History often remembers kings, generals, and rulers, but the truest heroes are sometimes ordinary people who rose when the nation needed them most. In dusty villages, far away from royal courts and armies, women with no training, no wealth, and no privilege chose to pick up arms for their motherland. Among them was Mahabiri Devi, a young Dalit woman from Mundbhar in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. She was not born to power, but she carried the fire of freedom in her heart. Along with 22 other women of her village, she stood against the British empire. Their story is not written in grand monuments, yet their courage has become immortal in the soil of India.

“They were symbols of bravery and patriotism, yet their names have languished in oblivion.” Mahabiri Devi – a Bahujan woman in her twenties – led an extraordinary band of women who decided that silence was no longer an option. They took up arms against the most powerful colonial force of their time. Though largely absent from official histories, their fearless revolt and martyrdom remain a testimony to the spirit of India’s First War of Independence. What follows is the story of their bravery, told step by step, and a tribute to those who gave everything for Bharat Mata.

From Oppression to Rebellion: The Making of a Leader

Mahabiri Devi was born into the Bhangi community, a Dalit caste and was into the task of manual scavenging. She grew up under the twin burdens of humiliation and British oppression. Life offered her no education, but she carried intelligence, courage, and a voice that refused to be silenced. Even in her childhood, she resisted the chains that society placed upon her people.

She fought against the cruel practice of “grihnit karya” – the dirty and degrading work forced on her community for generations. In her twenties, Mahabiri Devi began to gather women from her village, giving them the courage to reject such indignities. Together, they formed an informal group that worked to stop women and children from being trapped in this humiliating labor.

Her strength made her beloved among the downtrodden. “Villagers revered her for speaking out against both caste-based oppression and the injustices of British rule.” She made no attempt to hide her hatred of the foreign rulers. By the mid-1850s, she had become the voice of resistance in her village—a young leader unafraid to challenge both social customs and imperial rule.

When the Fire of Meerut Reached Mundbhar

The summer of 1857 set India ablaze. In early May, the resentment that had long burned in the hearts of Indians erupted into open revolt. On May 10, 1857, Indian sepoys at the Meerut cantonment mutinied. With the support of civilians, they killed numerous British officers and civilians. This marked the beginning of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, a moment that shook the empire. The news spread swiftly, reaching even the quiet village of Mundbhar.

When Mahabiri Devi heard of the revolt, she felt the same fire of freedom within her. The courage of the sepoys inspired her to act without delay. She gathered the women of her village and spoke to them with fierce passion. She asked them why they should remain silent when men and women in Meerut had already raised their weapons against tyranny.

Her words moved them deeply. “According to later accounts, her fiery words moved 22 women – mostly young housewives who had never before handled weapons – to join her in armed resistance.” They came from different castes and faiths, but they stood together with one resolve: to fight for Bharat Mata and reclaim their dignity.

In the days that followed, Mahabiri forged these ordinary women into a fearless militia. They practiced with whatever weapons they could find—swords, spears, farming tools, and a few muskets. Their motto became their life: “Angrez raj ko mitao, ya mar jao!” – “Kill the British or perish!” They accepted death as a price of freedom. One scholar later wrote that Dalit women like Mahabiri “emerge as physically commanding and armed, infused with power, strength, bravery, activism and sacrifice, locked in violent conflict with the British.” These women were no longer just wives and daughters of a village. They had become veeranganas—warrior heroines of freedom.

The Day of Reckoning: Mahabiri’s Fearless Attack

Mahabiri Devi did not wait for others to lead. She struck before the flames of Meerut could even spread fully. “According to some accounts, she and her band of 22 women launched their attack on May 8, 1857 – two days prior to the Meerut cantonment uprising.” Their target was a group of British soldiers in Muzaffarnagar. Choosing surprise as their weapon, the women descended on the troops with unmatched ferocity.

