Top 11 Greatest Warriors in Indian History

India is a land of so many brave warriors who made our country proud and it is just next to impossible to forget these brilliant leaders. Here are the 11 greatest warriors in Indian History:

11) Tatya Tope (1814 – 18 April 1859)

Ramachandra Pandurang Tope (1814 – 18 April 1859), popularly known as Tatya Tope was an Indian Brahmin Maratha leader in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and one of its more renowned generals.  He co-operated with Nana Sahib in organising an anti-British upsurge secretly in collaboration with other aggrieved persons. In May 1857, when the political storm was gaining momentum, Tatya Tope won over the Bharatiya troops of the East India company, stationed at Kanpur, established Nana Sahib’s authority and became the Commander-in-Chief of his revolutionary forces. In the military encounters that followed he emerged as a gifted tactician with a marvellous organising skill and as an unsurpassed guerrilla warrior with lightning speed.

10) Rajendra Chola (son of Rajaraj Chola I) (1012 to 1044 CE)

Rajendra Chola was one of the greatest rulers of the Tamil Chola Dynasty. He expended his empire to the Coast of Burma, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Maldives and Pegu islands. It is believed that Cholas became one of the most powerful dynasties under his rule and the glory surged to a new high.

9) Ashoka (304–232 BCE)

Ashoka Maurya ,commonly known as Ashoka and also as Ashoka the Great, was an Indianemperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from circa 269 BCE to 232 BCE. One of India’s greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over a realm that stretched from the Hindu Kush mountains in the west to Bengal in the East and covered the entireIndian subcontinent except parts of present day Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The empire’s capital was Pataliputra.

8) Rana Sanga  (12 April 1484 – 17 March 1527)

Maharana Sangram Singh, commonly known as Rana Sanga, was the Rajput ruler of Mewar, which was located within the geographic boundaries of present-day India’s modern state of Rajasthan. He ruled between 1509 and 1527.  He united the various factions of Rajputs under his leadership.Under his leadership, the Rajputs scored several victories, capturing some key strategic assets in the process, including the fort of Ranthambore. He also fought against the Mughals in the Battle of Khanwa.

7) Chandragupta Maurya (340 BC to 298 BC)

Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of the Mauryan Empire. He unified different states of India into one empire when the Indian sub-continent was about to fall apart. He is regarded as one of the greatest warriors ever born on the land of India. He even finds a mention in Greek and Latin historical records where he was equated along with Alexander The great for defeating Alexander’s successors and gaining control over some parts of his empire.

6) Chandragupta II Vikramaditya (c 380 to 413/415 CE)

He was one of the most powerful kings of the Gupta Empire who ruled the northern India for a long time. The period of prominence of the Gupta dynasty is very often referred to as the Golden Age of India. Chandragupta II was the son of the previous ruler, Samudragupta. Chandragupta II Vikramaditya ruled fearlessly for a very long time and went on to aggressively expand his empire like his predecessor did.

5) Samudragupta (c.335 to c.375 CE)

Samudragupta is considered to be one of the finest strategists of his times. He was the direct successor to Chandragupta I and always ruled on the fundamentals of war and aggression. He was the third ruler of the Gupta Dynasty. He was a benevolent ruler and a great warrior. His glorious conquests through the southern India along the coast of Bay of Bengal are highly renowned. He was known as the “Chakravati Raja” in the northern part of India due to his passion for victories in the war.

4) Prithviraj Chauhan (1149 to 1192 CE)

Prithviraj Chauhan was a Rajput king of the Chauhan dynasty,who ruled the kingdoms of Ajmer and Delhi in northern India during the latter half of the 12th century. He succeeded to the throne in 1179 CE at the age of 13, and ruled from the twin capitals of Ajmer and Delhi which he received from his maternal grandfather, Arkpal or Anangpal III of the Tomara dynasty in Delhi. He controlled much of present-day Rajasthan and Haryana, and unified the Rajputs against Turkic invasions. As per the Indian history, Prithviraj Chauhan defeated the Muslim ruler Ghori in the First Battle of Tarain but let him free as an open gesture. However, in the preceding war he was defeated and captured as a war prisoner. Subsequently, his eyes were pierced with iron rod.

3) Rani Lakshmi Bai (November 19, 1828 to June 18, 1858)

Queen of Maratha ruled state of Jhansi, Rani Lakshmi Bai is one of the most popular female warriors in the Indian history. She was also one of the leaders in the rebellion of 1857. She was ordered to vacate the throne of Jhansi under the “Doctrine of Lapse” once her husband and Maharaja of the state left for heavenly abode. She fought against the Britishers with her small army. She is symbolized in the history books as a warrior riding a horse with her toddler tied on the back.

2) Maharana Pratap (May 9, 1540 to January 9, 1597)

Maharana Pratap was a Hindu Rajput ruler of Mewar, a region in north-western Indiain the present day state of Rajasthan.  He fought against the invading Mughals to save his motherland from their clutches and sacrificed his life. Maharana Pratap along with his legendary horse Chetak spent a long time in the forests when the war was going on.

1) Shivaji (1627/1630 to April 3, 1680)

He was the founder of the Maratha Empire in India. With his flawless warrior skills and unlimited courage, he ruled the Deccan region, parts of central India and parts of modern day Pakistan with a firm hand. It was due to his efforts that the Mughals faced a decline in their empire. He is regarded as one of the very few rulers in the Indian history that led a resistance movement against mighty Mughals and Adishahi Sultanate of Bijapur. It was him who formed Hindavi Swarajya for the first time that accounted for complete Hindu rule. His combat and guerrilla warfare stories are still very famous.