A variety of roles were played by women in post-classical warfare. Only women active in direct warfare, such as warriors, spies, and women who actively led armies are included in this list. James Illston says :"the field of medieval gender studies is a growing one, and nowhere is this expansion more evident than the recent increase in studies which address the roles of medieval women in times of war....this change in research has been invaluable". He provides a 20-page bibliography of dozens of recent scholarly books and articles, most of them connected to the crusades.

Timeline

Statue of Dyhia in Khenchela (Algeria)crop

Æthelflæd as depicted in the cartulary of Abingdon Abbeycrop

Bescher-Rois_et_reines_de_France_en_estampes-Blanche_d%27Aquitaine_(cropped)

Illustration_of_Queen_Philippa_in_Andersens_Gudfaders_Billedbog_1868_by_Lorenz_Frölich

The antiquity ended with the 5th-century, and the list therefore starts with the 6th-century.

6th century

* 6th century: A

Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...

woman is buried with a knife and a shield in

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...

, England. * 6th century:

Lady Xian Lady Xian (or Hsien, ; Vietnamese: Tiển phu nhân; 512–602), also known as Lady of Qiao Guo (or Ch'iao Kuo; ), born as Xian Zhen (冼珍), was a noblewoman of the Li people, born to the chieftain of the Xian tribe in Southern China, in what is ...

personally leads her army in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. * 6th century: Halima, a

Ghassanid The Ghassanids ( ar, الغساسنة, translit=al-Ġasāsina, also Banu Ghassān (, romanized as: ), also called the Jafnids, were an Arab tribe which founded a kingdom. They emigrated from southern Arabia in the early 3rd century to the Levan ...

princess, assisted the warriors of her tribe in the battle of

Yawm Halima Yawm Halima ( ar, يوم حليمة, , Day of Halima) is the name given to a battle fought between the rival Ghassanid and Lakhmid Arabs in the 6th century. Considered " e of the most famous battles of pre-Islamic Arabia", it was named after Halima ...

. * 6th century: Amalafrida leads a revolt. * 589: The royal nuns

Basina, daughter of Chilperic I Basina ( fl. 590), was a Frankish princess, the daughter and youngest child of Chilperic I, King of Soissons (later Neustria), and his first wife, Audovera. After surviving the assassination of her immediate family, she became a nun. She later he ...

, and Clotilda rebel and take power in the city of

Poitiers Poitiers (, , , ; Poitevin: ''Poetàe'') is a city on the River Clain in west-central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and the historical centre of Poitou. In 2017 it had a population of 88,291. Its agglomerat ...

by the use of an army of criminals.

7th century

* 7th century (before 637): Life of

Mo Chua of Balla Mo Chua or Crónán mac Bécáin, also called Claunus, Cuan, Mochua, Moncan and Moncain (died 30 March 637) was a legendary Irish saint who founded the monastery in Balla. Life Mo Chua was the youngest of the three sons of Becan (supposedly de ...

. The account of his life describe him as converting two violent "Amazons" named Bee and Lithben. * 617–618:

Princess Pingyang Princess Pingyang (, formally Princess Zhao of Pingyang (, 590s–623) was the daughter of Li Yuan (later enthroned as Emperor Gaozu), the founding emperor of the Tang dynasty. She helped him to seize power and eventually take over the throne f ...

of China helps overthrow the

Sui Dynasty The Sui dynasty (, ) was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 581 to 618. The Sui unified the Northern and Southern dynasties, thus ending the long period of division following the fall of the Western Jin dynasty, and layi ...

by organizing an "Army of the Lady". * 624–625:

Battle of Badr The Battle of Badr ( ar, غَزْوَةُ بَدِرْ ), also referred to as The Day of the Criterion (, ) in the Quran, Qur'an and by Muslims, was fought on 13 March 624 CE (17 Ramadan (calendar month), Ramadan, 2 Anno Hegirae, AH), near the ...

. Qurayshi

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

priestess Hind bint Utba leads her people against

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...

in the fight. Her father, uncle, and brother are killed. She was among fifteen women accompanying troops in a battle near

Medina Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the Holiest sites in Islam, second-holiest city in Islam, ...

