Rani Abbakka: The Fearless Warrior Queen of Tulu Nadu

Rani Abbakka: The Fearless Warrior Queen of Tulu Nadu

Introduction :- 

Rani Abbakka Chowta was the first Tuluva queen of Ullal to engage in battle against the Portuguese in the second part of the 16th century. She was a member of the Chowta dynasty, which reigned over a portion of India's coastal Karnataka (Tulu Nadu). Puttige served as their capital.Their secondary capital was the harbour city of Ullal.

Ullal was strategically located, thus the Portuguese made many attempts to take it. However, Abbakka repelled each of their assaults for more than 40 years. She earned the nickname "Abhaya Rani" (the fearless queen) as a result of her bravery.She was among the first Indians to oppose colonialism and is occasionally referred to as the "first woman freedom fighter of India."She is hailed as one of the greatest female warriors and patriots in the state of Karnataka, alongside Rani Kittur Chennamma, Keladi Chennamma, Rani Chennabhairadevi, and Onake Obavva.

Ullal was the capital of the Chowta king Thirumala Raya III. Feudatories of the Vijayanagar kingdom, the Chowtas were Jain kings who had originally migrated to Tulu Nadu (a province consisting of present-day Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, portions of Udupi and Kasargod district in Kerala) from Gujarat in the 12th century.

Early life :- 

From an early age, Rani Abbakka Chowta received training in how to rule well and administer government. She was particularly interested in learning about political diplomacy, military tactics, horseback riding, archery, and sword combat, and she did it flawlessly.

In 1525, Rani Abbakka was made queen by her uncle Thirumala Raya III because the Chowta family practised matrilineal inheritance.

Despite the fact that women were the ones who inherited, men were always in power. Tirumal Raya designated his niece as the legal heir because didn't have any children.

Before his death, Thirumala Raya III had arranged a strategic marriage alliance for Abbakka with Lakshmappa Bangaraja, the ruler of Mangalore. As the ruler of Ullal, Rani Abbakka continued to live in her own home even after marriage and the couple’s three children stayed with her. However, the marriage broke down when Bangaraja compromised with the Portuguese.

Portuguese history with Rani Abbakka :- 

The western coast of India's ports attracted traders from all over the world in the 15th and 16th century CE.The Portuguese were the most powerful among them and had already begun to monopolise the trade in the Indian Ocean by force.In 1510 CE, they took Goa from Adilshah of Bijapur. 

They had power over Vasai and the island of Diu by 1534 CE. The Portuguese had nearly complete control of the North Western Coastline by the middle of the 16th century.Anyone wishing to trade needed the Portuguese's permission because they now controlled the free trade area in the Indian Ocean.

The Portuguese had been trying to exact tributes and taxes from Rani Abbakka. Incensed and exasperated at the unfair demands, she refused to accede to the Portuguese demands.

First Attack :-

This Denial of taxes resulted into the first attack on Ullal Kingdom in 1556 Under the Admiral Don Alvaro de Silveira But the Portugese lost the Battle.


Second Attack :-

Two years later, the Portuguese launched a more powerful assault and were partially successful in ransacking the community of Ullal. They were again beaten back, nevertheless, by Rani Abbakka's skillful military manoeuvres and diplomatic plan (she worked with the Arab Moors and Zamorin of Kozhikode).


Third Attack :-

The Portuguese army, led by General Joao Peixoto, stormed Ullal during the following conflict and succeeded in seizing the royal palace. Rani Abbakka, however, vanished before they could apprehend her.

She raided the Portuguese in the middle of night with 200 loyal soldiers, killing the general and 70 of his men. The surviving Portuguese troops were terrified by the intensity of the assault and withdrew to their ships.

The Portuguese were now concerned that Rani Abbakka's growing stature would inspire other kings. They used betrayal when frontal assaults repeatedly failed. A number of edicts were issued to forbid any affiliation with the rebellious queen. She also received a warning from her husband, Bangaraja of Mangalore, not to provide any assistance to Ullal under the threat of burning his capital.

Despite being taken off guard, Rani Abbakka promptly mounted her horse and charged into the fray, leading her warriors in a furious counteroffensive as she was returning from a visit to her family temple.


She cried out in a loud voice, "Save the motherland! Take them on both land and at water. Engage them in combat on the streets and beaches." She and her warriors shot flaming arrows at the Portuguese ships while yelling, "Push them back to the waters!" through the wind.

While many of the Portuguese armada's ships burned that night, Rani Abbakka was hurt in the crossfire and taken by the enemy with the aid of a few chieftains who had been bought off. The fearless queen, a rebel until the very end, passed away while being held captive. Her daughters, who were as courageous and tenacious, carried on her tradition by continuing to protect Tulu Nadu from the Portuguese.

Rani Abbakka was a warrior queen who devoted her life defending her freedom and country, and she posed a significant military challenge to the Portuguese throughout her reign. This alone says a lot about her bravery and creativity. But history texts mainly ignore her wonderful narrative.

The good news is that Yakshagana and Bhuta Kola, two traditional Dakshin Kannada foods, have continued to honour the famous queen of Ullal. Her story has progressively gained public notice in recent years.

Since a few years ago, Veera Rani Abbakka Utsava, an annual event in her honour, has been held in Dakshin Kannada.

A special stamp honouring Rani Abbakka was released by Indian Post in 2003, and the Indian Navy named a patrol ship in her honour in 2015 as a way of acknowledging her valour in the sea.