Updated October 19, 2022
The Female Freedom Fighters of India and their contributions are unforgettable. Almost everybody knows the names of many male freedom fighters, but when it comes to female freedom fighters the counts turns out much less.
Although it’s not our fault, it’s the bad mindset of our society where we all grew up. In our Patriarchal society, men and their contributions are always given more importance than women.
The name of female contributors always fades away from our minds, which is a bitter truth. Now, it’s time to change our mindset and create a society, where women are treated equally to men.
We can’t overlook the contributions of female freedom fighters, who fought valiantly for an independent India.
A Glimpse to Female Fighters’ Contributions
Female Fighters fought with real spirit and fearless bravery and confronted several pains, exploitations, tortures, and difficulties to give us the air of freedom. These women exhibited great bravery and fervent patriotism.
The history of the Indian Freedom Struggle would be incomplete without highlighting the achievements of many unsung Female Freedom Fighters of India.
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, fought against the British East India Company.
Now, read this article attentively to know the names and contributions of women freedom fighters of India.
Don’t keep this information to yourself, share it with everyone, so that they also know about these brave-heart, female freedom fighters of India.
1. Annapurna Maharana: She was an Indian Independence Activist and also a well-known advocate for social justice and women’s rights. When a jail term was made Chuni Apa promised to serve the poor.
Date of Birth: November 3, 1917, in Odisha, India
Date of Death: December 31, 2012
2. Annie Besant: She was a British socialist, theosophist, women’s rights advocate, author, speaker, political party member, educator, and philanthropist. Also, she was a fierce advocate for human freedom and self-rule in both Ireland and India.
Date of Birth: October 1, 1847
Date of Death: September 20, 1933
3. Aruna Asaf Ali: Aruna Asaf Ali was a publisher, political activist, and educator from India. She was an important member of the fight for Indian independence, and she is well known for raising the Indian National flag at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay in 1942, during the Quit India Movement. She continued involved in politics after independence and was elected as Delhi’s first Mayor.
Date of Birth: July 16, 1909
Date of Death: July 29, 1996
4. Begum Hazrat Mahal: She is renowned for playing a pivotal part in the Indian Rebellion of 1857’s uprising against the British East India Company.
Date of Birth: 1820
Date of Death: April 7, 1879
5. Bina Das: She was an Indian revolutionary from Bengal. She participated in the Quit India movement.
Date of Birth: August 24, 1911
Date of Death: 1986
6. Durgavati Devi: She was one of the few female freedom fighters of India, who participated in armed revolutions to fight against the British Raj.
Date of Birth: October 7, 1907
Date of Death: October 15, 1999
7. Hansa Mehta: The daughter of the Dewan of Baroda who fought for gender equality. She was a reformist, social activist, educator, independence activist, feminist, and author.
Date of Birth: July 3, 1897
Date of Death: April 4, 1995
8. Janakidevi Bajaj: The woman who gave up all comforts of life for the freedom of India. She advocated for the betterment of the lives of Harijans and their temple entry in 1928. She worked for Gauseva and made Khadi clothes to boycott Britisher’s clothes.
Date of Birth: January 7, 1893
Date of Death: May 21, 1979
9. Janaky Athi Nahappan: The woman who led ‘Rani of Jhansi Regiment’ of the Indian National Army.
Date of Birth: February 25, 1925
Date of Death: May 9, 2014
10. Jhalkari Bai: A forgotten warrior who risked her life to help Rani Laxmi Bai escape.
Date of Birth: November 22, 1830
Date of Death: April 4, 1858
11. Kalpana Datta: Kalpana, also known as Kalpana Joshi, was a leader in the Indian independence movement and a participant in Surya Sen’s armed independence campaign, which was responsible for the 1930 Chittagong armoury attack.
Date of Birth: July 27, 1913
Date of Death: February 8, 1995
12. Kamala Nehru: She was the wife of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India. She joined Harilal Gandhi in the national movement and rose to the top very rapidly. She led women’s protest organizations in Allahabad during the 1931 Non-Cooperation movement and picketed stores that sold imported clothing and alcohol.
Date of Birth: August 1, 1899
Date of Death: February 28, 1936
13. Kamla Chattopadhyay: She was most known for her involvement in the revival of Indian handicrafts, handlooms, and theatre in independent India, and her pioneering work to improve the socioeconomic status of Indian women.
Date of Birth: April 3, 1903
Date of Death: October 29, 1988
14. Kasturba Gandhi: She participated in demonstrations against the mistreatment of Indian immigrants in South Africa in 1913, which led to her detention and the imposition of a harsh labour sentence on September 23, 1913. She led other women in prayer while she was imprisoned and urged educated ladies to help the illiterate women learn to read and write.
Date of Birth: April 11, 1869
Date of Death: February 22, 1944
15. Kittur Chennamma: She was the former Indian Queen (Rani) of Kittur, a former princely state in modern-day Karnataka. In defiance of the Paramountancy, she organized an armed uprising against the British East India Company in 1824 in an effort to keep control of her realm.