, singing songs to inspire warriors. She exults over the body of the man who killed her father, chews his liver, and makes jewelry from his skin and nails. * 625:

Nusaybah bint Ka'ab Nusaybah bint Ka'ab ( ar, نسيبة بنت كعب; also ''ʾUmm ʿAmmarah'', ''Umm Umara'', ''Umm marah''Ghadanfar, Mahmood Ahmad. "Great Women of Islam", Riyadh. 2001.pp. 207-215), was one of the early women to convert to Islam. She was one of t ...

fights in the

Battle of Uhud The Battle of Uhud ( ar, غَزْوَة أُحُد, ) was fought on Saturday, 23 March 625 AD (7 Shawwal, 3 AH), in the valley north of Mount Uhud.Watt (1974) p. 136. The Qurayshi Meccans, led by Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, commanded an army of 3,000 m ...

on behalf of

after converting to

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

Hammanah bint Jahsh {{Infobox person , name = Hamnah bint Jahsh حمنة بنت جحش , image = , caption = , birth_date = , birth_place = Mecca , death_date = , death_place = Medina , b ...

also participated in the

and provided water to the needy, and treated the wounded and injured. Umm Sulaym bint Milhan entered the battle carrying a dagger in the folds of her dress, and tended to the wounded. She also made attempts to defend

when the tide of the battle turned against him. * 627: Umm Sulaym bint Milhan participates in the

Battle of the Trench The Battle of the Trench ( ar, غزوة الخندق, Ghazwat al-Khandaq), also known as the Battle of Khandaq ( ar, معركة الخندق, Ma’rakah al-Khandaq) and the Battle of the Confederates ( ar, غزوة الاحزاب, Ghazwat al- ...

carrying a dagger in her robes. When

asked her what she was doing with it, she informed him that she planned to use it to fight deserters. * 630s:

Ghazala Ghazāla (; died 696 AD near Kufa) was a leader of the Kharijite movement. Biography Ghazāla, born in Mosul, was the wife of Shabib ibn Yazid al-Shaybani. Shabib rebelled against Umayyad rule, and Ghazala was actively at his side. She commanded ...

leads troops in battle. * 630s: Khawla bint al-Azwar participate actively in combat during the Battle of Adnajin dressed as a man along with several other women, takes command of the Rashidun army at the

Battle of Yarmouk The Battle of the Yarmuk (also spelled Yarmouk) was a major battle between the army of the Byzantine Empire and the Muslim forces of the Rashidun Caliphate. The battle consisted of a series of engagements that lasted for six days in August 636, ...

against the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

. She was nearly beaten by a

Byzantine Greek Medieval Greek (also known as Middle Greek, Byzantine Greek, or Romaic) is the stage of the Greek language between the end of classical antiquity in the 5th–6th centuries and the end of the Middle Ages, conventionally dated to the Ottoman co ...

when one of her female companions, Wafayra, beheaded her opponent with one blow. This act rallied the Arabs and they defeated the Greeks. * 632: Prophetess

Sajah Sajah bint Al-Harith ibn Suayd ( ar, سجاح بنت الحارث بن سويد, fl. 630s CE) from the tribe of Banu Taghlib, was an Arab Christian protected first by her tribe; then causing a split within the Arab tribes and finally defended by ...

, a contemporary of

, led an army of 4,000 against

after his death, but called off the attack when she learned of the defeat of Tulayha. * 634:

Umm Hakim bint al-Harith ibn Hisham Umm Ḥakīm bint al-Ḥārith ibn Hishām ( ar, أم حكيم بنت الحارث بن هشام) was a female companion of Muhammad and later a wife of Umar, the second caliph of Islam. Family life Umm Hakim was daughter of al-Harith al-Mak ...

single-handedly disposed of seven Byzantine soldiers with a tent pole during the Battle of

Marj al-Saffar Marj al-Saffar or Marj al-Suffar ( ar, مرج الصفر ') is a large plain to the south of Damascus. Marj al-Saffar is bounded to the north by the right bank of the al-A'waj river, which flows from Mount Hermon to the Sabkhat al-Hijana. In the ...

