Women Against the Raj: Female Freedom Fighters in the Struggle for India's Independence and Partition

This is the story of the women from the Indian Subcontinent who fought against British imperial power from the 1600s until the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947. It begins by looking at the Partition of India, and the unique impact this had on women who – in addition to the displacement and violence which affected millions of South Asians, suffered uniquely through a campaign of rape, abduction, and forced suicides which left a lasting impact on the souls of women from every community. It then seeks to shine a light on the often-forgotten story of these women – who were not just passive victims of British, and later, communal violence, but who fought alongside (or sometimes at the head of) their male counterparts to secure the fall of the British Raj and the independence of their own nation. The stories of up to forty women, are examined, from various religious and racial communities across South Asia who advocated for Indian Independence and should be remembered and celebrated as influential freedom fighters in the same way that their male contemporaries have been. The book concludes by briefly examining the role of women in Indian nationalist movements today, and how this can be traced to the precedent set by their ancestors during the colonial era.

Chloe Gardner is a PhD Candidate in Religious Studies at the University of Edinburgh. Her research largely focuses on interreligious relations and gender in South Asia. She also runs an award-nominated blog and Instagram account, Herstory Revisited, which aims to tell the stories of inspirational women who have been left out of traditional historical narratives. Since January 2021 she has been a director and writer at the Remedial Herstory Project, a US-based non-profit organization dedicated to developing and providing inquiry-based learning materials on women’s history free to educators. In support of its mission, the RHP produces media, provides resources, and professional development in history for educators. She recently joined the anti-racist education charity Show Racism the Red Card, a UK-wide organization providing training, workshops, and educational resources for children and adults of all ages to raise awareness of the causes and consequences of racism.