Two major powers, a pen and a sword have been known to rule the world for centuries. But a woman with virtues like unfailing courage, perseverance and sacrifice can establish her authority over any of these powers.

This is found true in the case of certain exemplary women who remain iconic and eternal with their exquisite acts of bravery in the hour of peril for their motherland.

Let us take a quick glance at few such virtuous heroines who took part in the Indian Independence Struggle.

It all began with Bhima Bai Holkar, of Martha Empire, who fought with all courage and defeated British Colonel Malcolm during the early 1817 when the East India Company was expanding its empire.

Rani Chennamma

Kittur was a princely state of Karnataka during the reign of British rule in India. Rani Chennamma was the widowed queen who fought against the British for their unnecessary interference in the matters related to the Kingdom during 1824.

She stood against them when they rejected her choice of an adopted son as a successor to the throne of Belgaum. She was an exemplary woman in the Indian history whose great acts of valor marked the beginning of the India’s freedom struggle.

Rani Lakshmibai

Manikarnika, a young girl had a strong desire to ride over ten elephants. Her destiny drew her in such a way that she grew up to become the brave queen of Jhansi and carved a classical niche in the Indian history.

She is none other than the “VeerNaari” Rani Lakshmibhai, a skilled military leader and an Indian Woman Martyr who stood against the British and engaged herself in a bloody battle. She protested against the Doctrine of Lapse and valiantly fought the English until her last breath and fell as a warrior.

She stood as an inspiration to several Indians to revolt against the foreign rule and was honored during the World War-II, when the Indian Women brigade formed in the Indian National Army was named after her as the “Rani of Jhansi Regiment.”

Today we can find the Equestrian statue of this admirable woman across the country.

Sarojini Naidu

A unique woman dressed up in Khadar silk was found sitting in the street on a wooden chair awaited the British policemen to lock her up, during the Satyagraha Movement in 1931.

She is the famous Sarojini Chatopadhyay, the Nightingale of India, who was responsible for awakening the Indian women to fight for a cause. Born in Hyderabad, India, she was best known as the first female president of the Indian National Congress at the Kanpur Session.

This first woman governor of free Indian state of Uttar Pradesh was an extremely powerful activist, political leader, feminist, iconic woman and a famous poet.

Aruna Asaf Ali

Honored with the highest civilian award of the country, the Bharat Ratna, Aruna Asaf Ali, stood as an inspiration for thousands of youth to take part in the fight for free India.

She was self-disciplined and was known for her Spartan lifestyle. She was a teacher, deeply involved in the freedom struggle and an editor of Inquilab, a monthly journal of INC. Known to unfurl the National Flag at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay and played a great role in the Quit India Movement.

Kasturba Gandhi 

Born as Kastur Kapadia, Kasturba Mohandas Gandhi became a political activist who fought for civil rights in the Indian War of Independence.

She followed her husband in several movements and was the first woman to be imprisoned in Transvaal for taking part in Quit India Movement during 1942. She is remembered as a potential lady leader of the Women’s Satyagraha Movement in the History.

With the roof of snow and the living seas as its walls, our country mother India holds several such precious jewels in its heart.

A never-ending list of such women like Vijayalaxmi Pandit, Kamala Nehru, Lathika Ghosh, MuthuLakshmi Reddy, Durgabai Deshmukh, Beena Bhowmick, Begum Hazrat Mahal, Meera Ben and Sarla Ben, Sucheta Kriplani, RajKumari Amrit Kaur, Basanthi Devi, Annie Besant, Padmaja Naidu and more pledged their lives.

Let us bow and extend our respect and admiration to all the great women, who sacrificed their souls for our ultimate peace.