India has produced many great rulers (kings and queens), whose history is still famous all over the world. In this article, we will know about the Top 15 Most Famous Queens in India of all time. These Indian queen names are ranked by the ‘Historical Popularity Index’ (HPI).
Famous Queens of India
India is home to many historical empires and dynasties. There have been many great and powerful queens in the history of the country. These famous Indian queens are mostly known for their outstanding leadership, their bravery and their beauty. These great queens is famous not only in India but in the whole world.
Earlier we have learned about Top 30 Most Famous Indian Kings in India (see).
Top 15 Most Famous Queens in India Ever
16. Jahanara Begum (HPI – 53.05)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Jahanara Begum is ranked 16th among the Most Famous Queens of India of all time. Her Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 53.05. Her biography is available in 29 different languages on Wikipedia.
Jahanara Begum (23 March 1614 – 16 September 1681) was a Mughal princess and later the Padshah Begum of the Mughal Empire from 1631 to 1658 and again from 1668 until her death. She was the second and the eldest surviving child of Emperor Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. Jahanara Begum is one of the most famous Muslim queens of India.
15. Begum Hazrat Mahal (HPI – 53.70)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), the Begum Hazrat Mahal is ranked 15th among the Most Famous Indian Queens of all time. Her Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 53.70, and her biography is available in 23 different languages on Wikipedia.
Begum Hazrat Mahal (c. 1820 – 7 April 1879), also known as the Begum of Awadh, was the second wife of Nawab of Awadh Wajid Ali Shah, and the regent of Awadh in 1857–1858. She is known for the leading role she had in the rebellion against the British East India Company during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Begum Hazrat Mahal is one of the most famous Muslim queens of India.
14. Mastani (HPI – 54.24)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Mastani is ranked 14th among the Most Famous Indian Queens of all time. Her Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 54.24. Her biography is available in 21 different languages on Wikipedia.
Mastani (29 August 1699 – 28 April 1740) was the daughter of Chhatrasal and Ruhani Bai Begum. She was the second wife of the Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao I. Her relationship within the Maratha Brahmin family has been subject of both admiration and controversy and well adapted in Indian novels and cinema.
13. Velu Nachiyar (HPI – 54.69)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), the Queen Velu Nachiyar is ranked 13th among the Most Famous Queens in India of all time. Her Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 54.69. Her biography is available in 19 different languages on Wikipedia.
Rani Velu Nachiyar (3 January 1730 – 25 December 1796) was a queen of Sivaganga estate from c. 1780–1790. She was the first Indian queen to wage war with the East India Company in India. She is known by Tamils as Veeramangai (“brave woman”). With the support of Hyder Ali’s army, feudal lords, the Maruthu Brothers, Dalit commanders, and Thandavarayan Pillai, she fought the East India company. She is one of the most famous South Indian queens.
12. Ruqaiya Sultan Begum (HPI – 54.93)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Ruqaiya Begum is ranked 12th among the Most Famous Queens from India of all time. Her Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 54.93. Her biography is available in 18 different languages on Wikipedia. Begum Ruqaiya is a famous Muslim queen of India.
Ruqaiya Sultan Begum (c. 1542 – 1626) was the first and chief wife of the third Mughal emperor, Akbar. Ruqaiya was a first cousin of her husband and was a Mughal princess by birth. Her father, Hindal Mirza, was the youngest brother of Akbar’s father, Humayun. She was betrothed to Akbar at the age of nine and married him at 14, but remained childless throughout her marriage. She was being the first wife also known as Zan-i-Kalan. In later life, she raised Akbar and Mariam-uz-Zamani‘s grandson, Khurram (the future emperor Shah Jahan)
11. Durgavati (HPI – 55.34)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), the Queen Durgavati is ranked 11th among the Most Famous Queens of India of all time. Her Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 55.34. Her biography is available in 18 different languages on Wikipedia.
Rani Durgavati (5 October 1524 – 24 June 1564) was the ruling Queen of Gondwana from 1550 until 1564. She was married to Dalpat Shah the son of the king Sangram Shah of the Garha Kingdom.
Top 10 Queens of India
10. Ahilyabai Holkar (HPI – 56.24)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), the Queen Ahilya Bai Holkar is ranked 10th among the most famous queens of India of all time, and 8th among the most famous female personalities of Maharashtra. Her Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 56.24. Her biography is available in 24 different languages on Wikipedia.
Ahilya Bai Holkar (31 May 1725 – 13 August 1795) was the hereditary noble queen of the Maratha Empire, in early-modern India. She established Maheshwar (in Madhya Pradesh) as the seat of Holkar Dynasty. After the demise of her husband Khande Rao Holkar and father-in-law Malhar Rao Holkar, Ahilya Bai herself undertook the affairs of Holkar dynasty. She defended the Malwa state against intruders and personally led armies into battle, with Tukoji Rao Holkar as her military commander.
