Beyond Delhi And Dynasties: Women Warriors Naiki Devi, Abbakka Chowta, Rudrama Devi Find Place In NCERT Class 9 Book

Last Updated:October 02, 2026, 10:17 PM IST

The inclusion of women warriors shifts attention towards women rulers and regional figures who played important roles in shaping dynasties and resisting external powers.

Women Warriors Get More Space In New NCERT Book. Representational image

The new NCERT Class 9 Social Science textbook, Understanding Society: India and Beyondgives greater space to medieval women warriors and regional rulers, highlighting their role in battles and resistance movements. The book includes Queen Naiki Devi, Rani Abbakka Chowta and Queen Rudrama Devi in its account of medieval Indian history.

The references appear in a chapter dealing with regional resistance against the Mughals. The inclusion shifts attention towards women rulers and regional figures who played important roles in shaping dynasties and resisting external powers.

Queen Naiki Devi and the defeat of Ghori

Queen Naiki Devi of the Chaulukya Kingdom is among the women warriors highlighted in the new textbook. According to the material in the NCERT book, Naiki Devi led forces that defeated Muhammad Ghori in 1178 at Kasahrada, near Mount Abu. The conflict began after Muhammad Ghori invaded India from the north. He had taken Multan and Uch before moving across the Thar Desert towards Gujarat. His objective was to seize its wealth and establish a foothold in the region.

Naiki Devi’s role in leading the forces against Ghori is now part of the medieval history narrative presented to Class 9 students.

Rani Abbakka Chowta and Portuguese resistance

The textbook also highlights Rani Abbakka Chowta, a Tulu queen from coastal Mangaluru in Karnataka who ruled from 1525 to 1570. Abbakka Chowta resisted Portuguese naval expansion and built defensive alliances by bringing together local Hindu and Muslim communities, including Byari sailors. She is recognized as one of India’s earliest female freedom fighters.

According to the information highlighted in the textbook, Abbakka led night counter-attacks against Portuguese ships using flaming arrows, or Agneeastra. Her forces repelled five separate Portuguese assaults over four decades.

Her inclusion brings a regional coastal resistance movement into the account of medieval Indian history, alongside the more traditional dynastic narratives.

Rudrama Devi’s military leadership

Queen Rudrama Devi of the Kakatiya dynasty is another medieval woman ruler highlighted in the Class 9 book. She is known for her military leadership and her defence against the Delhi Sultanate. Rudrama Devi fortified Warangal Fort and also developed local irrigation. She led forces in battles against the neighbouring Yadavas of Devagiri and the Pandyas. She also resisted early raids associated with northern sultans. Her story adds another example of a woman ruler who combined military leadership, territorial defence and administration to the textbook’s medieval history narrative.

Regional resistance gets more space

The inclusion of the three women comes as NCERT overhauls Social Science textbooks for Classes K-12 under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The changes are being made to align the textbooks with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023. According to experts, the revamped approach represents an academic shift aimed at reducing Eurocentric or Delhi-centric biases in the way Indian history is presented.

The experts said the new approach “incorporates regional resistance movements from South, Central, and Western India alongside traditional dynastic narratives”.

The focus on Naiki Devi, Abbakka Chowta and Rudrama Devi therefore brings regional rulers and women warriors into greater focus within the medieval Indian history section.

Personal finance also finds space

The new curriculum also places emphasis on personal finance. The Social Science book includes references to stocks, mutual funds and fixed deposits (FDs). The addition of personal finance alongside historical accounts reflects the wider changes being made to the Social Science curriculum under NEP 2020 and NCF-SE 2023.

The revised approach brings together historical accounts of regional resistance and women rulers with subjects related to financial awareness, while expanding the range of topics covered in the Class 9 Social Science curriculum.

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Which women warriors are featured in the new NCERT Class 9 Social Science textbook?

The new NCERT Class 9 textbook, Understanding Society: India and Beyond, features Queen Naiki Devi, Rani Abbakka Chowta, and Queen Rudrama Devi to highlight medieval women warriors and regional rulers.

How did Queen Naiki Devi defeat Muhammad Ghori according to the new textbook?

According to the textbook material, Queen Naiki Devi of the Chaulukya Kingdom led forces that defeated Muhammad Ghori in 1178 at Kasahrada, near Mount Abu, after he invaded India and moved across the Thar Desert.

What policy framework guided the overhaul of NCERT Social Science textbooks for Classes K-12?

The curriculum changes are part of an overhaul under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 to align with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023.

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Simran BabbarSenior Correspondent

Simran Babbar is a Senior Correspondent at CNN-News18, covering key developments in emerging sectors related to education and investigations. Through her reports, she brings significant updates from t…Read More

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