Eyewitness stories and later accounts describe how these women fought with raw courage. Armed with swords, knives, axes, and a few muskets, they stormed into the ranks of the colonial soldiers. Their sarees flew in the dust, their cries echoed, and the astonished British soldiers found themselves under attack from women who had never seen a battlefield before. In that fierce skirmish, “Mahabiri Devi and her companions succeeded in killing several British soldiers.”

But the strength of the empire soon weighed against them. Once the British recovered from the shock, they brought in reinforcements and unleashed their firepower. Surrounded and outnumbered, Mahabiri and her women fought until the end. Some were shot dead in combat, others captured and executed. By the close of the battle, “all 22 women, along with their leader Mahabiri, had been martyred.”

Their attempt had cost the British lives, but every member of Mahabiri’s militia paid with their own. A later account summarized their fate: “Mahabiri Devi from Mundbhar formed a group of 22 women, attacked British soldiers and killed many of them. These women were caught and killed by the British.” Their rebellion was short, but their message was eternal—that even those thought weak and powerless could shake the empire.

In honoring them, the Vice-President of India once remarked how tragic it is that “their names are not found in our history.” Yet even if history books ignored them, their sacrifice lives on in memory, shining brighter than the silence of records.

Other Brave Women Warriors of Muzaffarnagar (1857–58)

Mahabiri Devi was not an isolated case. The Muzaffarnagar region of western Uttar Pradesh became a center of fiery resistance during 1857. Ordinary women, without royal titles or formal training, rose to fight alongside men. Historical records and local stories bring to light a long list of such forgotten heroines:

• Asghari Begum (age 45) – A respected woman who became a rebel leader in Muzaffarnagar. She was eventually captured in 1858 and met a horrific death when the British burned her alive as punishment for her role in the uprising. (She was among the oldest of the women fighters; most others were much younger.)

• Asha Devi Gurjari – A young Gujjar woman who, according to Dalit narratives, led a large band of girls and women into battle on May 8, 1857, the very day of Mahabiri’s attack. She too died fighting the British and is remembered as a martyr.

• Bhagwati Devi Tyagi (about 23 years old) – A farmer’s daughter from a Tyagi Brahmin family. She fought in several engagements against the British but was later captured. For the “crime” of raising arms against the East India Company, she was hanged in 1858.

• Habiba (age 24) – A Muslim Gujjar woman who “fearlessly fought in many battles to liberate neighbouring areas from the British.” She was also a skilled organizer who mobilized her people for the rebellion. She was captured in a counter-attack and executed on the gallows in 1858.

• Maan Kaur (25) – A Sikh woman from a shepherd family. Brave and unyielding, she too was captured and hanged in 1858.

• Raj Kaur (24) – A Rajput woman who took up arms and laid down her life fighting at Thana Bhawan in Muzaffarnagar district. She was killed in action during the revolt.

• Indra Kaur (also known as Inder Kaur) – A woman from a Jat background, in her late 30s by some accounts. She joined the uprising and died in battle.

• Bakhtavari (Bakhtawari) – Another Jat woman warrior, around 38 years old, often mentioned alongside Indra Kaur. Both fought and died in 1857. (Some sources mistakenly combine their names, but they appear to be two different individuals.)

• Jamila Khan (also called Zamila) – A Pathan Muslim woman of the region who joined the rebels. She fought bravely and was martyred in 1858.

• Rahimi (28) – A Muslim Rajput woman who took up arms. She was caught and hanged in 1858.

• Bhagwani (26) – A Brahmin woman who rebelled and was executed by hanging in 1858.

• Shobha Devi (25) – Another Brahmin woman rebel. She too was hanged by the British in 1858.

• Umda (26) – A Jat Muslim woman who “sacrificed her life resisting the British invasion.” She was likely executed after being caught.

• “Beebee” – A young unnamed Muslim woman mentioned in some records. She too was hanged in 1858.

