Born: 3 January 1730, India
Died: 1796
Country most active: India
Also known as: NA
The following is excerpted from Infinite Women founder Allison Tyra’s book The View from the Hill: Women Who Made Their Mark After 40.
Indian women of the era were also waging a fight to expel the British from their homeland, though theirs would prove to be a much longer battle. Born in 1730, Rani Velu Nachiyar was the first queen to actively oppose the British, though she would be far from the last. Long before the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857, she was drawn into war when her husband, the king of Sivagangai, was killed in 1772 by British forces in league with the Nawab of Arcot. In addition to being a scholar of languages, Velu Nachiyar was also trained in military strategy and various martial arts and the use of different weapons, as well as horseback riding and archery. She was able to escape with her daughter, then lived under a neighboring province’s protection for eight years. During this time, she built an army and formed alliances. When she was ready, she and her forces waged war on the British in 1780, emerging victorious. She would rule her kingdom for a decade before passing the throne to her daughter, Vellachi (also spelled Vellacci). Her legacy is still remembered today, and Velu Nachiyar was honored with a commemorative postage stamp, first issued December 31, 2008.