhita declares that in the absence of a son or brother, other male members of the royal family should be selected; females are not mentioned in the list of successors. On the other hand, Kautilya's Arthashastra decrees that if the king has no direct male heir then a princess should be placed on the throne; he however makes it clear  that she should be guided by counsellors and it is the ministers' duty to marry her off as soon as possible. In Mahabharata, Bhisma advises that when a king is deceased, if he has no son, his daughter should succeed him as heir. Evidently practices varied from region to region. The text also mentions a kingdom ruled by women. In Ramayana, when Ram is sent to exile it was proposed that Sita would ascend the throne and govern the country. This last is most interesting since in Indian history, it is widows and daughter-in-laws who became rulers rather than daughters.  This is probably due to the fact that daughters would marry and move away, while according to Hindu  tradition the wife become a member of the husband's family. 

               The period till 400 A.D saw a great deal of political turmoil as empires rose and fell. It was further compounded by invasions by Scythians, Kushanas, Abhirs, Parthians.  One seal mentions Prabhudama, daughter of a Saka Starap, another seal at Kausambi speaks of Mahadevi Rudramati; but their status is not entirely certain. However we find that after her husband died in battle with Alexander, Masaga became the Queen and continued the war.  Megasthenes, the Greek ambassador to the court of Mauryas, speaks of Pandya as being ruled by women. According to him the Queendom comprised of 300 villages and had a strong army.  

                 400 A.D saw the saw the rise of the Gupta empire.  Maharajadhiraj Chandragupta I was married to Kumaradevi Licchavi.  Kumaradevi is always mentioned jointly with the king in seals and proclamations.  It would appear that she ruled as co- sovereign. The reason is not far to seek. The Guptas were an obscure clan and it is their alliance with the Licchavi Federation that enabled them to rise to power swiftly.  Naturally, the stronger partner in the alliance would insist that their representative hold equal power. It is also emphasized by the fact that their son, Samrat (emperor) Samadragupta is always described in the family list as 'son of Licchavi daughter'.  His granddaughter Prabhavatigupta married Vakataka king Rudrasena II and ruled as regent for 13 years.

                   At roundabout 600 A.D, the Chinese pilgrim who came to India, Hiuen Tsang, says that there are two Strirajya (states ruled only by queens) in Eastern India: in Garwal and Balluchistan. This is entirely possible, since even now in Eastern India there are communities where women alone inherit property and the husbands move into their wives home.

                     700-900 A.D:  Shila-Mahadevi, wife of Rasthrakuta emperor Dhruva probably ruled jointly with her husband; she had the right to make large grants independently.
                      The Kara dynasty in Orissa produced several ruling queens. There is Tribhavana Mahadevi I. Tribhavana Mahadevi II, wife of king Lalitahara,  was asked by the chiefs to ascend the throne.  Interestingly she was asked to do this and save the kingdom as Devi Gosvamini did in olden days, indicating that women had ruled before. Tribhavana Mahadevi III was the mother of the king after whose death she ascended the throne.  Next comes a remarkable list of four queens one after another. Gauri, another royal widow was elected queen. She was succeeded by her daughter Dandi-Mahadevi. Dandi was followed by Vakula Mahadevi and she by Dharma Mahadevi. Many of them adopted Imperial titles like Maharajadhiraj Parameshvari indicating that they had managed to extend their empire. The most  significant point about these queens is that  except Dandi all were senior ladies of the royal household who had married into it  and thus had no blood claim to the throne; the nobles elected them in preference to male members of the royal family or among themselves.


                       900 A.D:  Kashmir saw two queens who definitely do not adhere to the concept of the ideal Indian woman.  Sugandha, mother of  king Gopalavarmana, apparently had her son the king killed by her lover and became the queen.  But she could not satisfy the demands of the Tantrin Infantry who deposed her; she attacked them with her forces but was killed in battle.  Didda, wife of King Yasaskara, became the regent for their son; she crushed revolts and ruthlessly killed all who stood in her way of consolidating power.  After the death of her son, she murdered her three grandsons and took the throne officially in 980 A.D.  She was a strong queen who was good in war  and laid the foundations of  the Lohra dynasty. One of her singular  actions was to appoint a herder of buffaloes as her prime minister. Proving that crimes does pay sometimes, she died peacefully still powerful after appointing her nephew as her successor.
                         The mother of Lolitabharana Deva of Orissa  was elected ruler after his death.

                       
                       1000-1200 A.D:  
                       Mayanalladevi, the wife of Chalukya emperor Karna was regent for their son. 
                        Queen Tarabai of Todah's father lost his kingdom to Pathan invaders. According to tradition she went to battle on an elephant and herself decapitated the invader.   She later committed sati.
                         In 1178, when Mohammed Ghori attacked the Chalukyas, the king was only an infant; his mother Naikidevi became the regent and led her troops to war and defeated  Ghori. It does not appear that she actually participated in the battle; but she planned out  the winning strategies.
                           In 1193, Kurma Devi inherited Mewad after her husband's death and battled Kutubuddin. 