. * 640s-741:

Wak Chanil Ajaw Lady Six Sky (possibly Ix Wak Chan Jalam Ajaw Lem? in ancient Mayan), also known as Lady Wac Chanil Ahau or Wak Chanil Ajaw (d. 741 CE), was a Maya queen of Naranjo who was born in Dos Pilas. She lived in Naranjo from 682 to her death (or shortl ...

rules the Mayans. She led military campaigns to conquer neighboring cities. * 651: Female

Sasanian The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...

generals like

Apranik Apranik (''fl.'' 651 AD) was a Sasanian military commander. She commanded the army of Yazdegerd III against the Arab invasion of 651 AD. Biography She was the daughter of Piran. When the Sasanian Empire was invaded by the Islamic Rashidun Cal ...

, Negan and Azedeh fight against the

Muslim conquest of Persia The Muslim conquest of Persia, also known as the Arab conquest of Iran, was carried out by the Rashidun Caliphate from 633 to 654 AD and led to the fall of the Sasanian Empire as well as the eventual decline of the Zoroastrian religion. Th ...

. * 653:

Chen Shuozhen Chen Shuozhen (; died 653) was a Tang dynasty woman from Muzhou (in modern Chun'an, Zhejiang), who led a peasant uprising in 653. During the rebellion, she declared herself Empress Wenjia (文佳皇帝),''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 199. becoming ...

leads a peasant rebellion in China, declaring herself empress regnant of China.Lily Xiao Hong Lee, Sue Wiles: Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women, Volume II: Tang Through Ming 618 - 1644 * 656:

Aisha Aisha ( ar, , translit=ʿĀʾisha bint Abī Bakr; , also , ; ) was Muhammad's third and youngest wife. In Islamic writings, her name is thus often prefixed by the title "Mother of the Believers" ( ar, links=no, , ʾumm al-mu'min, muʾminīn), ...

, widow of

, leads troops at the

Battle of the Camel The Battle of the Camel, also known as the Battle of Jamel or the Battle of Basra, took place outside of Basra, Iraq, in 36 AH (656 CE). The battle was fought between the army of the fourth caliph Ali, on one side, and the rebel army led by ...

. She is defeated. * 690s: Kahina leads

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...

resistance against the

Muslim conquest of the Maghreb The Muslim conquest of the Maghreb ( ar, الْفَتْحُ الإسلَامِيُّ لِلْمَغرِب) continued the century of rapid Muslim conquests following the death of Muhammad in 632 and into the Byzantine-controlled territories of ...

8th century

* 8th to 11th century (

Viking Age The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Ger ...

Saga is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu at Square (video game company), Square. It has since continued across multiple platforms, ...

s and historical records tell of

Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

Shield-maiden A shield-maiden ( non, skjaldmær ) was a female warrior from Scandinavian folklore and mythology. Shield-maidens are often mentioned in sagas such as '' Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks'' and in ''Gesta Danorum''. They also appear in stories of othe ...

Lagertha Lagertha, according to legend, was a Viking ruler and shield-maiden from what is now Norway, and the onetime wife of the famous Viking Ragnar Lodbrok. Her tale was recorded by the chronicler Saxo in the 12th century. According to the historian ...

participating in battles and raids, such as

Veborg Webiorg, Wigbiorg or Veborg (died 750), was a legendary Scandinavian shieldmaiden who, according to the sagas, participated in the Battle of Bråvalla, which occurred in Sweden in approximately 750. She was of Swedish or Danish origin. The battle ...

in the

Battle of Brávellir The Battle of Brávellir or the Battle of Bråvalla was a legendary battle, said to have taken place c.770, that is described in the sagas as taking place on the Brávellir between Sigurd Hring, king of Sweden and the Geats of Västergötland, and ...

in 750. In addition, remains of a Birka Viking warrior were confirmed in 2017 by DNA analysis to be female. * 722: Queen

Æthelburg of Wessex Æthelburg (also Æthelburh or Ethelburga) (ca. 673–740) was Queen of Wessex by marriage to King Ine of Wessex. Perhaps most famed for her act in 722, when she destroyed the stronghold of Taunton (which had been built by Ine) in an attempt to f ...

destroys the town of

Taunton Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England, with a 2011 population of 69,570. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by the ...

. * 730: A Khazar noblewoman named

Parsbit Parsbit, also known as Prisbit, was a Khazar noblewoman active in the 730s CE. In Armenian sources ( Lewond), Parsbit is called "the mother of the khagan". Whether she was the regent for an infant monarch (unlikely, since during the same period B ...

commands an army against

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...

