Long before the world was introduced to feminism, Maharani Tarabai was leading the Maratha empire. The Maratha empire under her reign was at its peak.

Yashwant Rao was a man of many great qualities. He was considerate, liberal, determined, fair, and just. But his biggest quality was to stand up against wrongdoers. Be it his drunk king or the mighty Peshwa Baji Rao. He was among the few who foresaw the horrors of colonisation.

Ranjit Singh is known as the Sher-e-Punjab, the lion of Punjab. He ruled Punjab at a time when only a lion like him could have survived as a king.

From losing seven kings in under two decades to becoming one of the wealthiest empires, Rajaraja completely changed the fortunes of the Chola dynasty

King Ashoka is known as the first Chakravarti Samrat of India. This title means ‘the universal ruler’. Ashoka’s rule extended to the whole Indian subcontinent. Considered the greatest Indian king by many, Ashoka’s life was no short of a rollercoaster ride.

Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of the Mauryan Empire. His life was nothing short of a fairytale. It had an evil king, a great mentor, and a perfect love story. Chandragupta is known as the first unifier of India. His reign is considered one of the biggest in the Indian subcontinent.

Rabindranath Tagore was born with a silver spoon. But he never let this fact become clutches to his creativity. Two nations, India and Bangladesh, have their national anthems written by Tagore. The depth of his work is beyond measure.

Gandhi represents the best of humankind. Early in his age, he understood the importance of human lives and hence chose peace and non-violence over hatred and violence.

Bhagat Singh was born in the year of 1907 to a family of farmers. His family belonged to the Sikh faith and lived in modern-day Lahore. Bhagat was growing up like any other normal kid until the day of the Jallianwala Bagh incident. Peaceful protesters gathered inside the Jallianwala Park were mercilessly massacred by the East India Company. At a very young age, Bhagat knew the path he was about to walk.

Born to an astronomer, Brahmagupta fell in love with the stars at an early age. Residing in northern Rajasthan, the clear nights of the Thar desert made the perfect set-up for the curious kid. From questioning the emptiness of the sky he went on to define it.

Sardar Patel was a man of vision and his willpower knew no bounds. It was willpower that made a late bloomer a top graduate. It was willpower that turned a lawyer into a freedom fighter. It was willpower that made 519 states a single nation.

Satyendra Nath Bose built his life on the pillars of relentless hard work and humility. Born with a silver spoon, Bose was always the hardest worker in the room. And even after not getting a Nobel, he was content. Today many call him an underrated and hidden genius. But in his own words, he got all the recognition he deserved.

The struggle for independent India created many female role models. Some fought with weapons, some fought with their wisdom, and some with words. One such prominent figure is Savitribai Phule, who is considered the mother of Indian feminism.