9. Tarabai (HPI – 57.61)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), the Queen Tarabai is ranked 9th among the most famous Indian queens, 5th among the most famous women of Maharashtra, and 21st among the most famous women of India. Her Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 57.61. Her biography is available in 26 different languages on Wikipedia.
Tarabai Bhosale (1675 – 1761) was the regent of the Maratha Empire of India from 1700 until 1708. She was the queen of Rajaram Bhonsale, and daughter-in-law of the empire’s founder Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. She is acclaimed for her role in keeping alive the resistance against Mughal occupation of Maratha territories after the death of her husband, and acting as the regent during the minority of her son, Shivaji II.
- Top 20 Most Viewed Personalities on Marathi Wikipedia (by year – 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022)
8. Mariam-uz-Zamani (HPI – 58.95)
With an HPI of 58.95, Mariam-uz-Zamani (Jodha) is ranked 8th among the most famous queens in India of all time and 19th among the most Famous Women of India. Her biography has been translated into 28 different languages of Wikipedia.
Mariam-uz-Zamani (c. 1542 – 19 May 1623), commonly known by the misnomer ‘Jodha Bai‘, was the chief consort and principal Rajput empress consort as well as the favourite wife of the third Mughal emperor, Akbar. She was also the longest-serving Hindu empress of the Mughal Empire with a tenure of forty-three years (1562 –1605).
Born a Rajput princess, she was married to Akbar by her father, Raja Bharmal of Amer due to political exigencies. Her marriage to Akbar led to a gradual shift in the latter’s religious and social policies. She is widely regarded in modern Indian historiography as exemplifying both Akbar’s and the Mughals’ tolerance of religious differences and their inclusive policies within an expanding multi-ethnic and multi-religious empire. She was an extremely beautiful woman and was said to possess uncommon beauty. She was presumed to have possessed a strong, sinewy frame and was widely known for both her grace and intellect. In the words of Akbar, she’s described as ‘a piece of the moon’.
She was a senior-ranking wife of Akbar who in the words of Abu’l-Fazl ibn Mubarak, commanded a high rank in the imperial harem. She is stated as the favourite and an influential consort of Akbar, having a considerable influence in the matters of the court. Described as an intelligent, amiable, kind and liberal woman, she was often consulted by Akbar on important matters. She was the mother of Akbar’s eldest surviving son and eventual successor, Jahangir, and grandmother of Shah Jahan.
7. Chennamma (HPI – 59.42)
With an HPI of 59.42, the Queen of Kittur Chennamma is ranked 7th among the most Famous Queens of India, 33rd among the most famous Indian rulers (male or female), and 17th amoug the most popular Indian women of all time. Her biography has been translated into 20 different languages of Wikipedia.
Kittur Chennamma (23 October 1778 – 21 February 1829) was the Indian Queen of Kittur, a former princely state in present-day Karnataka. She led an armed resistance against the British East India Company in 1824, in defiance of the Paramountcy, in an attempt to retain control over her dominion. She is one of the most famous South Indian queens.
She defeated the Company in the first revolt, but died as a prisoner of war after the second rebellion. As one of the first and few female rulers to lead rebel forces against British colonisation, she continues to be remembered as a folk hero in Karnataka, she is also an important symbol of the Indian independence movement.
- Top 20 Most Viewed Personalities on Hindi Wikipedia (by year – 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022)
6. Nur Jahan (HPI : 62.04)
With an HPI of 62.04, the Mughal empress Nur Jahan is ranked 6th among the most famous queens of India of all time, 30th among the most famous Indian rulers (male or female), and 15th among the most Famous Indian women of all time. Her biography has been translated into 36 different languages of Wikipedia.
Nur Jahan (c. 1577 – 18 December 1645) was the wife and chief consort of the Mughal emperor Jahangir from 1620 until his death in 1627. She was the most powerful empress in the Mughal Empire. More decisive and proactive than her husband, she is considered by historians to have been the real power behind the throne for more than a decade. Nur Jahan is the 3rd most famous Muslim queens of India.
Nur Jahan was granted certain honours and privileges which were never enjoyed by any Mughal empress before or after like having coinage struck in her name. Jahangir’s addiction to alcohol and opium made it easier for Nur Jahan to exert her influence over him and exercise power. She was granted the privilege to issue farmāns (sovereign mandates).
5 Great Queens of India
5. Razia Sultana (HPI : 63.03)
With an HPI of 63.03, Razia Sultan is ranked 5th among the most famous Indian Queens, 28th among the most famous rulers in India (male or female), and 14th among the most Famous Indian Women of all time. Her biography has been translated into 50 different languages of Wikipedia.
Razia Sultana (died 15 October 1240, r. 1236–1240) was a ruler of the Delhi Sultanate in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. She was the first female Muslim ruler of the subcontinent, and the only female Muslim ruler of Delhi. A daughter of Mamluk Sultan Shamsuddin Iltutmish, Razia administered Delhi during 1231–1232 when her father was busy in the Gwalior campaign. Razia Sultana is the second most famous Muslim queens of India.