. * 738: According to legendary Czech history, Valasca seized power and created a state ruled by women. She decreed that only women were to receive military training and that boys were to be maimed to render them unable to fight by removal of the right eye and thumb. She supposedly distributed a potion to the women of Bohemia which protected them from men. * 769:

Gülnar Hatun Gülnar Hatun (aka Büyük Ece, 731-769) was a semi legendary Turkish female hero. (Hatun is actually a title meaning "lady".) Her life story requires further research. Life She was born in 731 to Yahşi and his wife Duru. According to unsourced ...

, a semi-legendary

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

heroine, is killed fighting the

Abbasids The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib ...

9th century

* 811: After suffering great losses, Khan

Krum Krum ( bg, Крум, el, Κροῦμος/Kroumos), often referred to as Krum the Fearsome ( bg, Крум Страшни) was the Khan of Bulgaria from sometime between 796 and 803 until his death in 814. During his reign the Bulgarian territor ...

mobilizes the women of the

Bulgars The Bulgars (also Bulghars, Bulgari, Bolgars, Bolghars, Bolgari, Proto-Bulgarians) were Turkic semi-nomadic warrior tribes that flourished in the Pontic–Caspian steppe and the Volga region during the 7th century. They became known as nomad ...

, who then take part in the

Battle of Pliska The Battle of Pliska or Battle of Vărbitsa Pass was a series of battles between troops, gathered from all parts of the Byzantine Empire, led by the Emperor Nicephorus I, and the First Bulgarian Empire, governed by Khan Krum. The Byzantines plu ...

. * 816-837: Banu, wife of Babak Khorramdin, resists against the Islamic

Abbasid Caliphate The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib ...

.Kaveh Farrokh
The Persian Lioness: Iranian Women in History
/ref> * 880:

Ermengard of Italy Ermengard of Italy, also ''Ermengarda'', ''Ermengarde'', or ''Irmingard'' (852/855 – 897) was a queen and regent of Provence. She was the second and only surviving daughter of Louis II, Holy Roman Emperor. Life Born in around 852, she was the da ...

conducts the defense of

Vienne Vienne (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Viéne'') is a landlocked department in the French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It takes its name from the river Vienne. It had a population of 438,435 in 2019.Birka female Viking warrior is buried in Birka, Sweden; she were confirmed in 2017 by DNA analysis to be female. * 10th-century: According to legend,

Saint Theodora of Vasta Vastas ( el, Βάστας, also Βάστα ''Vasta'') is a village in the municipality of Megalopoli, Arcadia, Greece. It is situated on a mountainside near the border with Messenia, at about 850 m elevation. It is known for its "miracle church" o ...

, in Arcadia of Peloponnesus, joined the army of

in her father's stead dressed as a man, to spare her father from conscription, and had no brother who could take his place: when refusing to marry a woman who claimed to have been made pregnant by her, she is executed, resulting in the discovery of the biological gender of her corpse, and her status as a saint for the sacrifice she made for her father. * 900: A

woman is buried in

Solør Solør is a Norwegian traditional district consisting of the valley between Elverum in the north and Kongsvinger in the south. It is part of Innlandet county and it includes the municipalities Våler, Åsnes, and Grue. Glomma valley Glommadal ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

with weapons. * 912–922: Reign of Æthelflæd, queen of

Mercia la, Merciorum regnum , conventional_long_name=Kingdom of Mercia , common_name=Mercia , status=Kingdom , status_text=Independent kingdom (527–879)Client state of Wessex () , life_span=527–918 , era=Heptarchy , event_start= , date_start= , ye ...

. She commanded armies, fortified towns, and defeated the Danes. She also defeated the Welsh and forced them to pay tribute to her. * 914: Queen

Sugandha Sugandha ( 883 – 914) was the ruler of Kashmir in the northern Indian subcontinent during the 10th century. She was the Queen Consort of Kashmir from 885 to 902 by marriage to Sankaravarman, the King of Kashmir. She served as Queen Regent of ...

and her forces marched against the Tantrins. She was defeated and deposed. * 916:

Xochitl (Toltec) Xochitl (pronunciationr. 877–916) was a Toltec Queen and wife of Tecpancaltzin Iztaccaltzin. Her existence beyond legend is questionable, and accounts of her life are mainly based on the writings of indigenous historian Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxo ...