                          

                          12th century A.D:
                       Kakatiya dynasty produced two queens. Rudramba was the eldest daughter of emperor Ganapati in Andhra. She was formally designated as a son through the ancient Putrika ceremony and given the name of Rudradeva. She was declared the queen-designate.  She was trained in horse riding, fighting and military tactics. In 1261 she became queen and ruled her empire ably, winning battles.  Her sister Ganapamba was the joint sovereign of Guntur with her husband. After 1251 A.D she is titled Mahamandalesvara, indicating individual reign. 
                   One Nagasanamma was the widow of a feudal chief and inherited the chieftainship. she is described as Mahasamantha  showing that she ruled as a feudal lord in her own right. 
                Karnavati widow of Rana Singh became the defender of Chitore against Islamic invaders. 


           13th --  19th century:
             Durgavati, daughter of a Rajput chief, was married to Dalpat Shah of Gondwana. after the death of her husband, she became the regent of her minor son. She successfully repelled an attack by Bat Bahadur of Malwa. In 1564,  Akbar sent his army against the kingdom to annex it. Durgavati refused to surrender and conducted the war in person.  She was wounded and rather than be a prisoner stabbed herself.
               Karnavati, widow of Rana Singh successfully defended Chitore from the Mughals.
                 Chennamma of Keladi in Karnataka ruled the kingdom from 1671-1696.  She was widowed very young but managed to take over the throne in spite of scheming councillors and external dangers. apparently she was skilled with the sword as well. Several ministers and the commander-in-chief plotted to take away power from her but she successfully circumvented them.  Having no child she adopted a son and trained him in warcraft and statecraft.  A member of the royal family who felt he should have succeeded to the  crown made alliance with the Wodeyer ruler of Mysore, but the Queen defeated him in battle and forced a treaty on Mysore. Taking advantage of the situation the chieftains of Sodi, Sirsi and Vanavasi  declared war but they too were crushed.  Other leaders in the kingdom also revolted but she  banished them.  Rajaram, son of Chatrapati Shivaji came to Chennamna while fleeing from Aurangazeb. She granted him safe passage. This led to a war between Keladi and the Mughal empire. Though the resources of the Mughals were gigantic compared with the small state of Keladi, the latter's strategy was superior. They destroyed a major part of the Mughal army led by Aurangazeb's son, captured several Mughal captains, and booty. Ultimately a treaty was signed.
                   Tarabai Mohite was the widow of Raja Ram. After his death she ruled Maharasthra and successfully defended her kingdom from Aurangazeb.
                    Ahilyabai was married into the Holkar family of Indore.  Even in her teens she was already being instructed in army management and collection of revenues etc. When she was 20 her husband died. She wished to commit sati, but was prevented by her father-in-law. Later she became the queen and successfully managed her state making it prosperous. She also took part in battle and created a regiment of women troops.
                      Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi is perhaps the most well known to most Indians. She was one of the three leaders of the Sepoy Mutiny against the British. She died from her wounds. 

    

            What is even more surprising is that there seems to have been women governors in plenty.  While queens could at least claim right to rule by inheritance, governors are appointed by the kings and there is no obligation to appoint anyone they feel is not competent enough. So in one sense the appointment of women as governors of provinces or allowing queen-consorts  to have complete economic and political independence in territories granted to them by their husbands is more indicative of women's share in administration.  Of course it is to be noted that such governors inevitably came from royal families or aristocratic ones.

Princess Vijaya Bhattarika was governor under Chalukya emperor Vikramaditya I in 7th century.
 Revvaka Nammadi, a Rashtrakuta princess was governor of  Edatore in 900 A.D.
Akkadevi, sister of Chalukya Jayasimhavallabha was the governor of Konkan  in tenth century.
Kumkuma devi was another governor in 10th c.
Lakkadevi was a village headman, according to a 1148 inscription.
Mailalladevi, wife of Chalukya Someshwara I ruled the province of Vanavasi.
Ketala  another wife was the governor of  Pomnavad.
Piriyaketaladevi, a queen of  Chalukya Vikramaditya VI ruled three villages.
Srimadevi was governor of Samkarige.
Pamdambika was governor of  Tadikonda.
Jakkiabbe administered seventy villages after the death of her husband.

Nayakuralu Nagamma in 12th century was a minster of the Haihayas. She was peasant born but rose to her post due to her abilities and enabled her master to gain victories. When one of  the enemy kings declared that as a woman she was not fit to sit on military councils she challenged him to a duel. She naturally lost but eventually  bvictoryelonged to her side.

Takkadevi was a general of  the Chalukya empire who won a number of battles. She earned the sobriquet 'rana-bhairavi'  or battle-goddess.


            Apart from such individuals, most royal families seemed to have given their  women considerable freedom.  Many inscriptions show that the queens were granted large territories which they governed as their own realm. They collected the revenue, made donations freely, spend the money as they saw fit and administered law and order.  In many cases we find that  they donated heavily to temples and monasteries of their choice, though their husbands were of differing religious affiliations.



If anyone has any further information to contribute please contact me at  hinduwoman@hindunet.com

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