Many of these women were part of coordinated uprisings in and around Thana Bhawan. British suppression in the area was brutal—some reports state that 11 or even 13 women rebels were hanged together, while others were burnt alive. As the Times of India later confirmed, “records show [multiple] young women plunged into battle in 1857,” including Habiba, Rahimi, Raj Kaur, Shobha Devi, and Umda, all in their early twenties. Another account summarized it starkly: apart from Asghari Begum, who was older, all the women warriors of Muzaffarnagar were in their twenties, and all were eventually captured—some hanged, others burnt alive.

This list of names—Asha, Bhagwati, Habiba, Indra, Maan, Raj, Jamila, Rahimi, Shobha, Umda, and others—shows how women of different castes and religions fought together. Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh; upper-caste and lower-caste—each one broke barriers of gender and tradition to resist the common oppressor. Their stories were buried for more than a century, but recent scholars and community historians have begun to recover their voices. Each of these veeranganas proves that 1857 was not just a “sepoy mutiny.” It was a people’s uprising where even village women fought and died for freedom.

Legacy and Eternal Remembrance

The saga of Mahabiri Devi and her 22 fighters, and of the other women of Muzaffarnagar, is one of the most moving chapters in Indian history. Yet, it was almost erased from memory. For decades, history books spoke mainly of male sepoys or royal women like Rani Lakshmibai and Begum Hazrat Mahal. Only in recent years have researchers begun to tell the stories of these “forgotten women of 1857.” Their heroism shattered gender barriers and showed how entire communities could rise. As historian KK Sharma rightly observed, in 1857 “barriers of gender also crumbled – hundreds of women fought the British and many were even in commanding roles.” Mahabiri Devi’s leadership was the clearest example of this spirit in the Muzaffarnagar region.

Today, Dalit and local traditions remember Mahabiri Devi as a martyr and a symbol of Bahujan pride. Within the Bhangi (Valmiki) community, she has become an icon of resistance. Her story—how she rallied women from marginalized backgrounds to fight the most powerful empire of the time—remains an inspiration that no one is too oppressed to resist. Other women warriors of 1857 are honored in folk songs, local memorials, and oral histories. Statues of heroines like Uda Devi Pasi stand in Lucknow, while Jhalkari Bai’s valor is remembered in Bundelkhand. Mahabiri Devi and her companions are now seen alongside them, no longer victims but victors in memory.

Yet, it is a tragedy that no monument stands for Mahabiri Devi and the 22 women who died with her. Their names may not be printed in schoolbooks, but their courage speaks louder than any recognition. On 8th May 1857, these ordinary women achieved something extraordinary—they struck at the British, fully aware that they might not survive. They gave their lives for the freedom of their land.

We bow to these 22 women warriors, and to all the daughters of Bharat Mata who gave their today for our tomorrow. Their patriotism and sacrifice will forever remain a guiding light in India’s journey of freedom. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳

Sources

• Charu Gupta (2007). “Dalit ‘Viranganas’ and Reinvention of 1857,” Economic and Political Weekly, 42(19), pp. 1739-1745. (Insights on Dalit women warriors like Mahabiri Devi)
• Uday Rana (2016). “The revolt of 1857: When gender barriers crumbled, women fought as equals,” Times of India (Meerut edition) – citing records of women fighters in Muzaffarnagar (Asghari Begum, Habiba, Raj Kaur, etc.)
• Pritika Chowdhry (2022). “Women warriors of the 1857 revolt in India,” PritikaChowdhry.com – details on rebel women executed in 1857-58 (Habiba, Maan Kaur, Shobha, etc.).
• Her Circle (2021). “Women in the Indian Freedom Movement: The Unsung Sheroes of 1857,” hercircle.in – summary of Mahabiri Devi’s attack and list of other Muzaffarnagar women fighters (Asha, Bakhtavari, Indra Kaur, Rahimi, etc.)
• Abhinandan Shukla et al. (2013). “Women fighters in 1857–1858,” International Journal of Innovative Research in Science, Engineering and Technology, Vol.2(12) – notes on Mahabiri Devi’s uprising and outcome