, a Toltec queen, fights in a civil war the erupted in the Toltec Empire. She created and led a battalion made up entirely of women soldiers. * 960: Ethiopian queen Gudit laid waste to

Axum Axum, or Aksum (pronounced: ), is a town in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia with a population of 66,900 residents (as of 2015). It is the site of the historic capital of the Aksumite Empire, a naval and trading power that ruled the whole region ...

and its countryside, destroyed churches and monuments, and attempted to exterminate the members of the ruling dynasty of the

Kingdom of Aksum The Kingdom of Aksum ( gez, መንግሥተ አክሱም, ), also known as the Kingdom of Axum or the Aksumite Empire, was a kingdom centered in Northeast Africa and South Arabia from Classical antiquity to the Middle Ages. Based primarily in wh ...

.Gudit
The Dictionary of Ethiopian Biography, Vol. 1 'From Early Times to the End of the Zagwé Dynasty c. 1270 A.D.,' copyright © 1975 * 971:

Sviatoslav I ; (943 – 26 March 972), also spelled Svyatoslav, was Grand Prince of Kiev famous for his persistent campaigns in the east and south, which precipitated the collapse of two great powers of Eastern Europe, Khazaria and the First Bulgarian Empire. H ...

attacked the

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

in 971. When the Varangians were defeated in the

siege of Dorostolon The Battle of Dorostopol was fought in 971 between the Byzantine Empire and forces of Kievan Rus'. The Byzantines, led by John I Tzimiskes, were victorious. Background During the course of the Rus'-Bulgarian war, Svyatoslav I of Kiev overran th ...

, the victors were stunned to discover shieldmaidens among the fallen warriors.Harrison, D. & Svensson, K. (2007). ''Vikingaliv''. Fälth & Hässler, Värnamo. . p. 71 * 975:

Adelaide-Blanche of Anjou Adelaide-Blanche of Anjou( –1026) was, by her successive marriages, countess of Gévaudan and Forez, of Toulouse, of Provence, and of Burgundy, and queen of Aquitaine. She was the regent of Gevaudan during the minority of her sons in the 960 ...

, acting for her sons Guy and Bertrand, led an army to aid Guy (a.k.a. Guido II), Count-

Bishop of le Puy The Roman Catholic Diocese of Le Puy-en-Velay (Latin: ''Dioecesis Aniciensis''; French: ''Diocèse du Puy-en-Velay'') is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The diocese comprises the whole Department of Haute-Lo ...

, in establishing the Peace and Truce of God in le Puy.Jerome Kroll, Bernard S. Bachrach, Medieval Dynastic Decisions: Evolutionary Biology and Historical Explanation, ''The Journal of Interdisciplinary History,'', Vol. 21, No. 1 (Summer, 1990), p. 9 * 986: The Khitan Dowager Regent Xiao Yanyan of the Khitan Liao state, regnal title ''Chengtian'', assumes power at age 30 in 982. In 986, she personally led her own army against the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

and defeated them in battle.

11th century

* Early 11th century:

Freydís Eiríksdóttir Freydís Eiríksdóttir (born 970) was a Icelandic woman said to be the daughter of Erik the Red (as in her patronym), who figured prominently in the Norse exploration of North America as an early colonist of Vinland, while her brother, Leif E ...

, a

woman, sails to

Vinland Vinland, Vineland, or Winland ( non, Vínland ᚠᛁᚾᛚᛅᚾᛏ) was an area of coastal North America explored by Vikings. Leif Erikson landed there around 1000 AD, nearly five centuries before the voyages of Christopher Columbus and John ...

with Thorfinn Karlsefni. When she faced hostile natives while pregnant, she exposed her breasts and beat her chest with a sword. This caused the natives to run away. * 11th century: Great Saxon Revolt.

Adelaide of Savoy, Duchess of Swabia Adelaide of Savoy (german: Adelheid von Turin; c.1050/2 – 1079), a member of the Burgundian House of Savoy, was Duchess of Swabia from about 1062 until 1079 by her marriage with Rudolf of Rheinfelden, who also was elected German anti-king in 1 ...