Date of Birth: November 14, 1778
Date of Death: February 21, 1829
16. Krishnammal Jagannathan: The incredible story of this Gandhian from Tamil Nadu who fought the British and poverty at the same time.
Date of Birth: June 16, 1926
Date of Death: February 12, 2013
17. Kuntala Kumari Sabat: The woman who used poetry as a weapon in the freedom struggle. Odia poet Kuntala Kumari Sabat lived in colonial India. She was one of the woman poets from Odisha who rose to prominence during India’s war for independence and had a unique personality. She was a social worker, doctor, writer, poet, editor, and leader of the nationalist movement. In 1925, she received the Utkala Bharati award.
Date of Birth: 1901
Date of Death: 1938
18. Madam Bhikaji Cama: Bhikhaiji devoted the majority of her time and efforts to charitable causes and social service.
Date of Birth: April 11, 1869
Date of Death: February 22, 1944
19. Matangini Hazra: The woman who died by gunshots while chanting Vande Mataram. Gandhi Buri, Bengali meaning “old lady Gandhi,” was the name she was given with affection.
Date of Birth: October 19, 1870
Date of Death: September 29, 1942
20. Nalinibala Devi: How a poet from Assam led other women to participate in the freedom struggle. She is the first female poet from Assam to get the Padma Shri honour and the first woman to chair the Assam Sahitya Sabha.
Date of Birth: March 23, 1898
Date of Death: December 24, 1977
21. Nellie Sengupta: The British lady who went door-to-door to sell khadi.
Date of Birth: January 12, 1884
Date of Death: October 23, 1973
22. Parbati Giri: Dropped school to join freedom struggle, hailed as Mother Teresa of Odisha.
Date of Birth: January 19, 1926
Date of Death: August 17, 1995
23. Rajkumari Gupta: The woman who supplied guns and pistols for the Kakori robbery.
Date of Birth: 1902
Date of Death: Not known
24. Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi: Jhansi Ki Rani Lakshmibai was the queen of the Maratha princely state of Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, North India. She became a symbol of the Indian independence movement because of her strength, intelligence, courage, sacrifices, and progressive vision of women’s liberty in India in the 19th century. She is one of the most prominent female freedom fighters of India.
Date of Birth: November 19, 1828
Date of Death: June 18, 1858
25. Rosamma Punnoose: She was a lawyer, politician, and advocate for Indian independence. She was the first person to take the oath of office as a legislator for Kerala.
Date of Birth: May 12, 1913
Date of Death: December 28, 2013
26. Sarala Devi Chaudhurani: One of the most underrated freedom fighters of India who invoked patriotism through music.
Date of Birth: September 9, 1872
Date of Death: August 18, 1945
27. Savitribai Phule: Savitribai was a Maharashtrian poet, educator, and social reformer, who significantly contributed to the advancement of women’s rights in India. She campaigned to remove caste and gender prejudice and unfair treatment of individuals. She is recognized as a key player in Maharashtra’s social reform movement.
Date of Birth: January 3, 1831
Date of Death: March 10, 1897
28. Sucheta Kriplani: She rose to prominence during the Quit India Movement and was detained by British forces, just as her contemporaries Aruna Asaf Ali and Usha Mehta. With Mahatma Gandhi, she later collaborated closely during the Partition riots. In 1946, she travelled with him to Noakhali.
Date of Birth: June 25, 1908
Date of Death: December 1, 1974
29. Tara Rani Srivastava: Tara Rani inspired women from her village and the surrounding area to participate in protest marches against the British Raj in response to public plans that could have increased gender inequity.
Date of Birth: not known
Date of Death: not known
30. Tarkeshwari Sinha: She took part in the Quit India Movement. In honour of her brother Captain. Girish Nandan Singh, an Air India pilot who perished in a collision in New Delhi, Tarkeshwari Sinha established a hospital in Tulsigarh. For the construction of the two-story hospital where treatment was essentially free, she had gathered close to Rs 25 lakh, a significant figure in those days.
Date of Birth: December 26, 1926
Date of Death: August 14, 2007
31. Uda Devi: The warrior from Lucknow who killed over 30 British soldiers in the 1857 rebellion. Today, Devi and other Dalit female combatants are regarded as the “Dalit Veeranganas,” or fighters, of the 1857 Indian Rebellion.
Date of Birth: not known
Date of Death: In November 1857
32. Umabai Kundapur: The fearless leader who sheltered freedom fighters from the British
Date of Birth: March 25, 1892
Date of Death: 1992
33. Usha Mehta: She is credited with founding the Secret Congress Radio, an underground radio station that operated for a short period of time in 1942 during the Quit India Movement. She received the second-highest civilian honour bestowed by the Republic of India, the Padma Vibhushan, from the Indian government in 1998.
Date of Birth: March 25, 1920
Date of Death: August 11, 2000
34. Velu Nachiyar: She was the first Indian queen to go to battle with the East India Company.
Date of Birth: January 3, 1730
Date of Death: December 25, 1796
FAQs on the Female Freedom Fighters of India
Ans: Rani Lakshmi Bai
Ans: Rani Velu Nachiyar