Born in the early 16th century, in what is now the modern state of Karnataka, India. She belonged to the Chowta dynasty which ruled over the central part of the modern state. She was trained in the art of combat & statecraft from an early age including sword & archery training. She was crowned queen of Ullal (modern day Mangalore) by her uncle, Tirumala Raya, in 1525, as the Chowta dynasty followed a matrilineal system. Abbakka was also the first Tuluva queen in the city's history. Her uncle also arranged a marriage for her.
Her kingdom was mostly made up of Hindus & Muslims, though Abbakka was herself a Jain. Her administration was also mainly comprised of Hindus & Muslims. She also had a huge advantage with a highly diversified army; the men from the Mogaveera fisherman caste, provided a powerful edge in naval battles she fought against the Portuguese.
After the Portuguese had found a new trade route to India in the late 1490's, thanks to the famed navigator & explorer, Vasco de Gama & with European colonialism reaching it's peak, the Portuguese soon had a monopoly on trade routes in the Indian Ocean within just a few decades of de Gama's discovery. At this point, the Portuguese were also building forts all along the Indian Ocean route in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka (than called Ceylon) & Macau, China. Their influence would go relatively unchallenged until the 17th century when other Europeans began flocking to the region to establish their own presence on the crucial trading route.
Abbakka's small kingdom was situated on the western coat of India, which soon caught the attention of the Portuguese after they'd occupied Goa, which was farther north up the coast. Ullal was rich in resources & a played a key role in the trade of spices & textiles, which could be largely credited to the effective management of Abbakka Chowta. The Portuguese were unable to extort Ullal, with Abakka in power. She refused to accept their altogether unreasonable demands, she continued to defy their trade monopoly by allowing her merchants to trade with the Arabs, despite the Portuguese regularly sabotaging these convoys.
The first attempt Portugal made to occupy Ullal ended in failure, they had vastly underestimated the then 30 year old queen, Abbakka. She stood her ground & forced the Portuguese to retreat; it was the first of the many victories she won against the Portuguese onslaught. The next major attack launched against Ullal was in 1556, when the Portuguese sent a fleet headed by Admiral Don Alvaro De Silveira, she beat them back once again, in a second equally embarrassing defeat. But the Portuguese still refused to give up on their campaign to dethrone the indomitable queen.
Abbakka's army was particularly unique because it contained individuals from various castes, religions & backgrounds. By embracing this diversity, Abbakka was able to unite her people in the defense of their kingdom. This likely also contributed to some calling her the "fearless queen". In some of the ensuing battles, Abbakka formed alliances with Zamorin of Calicut & a series of other Muslim rulers in some southern regions, which helped her defense against the Portuguese's continuing onslaught.
As the conflict drug on the battles become longer & Abbakka's forces were stretched more thinly; but she refused to collapse under the pressure. In 1568, the Portuguese general, João Peixoto finally captured Ullal & stormed the palace grounds. But Abbakka escaped & found refuge in a nearby mosque. While in hiding, Abbakka managed to gather together 200 of her best warriors & stormed the palace, killing General Pixoto & 70 of his men. Thanks to her carefully planned military strategy, Abbakka was soon able to wrest the city back from the Portuguese. With the aid of 500 Muslim supporters, she also successfully took back the Mangalore fort, forcing the Portuguese to flee once again.
However, this was not the end of her fight. The Portuguese continued to needle at her authority but Abbakka was a highly skilled diplomat and forged an alliance with the Bajipur Sultan of Ahmed Nagar & the Zamorin of Calicut. Sadly, she was betrayed by her husband, according to some accounts they were estranged, who conspired with the Portuguese to bring down the queen. The Portuguese finally defeated Abbakka in battle & she was imprisoned. In spite of being behind bars, she was able to organize a prison revolt but she was subsequently killed in the uproar.
Her legacy lives on in the modern state of Karnataka through folk songs, stories & yakshagana, a type of local theatrical performances. The city of Bantwal Taluk, in Karnataka has a museum, Tulu Baduku, named in her honor. The Indian Navy named a patrol vessel after her. Bronze statues of Abbakka have been erected in Bangalore & Ullal. A festival is held annually in her hometown of Ullal called, Veera Rani Abbakka Utsava. Some historians also regard her as "India's first freedom fighter".
Side notes:
Tuluva- an ethno-linguistic group native to southern India, the region they traditionally occupy is sometimes referred to as Tulu Nadu.
Jain- considered one of the world's oldest religions, it has 3 guiding principles or "3 jewels": right belief, right knowledge & right conduct. Their main principle however is non-violence (ahimsa)
Zamorin of Calicut- a line of monarchs of the kingdom of Kozhikode in southern India. Calicut was one of the most important ports on India's southwestern coast.
Bajipur Sultan of Ahmed Nagar- the Bijapur Sultanate lasted from 1490-1686 AD in southwestern India.
https://feminisminindia.com/2018/03/13/rani-abbakka-chowta-queen-ullal/
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