, remains in

Swabia Swabia ; german: Schwaben , colloquially ''Schwabenland'' or ''Ländle''; archaic English also Suabia or Svebia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany. The name is ultimately derived from the medieval Duchy of ...

to defend her husband's lands. * 11th century:

Judith d'Évreux Judith d'Évreux ( † 1076) was a Norman noblewoman and Countess of Sicily. Judith was the daughter of William d'Évreux and Hawise de Giroie, widow of Robert I de Grantmesnil.Detlev Schwennicke, ''Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Gesc ...

is left in the care of Roger I of Sicily's garrison while he campaigns. * 1016:

Adela of Hamaland Adela of Hamaland (also Adela of Elten) (952 – died after 1021), was countess of Hamaland in the Netherlands in about 973–1021. She was also the regent of Renkum in circa 983–?, likely as regent for her son Dirk of Renkum. Her claim on the in ...

defend the fortress Uplade in the Netherlands in the absence of her spouse, and fills out the ranks of her defense force with women dressed as soldiers. * 11th century:

Sikelgaita Sikelgaita (also ''Sichelgaita'' or ''Sigelgaita'') (1040 – 16 April 1090) was a Lombard princess, the daughter of Prince Guaimar IV of Salerno and second wife of Duke Robert Guiscard of Apulia. She commanded troops in her own right. Life Sh ...

commands troops in her own right. * 1047: Akkadevi, an Indian princess, besieges the fort of Gokage. * 1050: Norwegian noblewoman

Bergljot Håkonsdatter Bergljot Håkonsdatter (b. ca. 990- d. ca 1055) was a Norwegian noble. Bergljot was the daughter of Haakon Sigurdsson (c. 937–995) Jarl of Lade and de facto ruler of Norway from about 975 until his death in 995. Bergljot was married to Einar Tha ...

raise an army to kill the king for murdering her spouse and son: she takes the king's estate, but by then the king had managed to escape her. * 1055: Defeat and execution of

A Nong A Nong (also A Nùng, zh, 阿儂; 1005–1055) was a Zhuang shamaness, matriarch and warrior. She was the mother of the warlord Nong Zhigao (1025–1055). Alongside her son, father, and husband, she led the Zhuang and Nùng minorities of the Si ...

, Zhuang ruler, warrior, and shamaness. Alongside her son, father, and husband, she led the Zhuang and Nùng minorities of the Sino-Vietnamese frontier against Vietnamese and Chinese foes. * 1058–1086:

Salerno Salerno (, , ; nap, label= Salernitano, Saliernë, ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' in Campania (southwestern Italy) and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after ...

, second wife of

Robert Guiscard Robert Guiscard (; Modern ; – 17 July 1085) was a Norman adventurer remembered for the conquest of southern Italy and Sicily. Robert was born into the Hauteville family in Normandy, went on to become count and then duke of Apulia and Calabri ...

, Duke of Apulia, accompanies her husband on military campaigns, and regularly puts on full armor and rides into battle at his side. * October 14, 1066:

Edith the Fair Edith the Fair ( ang, Ealdgȳð Swann hnesce, "Edyth the Gentle Swan"; c. 1025 – c. 1066), also known as Edith Swanneck,Her first name is also spelled Ealdgyth, Aldgyth, ''Edeva'' or Eddeva, and sometimes appears as ''Ēadgȳð'' and ''Ēadgif ...

, according to folklore, identifies Harold Godwinson's body after the

Battle of Hastings The Battle of Hastings nrf, Batâle dé Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066 between the Norman-French army of William the Conqueror, William, the Duke of Normandy, and an English army under the Anglo-Saxons, Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godw ...

. * 1071:

Richilde, Countess of Hainaut Richilde, Countess of Mons and Hainaut ( 1018 – 15 March 1086), was a ruling countess of Hainaut from c. 1050 until 1076, in co-regency with her husband Baldwin VI of Flanders (until 1070) and then her son Baldwin II of Hainaut. She was also ...

is captured fighting in the Battle of Cassel. * 1072:

Urraca of Zamora Urraca of Zamora (1033/34 – 1101/03) was a Leonese ''infanta'', one of the five children of Ferdinand I the Great, who received the city of Zamora as her inheritance and exercised palatine authority in it. Her story was romanticized in the ' ...

, Infanta of the

Kingdom of Castile The Kingdom of Castile (; es, Reino de Castilla, la, Regnum Castellae) was a large and powerful state on the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region. It began in the 9th centu ...

