Women have often played a pivotal role in most rebellions and revolutions throughout history, though many of those names have been largely erased from the records – deliberately or otherwise. From the legendary Zenobia of Palmyra to Qiu Jin to the Vietnamese Trung sisters that fought against Chinese rule back in the first century AD, these are the most influential female rebel leaders from history we’ve all forgotten about.
10. Claire Lacombe
While Claire Lacombe, born on August 4, 1765, began her career as an actress in Paris, she’d go on to become one of the most influential figures of the French Revolution. Together with Pauline Léon, she co-founded the Society of Revolutionary Republican Women in 1793.
While details of Lacombe’s early life remain elusive, we know from some records that she started working in Marseilles as an actress before joining the revolutionary scene in Paris. Her political beliefs and outspoken nature likely contributed to her struggle in finding work, leading to her moving to the capital and engaging with other revolutionary figures of the times.
In 1792, Lacombe played a major role in the fall of the Girondin faction of the Revolution, and her larger impact on this era was notable, even if short-lived, especially considering her working-class background. Apart from the ideals of the French Revolution, she also campaigned for women’s rights throughout her life.
9. Queen Mavia
Queen Mavia was a legendary ancient-Arab queen who – along with Zenobia of Palmyra – is still remembered as one of the most powerful female rulers to ever emerge from the region. Her story has been largely reconstructed from oral traditions and songs, so we’re still not sure about the exact details of her early life.
Mavia, also known as Mawiyya in Arabic traditions, was likely born in the Tanukhid tribe and later married King al-Hawari. Following his death, the small kingdom was invaded by the Roman Emperor Valens, though he vastly underestimated the military strength of the Tanukhids now led by Maviya. Despite facing challenges due to her gender in the heavily-male-centric society of the time, Mavia proved herself as a formidable military force against the Romans in the Mediterranean region. Sadly, she died fighting the Romans some time around 425 AD, roughly a century after Zenobia’s death in similar circumstances.
8. Lakshmi Bai
Queen Lakshmi Bai was the ruler of the British-controlled Indian province of Jhansi, emerging as one of the most important leaders of the mutiny of 1857-58. Born in November, 1835, in Kashi, India, she received an unconventional upbringing for Indian women at that time, having been trained in martial arts like sword-fighting and horse-riding from an early age.
Lakshmi Bai was appointed as the regent of Jhansi by the British government, though she’d soon find herself on the rebelling side after the beginning of the widespread and popular rebellion. She organized her troops and commanded the rebels in the Bundelkhand region, achieving some successes against British troops during the early phases of the campaign.
The entry of the British cavalry in the war, however, turned the tide, combined with a major British counter-offensive led by Gen. Hugh Rose in 1858. Despite fierce resistance, her troops were quickly overwhelmed by the superior British firepower, and she was soon killed in battle near the city of Gwalior.
7. Corazon Aquino
Corazon Aquino, also sometimes referred to as Cory Aquino, was an important figure during the 1986 People Power Revolution that toppled the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines. Despite her lack of experience, Aquino became politically-active after the assassination of her husband, Benigno Aquino Jr. She reluctantly agreed to run for president in a snap election after witnessing massive public support and outrage against the repression, poverty, and corruption of the Marcos regime, resulting in widespread support from other revolutionary factions within and outside the government.
The People Power Revolution quickly gained momentum, as millions of Filipinos protested and rallied for change. Aquino emerged as the first female leader of the country after winning the elections in February of the same year, which also resulted in her winning the 1998 Ramon Magsaysay Award for her influence on revolutionary change across the region.
6. Trung Sisters
The Trung Sisters, or Trung Trac and Trung Nhi, emerged as rebels during the first Vietnamese independence movement against China in the first century AD. They fought against predominantly-Han overlords and briefly established an autonomous state during this time. Thanks to their achievements, the Trung sisters are remembered as heroic figures across Vietnam to this day.
Trung Trac, the elder sister, took charge of the movement after her husband was assassinated by a Chinese general for plotting against Chinese rulers. She was later joined by her sister and other aristocrats, leading to a popular uprising and successful capture of multiple citadels by rebel forces.
While they eventually proclaimed themselves queens of the independent Vietnamese state, this revolution was quickly overwhelmed by seasoned Chinese troops under General Ma Yüan, as it lacked mass peasant support, supplies, and proper training. The failure directly led to them committing suicide in 43 AD, bringing a tragic end to one of the earliest challenges to Chinese rule in the Vietnamese region.
