In the recent past, it has been said that men and women are equal But in the history of ancient India, there is evidence of women's rule Women in ancient India have successfully ruled the state, rather than being confined to the confines of the home One thing we do not know enough about this, but there are examples of women-ruled states in the history of India.

Rani Didda is remembered in the history of ancient Kashmir as an able woman ruler She was the queen of the Kashmiri king Kshemgupta Raja Kshemgupta ruled Kashmir from 950 to 958 AD Rani Didda rose to prominence during her husband's lifetime There is evidence of this in the coins of Raja Kshemgupta.

Kshemgupta's coins bear the name "Di-Kshem " According to researchers, " Di-Kshem" means "Didda-Kelesh ".

After the death of Kshemagupta, three grandsons including his son Abhimanyu ruled Kashmir until 981 CE However, the principality was practically administered by the widowed Rani Didda Then herself, Rani Didda ascended the throne of Kashmir and efficiently administered the affairs for about 22 years Another woman is famous for ruling the kingdom in ancient Indian history.

She was the Mahishi Prabhavatigupta of Rudrasena, the Vakataka ruler of ancient Vidarbha, the Berar region Rudrasena II, the Vakataka ruler of Vidarbha, died in the 5th century CE Then as the "mother of the prince," Rani Prabhavatigupta ascended the throne there She efficiently administered the Vakataka kingdom for about 13 years.

The only female ruler in ancient Indian history who is known to have been a female ruler is the Kakatiya queen Rudramma or Rudramba of the Deccan.

Kakatiya king Ganapati died in childbirth Then in 1261, Rani Rudramma ascended the throne Marco Polo, a traveler from Venice to India, praised Rani Rudramma's administrative skills Rani Rudramma ruled the vast Kakatiya empire in eastern South India for 31 years with great efficiency Several women also held important positions in the ancient kingdom of Orissa as rulers.

These included Rani Gosvamani, Rani Tribhuvan Mahadevi, Rani Prithivimahadevi, Rani Gauri Mahadevi, Dandi Mahadevi, Bakula Mahadevi, and Dharmamahadevi.

Nothing much is known about Gosvamin However, researchers suggest that the subjects lived happily during his reign Later, when the Bhauma-Kara dynasty king Subhakaragupta III of Orissa (c 934 CE) died young, the subjects followed Rani Gosvaminis example and adopted Rajmata Tribhuvanamahadevi (another name - Sindagauri) The copperplate of this queen Tribhuvanamahadevi's reign (c.

951 CE) has been discovered Hence, she was an able ruler Rani Tribhuvanamahadevi ruled the kingdom for a few years Then came her grandson Later, Rani Prithamahadevi (c 989 CE) of the Bhauma-Kara dynasty king Subhakar IV ascended the throne Then, the Bhauma-Kara ruler king Subhakar V died in obscurity.

Rani Gaurisena Mahadesvi died in his sleep.

Rani Gauri Mahadevi was succeeded by her daughter Dandi Mahadevi The reign is estimated to have been 1011-1118 AD Then the Bhaumakar dynasty of Orissa was succeeded by Bhujakula Bhukula Mahadevi, the widow of the grandfather of the Bhaumakar dynasty king Subhakar V Bakula Mahadevi was succeeded by Rani Dharmamahadevi, the widow of the Bhaumakar dynasty king Subhakar V.

The Bhaumakar dynasty's empire extended from the southwestern part of Midnapore, West Bengal, to most of the Ganjam district of Orissa The capital was established in the present-day Angul, Dhenkanal, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar regions The capital was Tosali or Tosala During the Bhaumakar dynasty kings, the Tausali was divided into two provinces -- North Tosali and South Tosali.

The capital of the Bhaumakar kings was Biraja or Guhetkapura, the present-day town of Taushapur They were ruled by the Bhaumakar dynasty in the 11th century AD The present-day town of Tosali is also the seat of the present-day town of Taushpur.

A copperplate inscription of Rani Dandimahadevi, a ruler of the Bhauma-Kara dynasty of Orissa, shows Paramabhattarika Maharajadhiraja Parameswari Dandi Mahadevi donating a village to a Brahmin named Dharmapati on the occasion of a solar eclipse in 180 Bhauma-Kara, 1011 CE.

"Tasa tri-vishtapa-jusha: Paramesvarasyadevi samastha-janta-nata-padapadma. Simhasangam sasikaramala-kirti-gaurigauriva gaurabhapadam chiramadharohata. Tatu dandimahadevi suta tasa-mahyasi-mahyami-samabhaya-sirakalampalayata. Avishtinayati-prishnau vamshe kar-mahivrutam. Nishantabhuta patakeva which is bhavavabibhushanam. Lavanyamrta-nishyanda-sundaranga dadhati bapuha. Rajachandralekheva bilsatkirti-chandrika.".

References: 1) Great Women of North India (C 400 B C to 1200 A D ), Bharatiya Vidya Bombay, Vol XV, 1954, PP- 23-27, Studies in the Society and Administration, etc , PP- 237-243 2) Great Women of India, edited by Swami Madhavananda and R C Majumder, Almora, 1953, PP- 286-297.