When we imagine the Crusades, our minds almost immediately summon images of armored Christian knights and Muslim warriors clashing on the battlefields of the Levant. Popular history and romanticized media have long portrayed these medieval holy wars as an exclusively male enterprise. Yet the historical reality tells a far more surprising story. Women took up […]
Meerabai the Poet: The Mystical Princess Who Defied Empire and Expectation
That dark dweller in BrajIs my only refuge.O my companion, worldly comfort is an illusion,As soon you get it, it goes.I have chosen the indestructible for my refuge,Him whom the snake of death will not devour.My beloved dwells in my heart all day,I have actually seen that abode of joy.Meera’s lord is Hari, the indestructible.My […]
Queen Manduhai the Wise: The Warrior Empress Who Reunited the Mongols
Queen Manduhai the Wise (1449–1510), also known as Mandukhai Sechen Khatun, was a legendary Mongolian Empress who single-handedly reunited the fractured Mongol Empire. At a time when female leadership was extraordinarily rare on the Eurasian steppe, Manduhai proved that brilliant military strategy and political resolve knew no gender. The title “Khatun” served as the female […]
Dixy Lee Ray: A Scientist in the Governor’s Chair
Dixy Lee Ray was not an obvious candidate for governor. In an era when Washington politics still rewarded the practiced politician, she arrived from another world. She was a marine biologist, university professor, museum director, and federal science administrator who had spent most of her adult life studying the natural world rather than cultivating political […]
Queen Anna of Denmark, Theater Pioneer & Patron of the Arts
Following the death of queen Elizabeth I, Queen Anna of Denmark became England’s first queen consort in over 40 years. As the wife of reigning King James I, Anna’s royal position differed vastly from Elizabeth’s. Anna after all did not have governing powers, and her position as James’ “wife” (femme covert) folded her legal identity […]
Sirimavo Bandaranaike: The First Female Prime Minister in the World
Ask anyone what they know about Sri Lanka and chances are, they may tell you that it’s the source of some of the world’s best tea. You may also hear that the country is famous for its love of cricket and for its stunning landscapes and scenery. But you will rarely, if ever hear, that […]
The Warrior Queen Chand Bibi
Every empire in the pages of history has witnessed female warriors who wielded weapons against their enemies. These “warrior queens” proved to be mighty heroines and acts as an inspiration to all the women in the world. But not many remember these heroines from the past and their legacy is often forgotten. The vast civilization […]
Elisabeth Christine Ulrike – Scandal and Exile
Elisabeth Christine Ulrike was briefly a Crown Princess of Prussia until her refusal to play along with their double-standards got her exiled for life.
5 Surprising Facts About the Mughal Princess Jahanara That History Forgot
Mughal princess Jahanara is largely forgotten today – however she was a true renaissance woman, who was an author, architect and mystic par excellence.
Vigdis Finnbogadóttir: The World’s First Female President
Who was the world’s first female president? This amazing woman was a pioneer who was also the first single woman to adopt a child solo.