International Women’s Day 2023: Despite the injustice, being a princess comes with obligations including upholding long-standing customs. But who is to say that you must abide by the unfair rules? Not these princesses, for sure. We’ll examine a few Indian princesses today who defied expectations and established their legacies.
1. Maharani Gayatri Devi
Maharani Gayatri Devi, also known as Ayesha, played a significant role in the fight for women’s emancipation. With just 24 students, she founded the Maharani Gayatri Devi School in 1943, which is now one of the most distinguished institutions in the nation. She ran in her first election in 1962 and won the Jaipur seat in the Lok Sabha, earning her a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.
2. Rani Vijaya Devi
The Thakurani of Kotda-Sangani, Rani Vijaya Devi, had a passion for dancing and music. She attended the Juilliard School of Music in New York, made radio and television recordings, and performed live. She then rose to become the International Music & Arts Society’s founder and president.
3. Princess Indira Raje
Maharani Gayatri Devi’s mother, Indira Raje, was a Princess of Baroda. When she first encountered Jitendra of Cooch Behar and fell in love with him, she was already engaged to Madho Rao Scindia of Gwalior. In those days, it was daring of her to wed Jitendra in a hotel in London without her family there after breaking off her prior engagement through the letter. She was very involved in social circles and served as Cooch Behar’s regent while her oldest son was a minor.
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4. Maharani Sita Devi of Kapurthala
One of the glitziest women of her era was Maharani Sita Devi, better known as Princess Kamran. She was a trendsetter and the subject of many photographs taken by foreign photographers. She was dubbed the newest “secular goddess” by Vogue at the age of 19. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, she was referred to as “the Pearl of India” in the fashion communities of Paris, New York, and London.
5. Princess Niloufer of Hyderabad
One of the final princesses of the Ottoman Empire was Princess Niloufer. At age 16, she wed Moazzam Jah, the second son of the previous Nizam of Hyderabad, bringing revolt to traditional India. At every stage of her life, she questioned the expectations placed on women, continued to push limits with her sense of style, and exhorted everyone to follow their hearts. She was a nurse during World War Two and performed a great deal of charitable work.
6. Princess Sophia Duleep Singh
The goddaughter of Queen Victoria, Princess Sophia Alexandra Duleep Singh, was a formidable opponent. She was one of the suffragettes who shouted out the loudest in favour of women’s voting rights in England. She served as a medic and aided Indian soldiers and Lascars during World War I. Sophia began engaging in aggressive action in 1909 and joined the Women’s Social and Political Union, which was co-founded by Emmeline Pankhurst, one of the most well-known suffragists in history.
