RULERS, WARRIORS, AND REBELS: RECLAIMING THE LEGACY OF WOMEN LEADERS IN THE SUBCONTINENT

Abstract

Mainstream historical narratives have long centered on male figures, often relegating queens, princesses, and female warriors to brief mentions. This bias reflects broader gender dynamics in historical scholarship, as data reveals historical themes and writers that popular history frequently favours male narratives. According to research by Andrew Kahn and Rebecca Onion, males write 75.8% of historical titles, while the number is only somewhat lower for New York Times best-sellers (70.4%). With 71.7% of topics being men, biographies make up a sizable percentage of these titles. according to historian Ann M. Little, these well-known biographies frequently support a limited perspective of history, focused “the heroic individual who bends history to his will” rather than on the collective experiences of communities. This thesis will explore the contributions made by the queens, princesses, and female warriors in the Indian subcontinent (13th century to 19th century). it seeks to shed light on their lives and contribution, challenge the patriarchal stereotypes, rediscover their story and highlight the true meaning of women’s empowerment through digital comic.