5. Qiu Jin
Also sometimes called China’s Joan of Arc, Qiu Jin was a notable revolutionary during the late-19th and early-20th-century period in China. Born into a gentry family in Xiamen in 1875, she had to go through the traditional expectations of her time in Chinese society, including foot-binding and an arranged marriage.
Qiu Jin would leave her husband and sail to Japan in 1903, where she became involved in political activism and joined secret anti-Manchu societies. Returning to China in 1906, she founded the feminist publication, Chinese Women’s Journal, that advocated for women’s rights, education, and the abolition of the practice of foot-binding. She joined revolutionary movements and promoted nationalist sentiments through her writings and was even appointed as the head of the Datong school, which served as a front for training revolutionaries.
Qiu Jin’s involvement in revolutionary activities led to her arrest in 1907, though despite exessive torture, she refused to reveal information about the uprising. Sadly, incriminating evidence led to her public beheading at the age of 31, which shocked the Chinese population and further fueled resentment against the Qing dynasty.
4. Djamila Bouhired
Djamila Bouhired was born in 1937 in Algiers, Algeria. She’d go on to become an iconic leader of the Algerian Revolution against French colonial rule, fought across Algeria between 1954 and 1962.
Bouhired first became radicalized due to the French torture and brutality inflicted on Algerian civilians and National Liberation Front – or FLN – members during the early phases of the rebellion, leading to her joining the rebel organization at the age of 17. She played a pivotal role in recruiting young women into the FLN and even participated in high-profile bombings – like the Milk Bar bombings – in retaliation for French atrocities.
Although arrested in 1957 and subjected to inhumane torture, Bouhired remained loyal to the cause and refused to reveal information about the FLN. Her trial, which was later found to be full of irregularities and false charges, resulted in a death sentence, which was later commuted to life imprisonment due to international pressure.
3. Yaa Asantewaa
Yaa Asantewaa was an influential Ashanti queen who gained global attention due to her famed rebellion against the British empire around the turn of the 20th century. While her exact birth date is unknown, we know that she was born in the Ashanti Confederacy in present-day Ghana some time between the 1840s and 1860s.
The British provoked a rebellion among the Ashanti people some time in 1896, leading to the exile of their king and other leaders in the following years, followed by Yaa Asantewaa rallying her troops and appointing her the Commander in Chief of the Ashanti army. The conflict that ensued became known as the Yaa Asantewaa War of Independence, or just the Yaa Asantewaa War. Despite her efforts and early successes, however, Asantewaa was captured during the rebellion and exiled to Seychelles, where she died in 1921.
2. Zenobia
Septimia Zenobia, also known as just Zenobia, was the queen of the Roman colony of Palmyra in present-day Syria between 267 and 272 AD. She assumed regency for her underage son after the assassination of her husband, Odaenathus, eventually styling herself as the queen of Palmyra and expanding her influence across the region by conquering several eastern provinces of Rome, including Egypt and parts of Asia Minor. She soon declared independence from Rome and adopted her husband’s titles, aiming to establish her own empire in Syria opposed to Rome.
Zenobia’s ambitions, however, clashed with the interests of the Roman Empire under Emperor Aurelian. In 269 AD, Aurelian launched a large-scale campaign against her forces, defeating them in Antioch in Turkey and Emesa in Syria, before laying siege to Palmyra. While Zenobia attempted to flee with her son, she was captured before crossing the Euphrates river. The Palmyrenes soon surrendered, and the city was eventually sacked and destroyed by Roman troops.
1. Boudica
Boudica, Boadicea, or Boudica – depending on the source – refers to the ancient British queen who led one of the largest rebellions against Roman rule in 60 AD. It began after the death of her husband, Prasutagus, when the Romans annexed his kingdom instead of offering protection to his family. Outraged by these actions, Boudica raised an army and started attacking Roman infrastructure and military installations throughout East Anglia, now East England.
According to Roman historian Tacitus, Boudica’s rebels massacred around 70,000 Romans and pro-Roman Britons, including the almost-complete destruction of the Roman 9th Legion. Despite these successes, however, Boudica’s forces were ultimately defeated by the Roman governor Suetonius Paulinus. Accounts differ regarding Boudica’s ultimate fate, though some records suggest that she died due to ingesting poison before her army was defeated and captured.