Regal, resilient and remarkable, these queen mothers left behind extraordinary legacies. (Photo: AI Generated) Throughout history, we have seen that some women were queens for a reason. The king may have been present, but it was often the women who stepped up during times of crisis and took charge. They were the ones who wielded real power. In pre-Independence India, there were instances where queens became regents and governed decisively after the death of their husbands, until the male heir was old enough to officially ascend the throne. They also broke the rules of patriarchy and gave their children a progressive upbringing. Here are the queen mothers who deserve a mention as we approach Mother's Day. (Left) Illustration of Maharani Jind Kaur rallying Sikh troops. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons); (Right) Maharani Jind Kaur. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons) When she became Queen Regent while her son was still a child, Jind Kaur, as she was commonly known, struggled even to receive basic respect from ministers who were uncomfortable with a woman ruler. She fought against internal politics and, with the support of the Khalsa Panchayat, became regent with complete control of the Lahore Darbar. However, many coveted the throne and wanted Duleep Singh removed. The young queen refused to give up and transformed herself into a formidable leader, constantly seeking allies to strengthen her hold on power. In 1845, the Sikhs lost the First Anglo-Sikh War against the colonial forces. After the Treaty of Lahore was signed in 1846, Duleep Singh was retained as ruler and Jind Kaur as regent, but she was eventually replaced by a council of ministers. In 1849, Punjab was annexed and the British government became the guardian of the 10-year-old Duleep Singh. Jind Kaur was exiled to Nepal and did not see her son for more than 13 years after their separation. Maharani Kempananjammani Vani Vilasa Sannidhana with her grandson, Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar. Photo: Wikimedia Commons) It was not an easy time to govern Mysuru, as the state was in the grip of the bubonic plague. There was devastation all around, and half of Mysuru had perished as a result. She responded by increasing spending on healthcare and building hospitals. She was willing to sacrifice everything for the development of Mysuru. Vikram Sampath, in his book Splendours of Royal Mysore: The Untold Story of the Wodeyars, wrote, "The KRS dam, completed in 1931, created the biggest reservoir in Asia, second only to the Aswan dam across the Nile in Egypt. Since the outlay for the dam exceeded the state budget, Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar (then a mere teenager) and his sagacious mother, Regent Queen Kempananjammanni, sold costly diamonds, ornaments, gold, and silver plates of the royal family in Bombay to provide seed capital for the project." A prestigious institute such as the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) was set up in Bengaluru after the Maharani of Mysore gave a generous grant of land and money. (Left) Maharani Indira Devi of Cooch Behar. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons); (Right) Maharani Indira Devi with her daughter, Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur. (Photo: Facebook) Indira Devi was the original fashionista who introduced chiffon sarees from Lyon, France, to India. She was an accomplished woman who was fluent in Marathi, Bengali and French, and was a force to reckon with. While widows in early 20th-century India were expected to lead lives of austerity, she refused to adhere to society's rules. "Mother was quite simply the most beautiful and exciting woman any of us had known. She remains in my memory as an unparalleled combination of wit, warmth and exquisite looks," Gayatri Devi had said. Namya is a seasoned journalist with nearly two decades of experience. A graduate of Miranda House, Delhi University, and Boston University's College o... View More