The first queen to successfully wage and win a war against the British East India Company was Rani Velu Nachiyar (1730-1796) of Sivaganga in South India, often called "Veeramangai" (Brave Woman). She reclaimed her kingdom around 1780 after a period of exile, forming a powerful alliance with Hyder Ali and using strategic brilliance, including a female army led by Kuyili, to defeat the British decades before the 1857 rebellion.
QUEEN VELU NACHIAR (3 January 1730 – 25 December 1796)
Rani Velu Nachiyar was the first queen to fight against the British colonial power in India. She is known by Tamils as Veeramangai.
The Rani of Jhansi (born Manikarnika Tambe; 1827–30, or 1835 – 18 June 1858), also known as Rani Lakshmibai, was one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
Rani Chennamma, the queen of Kitturu was one such warrior who led a war against British forces in early part of 19th Century when not many rulers were familiar with the evil designs of the British. She was the first Indian ruler to lead an armed rebellion against the British East India Company.
Jhalkaribai (22 November 1830 – 5 April 1858) was a woman soldier who played an important role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. She served in the women's army of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi. She eventually rose to a position of a prominent advisor to the queen, Rani of Jhansi.
Rani Velu Nachiyar was the first ever woman from a royal family to have challenged the mighty British Empire. According to historian Prof. Sanjeevi, brave heart queen Velu Nachiyar revolted against English empire 85 years before Rani of Jhansi challenged Colonial power.
The Queen-Empress never visited India herself, but would bring the vast country to her in many symbolic ways, importing Indian manservants, having an Indian secretary teach her sufficient Hindi to enable her to write diary entries in the language, having an Indian dish on most of her dinner menus, wearing and ...
Rani Lakshmibai – The Warrior Queen of Jhansi (1828–1858)
Rani Lakshmibai is remembered as one of the fiercest warriors of the Indian freedom struggle. She was a queen of Jhansi, and she strongly resisted the British annexation policy on the Doctrine of Lapse.
She defeated the British army in the first war, but died as a prisoner after her second rebellion. As one of the first and few female rulers to lead kittur forces against British colonisation, she continues to be remembered as a folk heroine in Karnataka.
Queen Kurmadevi of Mevad commanded her armies on the battlefield in the late twelfth century. Queen Didda of Kashmir ruled as full sovereign for twenty-two years, and Queen Jawahirabi fought and died at the head of her army. In Sri Lanka, Queen Sugula led her armies against the southern king, her nephew.
The late Queen Elizabeth II (1952-2022) was the last British Monarch to preside over any semblance of an Empire.
Evidence of Boudica's existence is drawn from two early Roman historians. While many historians feel that Boudica was a real individual, no archeological evidence of her existence has been recovered, and some debate remains on whether or not she was real.
The BBC History Magazine stated that the book told a "charming tale which should have been told before", and in Dawn, the book was described as "a mélange of history, drama and fantasy". The Times of India said that its power lay in it being "fact rather than fiction".
Velu Nachiyar, the little-known queen from Tamil Nadu, was the first Indian ruler to fight and triumph against the British. She did this in 1780, 77 years before the First War of Independence.
India. The Government of India first demanded the return of the Koh-i-Noor as soon as independence was granted in 1947. A second request followed in 1953, the year of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Each time, the British Government rejected the claims, saying that ownership was non-negotiable.
The Munshi Abdul Karim entered the Queen's service in 1887 as her personal Indian servant. The Queen considered him 'a perfect gentleman' and in 1888 he became her official Indian Secretary. He gave the Queen lessons in Hindustani. He was provided with a Royal Household pension in April 1901 and died in Agra, India.
Rani Chennamma of Kittur (1778–1829)
Often cited as the first woman freedom fighter of India, she fought against the British decades before 1857.
Chennamma was born into the Lingayat community. From a very young age, she was trained in sword fighting, archery and horse riding as a part of family tradition.
Kittur Chenamma is a 1961 Indian historical drama film in Kannada language of an Indian freedom fighter who led an armed rebellion against the British East India Company in 1824, and died in captivity in 1829.
Answer: The first Indian king to resist British rule was Tipu Sultan, the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He fought several wars against the British East India Company during the late 18th century, known as the Anglo-Mysore Wars.
The Rebel Queen: Lakshmibai, Rani of Jhansi A pivotal figure in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against British rule, Rani Lakshmibai was the queen of the princely state of Jhansi. After the British annexed her kingdom and she was forced to flee, she fiercely fought to reclaim it.
Princess Gauramma is pretty well documented. There's even a few 'popular' books on her. C. P. Belliappa, Victoria Gowramma: The Lost Princess of Coorg (2009, Rupa Publications)– The only full-length biography dedicated to her life, tracing her journey from Benares to England, and the fate of her descendants.
Queen Victoria was excited to learn Hindustani phrases from her Indian teacher, Abdul. She loved showing off her new language skills to Indian princes. Some phrases were standard, but others, like "Hold me tight," raised eyebrows. Have you learned any surprising phrases?
Queen Victoria restored the reputation of a monarchy tarnished by the extravagance of her royal uncles. She also shaped a new role for the Royal Family, reconnecting it with the public through civic duties. At just 4ft 11in tall, Victoria was a towering presence as a symbol of her Empire.