There are four Adi Shaktipeethas in Shakti tradition. Fifty-one Shaktipeethas are located all over the entire Indian subcontinent. In ancient Indian history and literature (carried through oral traditions), there are honorable mentions of women as Shakti, a divine feminine energy force or Urja. Examples are Mahishasur Mardini or Kali, Chandi, Durga a warrior goddess. There are other examples of women warriors in ancient Indian history. Kekayi, the youngest wife of King Dashratha obtained those infamous three boons from him by saving his life in the battlefield. Naturally, the question arises as to what Kekayi was doing in the battlefield except for combat!
In tantric tradition, the woman is considered of higher status than the man. Tantra stipulates that mortal women are “life-itself” and Goddess-like because they embody the principle of Shakti. The institution of Bhairavi in Tantra and Vamamarga tradition does not suggest exploitation or anti-women attitude of Indian society. Bhairavi in Tantra tradition epitomizes the powerful feminine achievement by embarking a journey of supreme spirituality, sublime sensuality and symbiotic sexuality with her Bhairava who just follows her and is by her side, every step of the way, in her raising the kundalini energy! And yes, Bhairavi is not ashamed of her symbiotic sexuality because it is the ultimate life-force and she is the protagonist, she is the leader (and not the cheer-leader), she is initiator! Bhairavi, in that particular tradition, is neither repressed nor oppressed nor exploited!
Women in Medieval India
Aberrations like Sati, Jauhar and Purdah systems were tactically introduced into Indian society as a result of foreign invasions, barbarian practices and sexual slavery rampant among the foreign invaders. One is not justifying or rationalizing these horrific practices but using a Durkheinian framework in order that one could understand the origin of Sati and Jauhar as altruistic obligatory societal practices. While we see the treatment of Yazidi women in third millennium by the Islamic State and treatment of captured girls by other Jihadi groups like Boko Haram, we can understand the underpinnings of bravery and fortitude inherent in the medieval practices of Sati and Jauhar. Once the assaults and capture of women by foreign invaders stopped, Sati and Jauhar as institutionalized, normative societal practices also disappeared. To be captured in war and being treated as a sex slave is more humiliation and objectification of women compared to the institution of Jauhar. One had to be really brave to defend one’s honor and give up the ultimate sacrifice, i.e. that of one’s life.
Even in the British colonial history of India we have legends of warrior princesses like Rani Laxami Bai of Jhansi who fought the British in the 1857 war of independence. Rani Chenamma of Kittur was the first Indian ruler to lead an armed rebellion against the British East India Company in 1824. This notion of woman as a warrior princess i.e. an emblem of Shakti is not confined to Hinduism alone but also influenced Islam as well in medieval India. Chand Bibi, the regent of Bijapur and Ahmed Nagar was a prime example of an Islamic warrior queen who defended Ahmed Nagar against Mughal invasion by Akbar.
