The queens of pre-Independent India were known for their bravery in the face of adversity, their courage to face death, and their intense love and love for their motherland, but these women leaders are long gone and forgotten.

Sukumari Bhattacharya was a profound scholar and humanitarian who worked towards gender equality and freedom of expression for women during her lifetime.

Anna Chandy became the first woman in the commonwealth countries to become a high court judge.

Take a look at five queens who have been misinterpreted and painted in different shades of the wrong colours for being women in power. 

It was in 1914 that Durgabai Kamat took up Dadasaheb Phalke’s offer to act in his second film Bhasmasur Mohini, hence becoming the first actress of Indian cinema.

Kadambari Devi lived a short life of 25 years, but her shadow lingers upon the entire oeuvre of Tagorean literature.

Amelia Earhart was a a record-breaking aviator who lived her life according to her own rules, and paved the way for the numerous women who came after her.

She saw her body as a subject too, and her self portraits were a result of this. Her work was an amalgamation of homoerotic subtexts and merging the public with the private.

Emmeline Pankhurst founded the Women’s Social and Political Union, whose members — known as suffragettes — fought for women’s equal voting rights.

Savitribai Phule is often hailed as the mother of Indian feminism. Many call her modern India’s first feminist. Her contributions to women’s empowerment in the nation are undoubtable. Moreover, she has done so much for women’s education in India, including constructing the first school for women. Along with her husband Jyotibha Phule, she dedicated herself to the cause of women empowerment.