According to a possibly apocryphal legend, impressed by her performance during this period, Iltutmish nominated Razia as his heir apparent after returning to Delhi. Iltutmish was succeeded by Razia’s half-brother Ruknuddin Firuz, whose mother Shah Turkan planned to execute her. During a rebellion against Ruknuddin, Razia instigated the general public against Shah Turkan, and ascended the throne after Ruknuddin was deposed in 1236.
4. Mahaprajapati Gautami (HPI – 63.46)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī is ranked 4th among the most Famous Indian Queens of all time, 24th among the most famous Indian rulers (male or female), 20th among the most famous Indian Buddhists and 13th among the most famous Indian women of all time.
Her Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 63.46. Her biography is available in 28 different languages on Wikipedia.
Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī was the foster-mother, step-mother and maternal aunt (mother’s sister) of the Buddha. In Buddhist tradition, she was the first woman to seek ordination for women, which she did from Gautama Buddha directly, and she became the first bhikkhuni (Buddhist nun).
3. Mumtaz Mahal (HPI – 64.52)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Mumtaz Mahal ranks third among the most famous queens of India and 10th among the most famous Indian women of all time, 19th among the most famous Indian rulers (male or female), First among most famous Muslim women of India. Her Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 64.52. Her biography is available in 61 different languages on Wikipedia.
Mumtaz Mahal (29 October 1593 – 17 June 1631) was the empress consort of Mughal Empire from 19 January 1628 to 17 June 1631 as the chief consort of the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan. The Taj Mahal in Agra, often cited as one of the Wonders of the World, was commissioned by her husband to act as her tomb. Mumtaz Mahal is the most famous Muslim queens of India.
# Yashodhara (HPI – 68.11)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), the Princess Yasodharā is ranked 6th among the most famous Indian women of all time. Her Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 68.11. Her biography is available in 34 different languages on Wikipedia. She is the 11th most Famous Buddhist of India.
Yaśodharā was the wife of Prince Siddhartha — until he left his home to become a śramaṇa— the mother of Rāhula, and the sister of Devadatta. She later became a Buddhist Nun and is considered an arahatā.
Yaśodharā was the daughter of King Suppabuddha, and Amita. She was born on same day in the month of Vaishaka as prince Siddhartha. Her grandfather was Añjana a Koliya chief, her father was Suppabuddha and her mother, Amitā, came from a Shakya family. The Shakya and the Koliya were branches of the Ādicca (Sanskrit: Aditya) or Ikshvaku dynasty. There were no other families considered equal to them in the region and therefore members of these two royal families married only among themselves.
She was wedded to the Shakya prince Siddhartha, when they were both 16. At the age of 29, she gave birth to their only child, a boy named Rāhula. On the night of his birth, the prince left the palace. Yaśodharā was devastated and overcome with grief. Once prince Siddhartha left his home at night for enlightenment, the next day, everyone was surprised by the absence of the prince.
2. Lakshmibai (HPI – 68.91)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Rani Lakshmibai is ranked second among the most famous Queens in India, 4th among the most famous Indian women, and 10th among the most famous Indian rulers (male or female) of all time. Her Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 68.91. Her biography is available in 62 different languages on Wikipedia. She is the most famous woman of Maharashtra of all time.
Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi (19 November 1828 — 18 June 1858), was an Indian queen, the Maharani consort of the Maratha princely state of Jhansi from 1843 to 1853 as the wife of Maharaja Gangadhar Rao. She was one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and became a symbol of resistance to the British Rule In India for Indian nationalists. Rani Lakshmibai was born in the town of Varanasi into a Marathi Karhade Brahmin family. She is a Bravest Queen of India.
1. Maya Devi (HPI – 69.19)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), the Queen Maya ranks 1st among the Most Famous Indian Queens of all time, 9th among the most famous Indian rulers (male or female), and 3rd among the most famous Indian women of all time. Her Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 69.19. Her biography is available in 40 different languages on Wikipedia.
Queen Māyā of Shakya (Mahamaya and Māyādevī) was the birth mother of Gautama Buddha, the sage on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. She was sister of Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī, the first Buddhist nun ordained by the Buddha.
Maya died soon after the birth of the Buddha, generally said to be seven days afterwards. Thus Maya did not raise her son who was instead raised by his maternal aunt Mahapajapati Gotami. The Buddha, the son of Maya, ranks first among the most famous personalities of India ever.
About the Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
You knew that these Top 15 famous Indian Queens are ranked according to Historical Popularity Index (HPI) 2022 of Pantheon. Pantheon aggregates information about individuals’ online popularity. HPI (Historical Popularity Index) is currently made of five components: the “age” of a biography’s character (e.g. the Queen Maya is more than 2,600 years old), number of Wikipedia language editions in which the biography has a presence (L), the concentration of the pageviews received by a biography across languages (L*), the stability of pageviews over time (CV), and the number of non-English pageviews received by that biography.
Summary
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