, defends the city of Zamora against her brother,

Sancho The name Sancho is an Iberian name of Basque origin (Santxo, Santzo, Santso, Antzo, Sans). Sancho stems from the Latin name Sanctius.Eichler, Ernst; Hilty, Gerold; Löffler, Heinrich; Steger, Hugo; Zgusta, Ladislav: ''Namenforschung/Name Studies/ ...

. * 1087:

Matilda of Tuscany Matilda of Tuscany ( it, Matilde di Canossa , la, Matilda, ; 1046 – 24 July 1115 or Matilda of Canossa after her ancestral castle of Canossa), also referred to as ("the Great Countess"), was a member of the House of Canossa (also known as th ...

personally leads a military expedition to Rome in an attempt to install Pope Victor, but the strength of the imperial counterattack soon convinced the pope to retire from the city. * 1090:

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

woman

Isabel of Conches Isabel of Conches, (fl. 1090) wife of Ralph of Tosny, rode armed like a knight during a conflict in northern France during the late 11th century and was born in Montfort sur Risle, Eure, Normandy, in 1057. Early life She was the daughter of S ...

rides on horseback, armed. * 1097: Florine of Burgundy participates in the first crusade with her spouse, and fell participating in actual combat by his side while their army was attacked and destroyed in Anatolia.

12th century

* 12th century:

Moremi Ajasoro Moremi Ajasoro ( Yoruba: ''Mọremí Àjàṣorò'') was a legendary Yoruba queen and folk heroine in the Yorubaland region of present-day southwestern Nigeria who is fabled to have assisted in the liberation of the Yoruba kingdom of Ife from ...

of the

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...

is taken as a slave by the Igbo and married their ruler as his anointed queen. After familiarizing herself with the secrets of her new husband's army, she escaped to Ile-Ife and revealed this to the Yorubas, who were then able to subsequently defeat them in battle. *12th century:

Yennenga Yennenga was a legendary princess, considered the mother of the Mossi people of Burkina Faso. She was a famous warrior precious for her father, Naa Gbewaa or Nedega, the founder of the kingdom of Dagbon, now in present day Ghana. But the princess ...

of the Mossi people of

Burkina Faso Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the ...

leads her own battalion. * 1101:

Ida of Formbach-Ratelnberg Ida of Austria ( 1055 – September 1101) was a Margravine of Austria by marriage to Leopold II of Austria. She was a crusader, participating in the Crusade of 1101 with her own army.Steven Runciman: ''Geschichte der Kreuzzüge'' ('A History of ...

leads her own army in the

Crusade of 1101 The Crusade of 1101 was a minor crusade of three separate movements, organized in 1100 and 1101 in the successful aftermath of the First Crusade. It is also called the Crusade of the Faint-Hearted due to the number of participants who joined this ...

. * January 1108 or 1109:

Bertha of Rheinfelden Bertha of Rheinfelden (also Bertha of Bregenz) (born c. 1065; d. after 1128), countess of Kellmünz, was the daughter of Rudolf of Rheinfelden and wife of Ulrich X, Count of Bregenz, Ulrich X of Bregenz. Life Bertha was the daughter of Rudolf of ...

"fought manfully" in the Battle of Jedesheim. * 1119:

Clementia of Burgundy Clementia of Burgundy (c. 1078 – c. 1133) was countess of Flanders by marriage to Robert II of Flanders. She acted as regent of Flanders from 1096 until 1100, while her spouse was on crusade, and in the name of their son Baldwin VII from 1111 unt ...

raises an army. * 1121: Urraca of León fights her half-sister, Theresa, Countess of Portugal when she refuses to surrender the city of Tui, Pontevedra. * 1130: Female Chinese general

Liang Hongyu Liang Hongyu (1102–1135) was a Chinese general of the Song Dynasty. She became famous during the Jin–Song wars against the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty. Her real given name was lost in time. She was simply referenced in the official Chines ...

, wife of general

Han Shizhong Han Shizhong () (1089–1151) was a Chinese military general, poet, and politician of the late Northern Song Dynasty and the early Southern Song Dynasty. He dedicated his whole life to serving the Song Dynasty, and performed many legendary de ...

of the

Song Dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

, blocks the advance of the Jin army with her husband. Her drumming invigorated the Song army and rallied them to defeat the Jin. * 1136:

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

princess

Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd () (''Gwenllian, daughter of Gruffydd''; 1100 – 1136) was Princess consort of Deheubarth in Wales, and married to Gruffydd ap Rhys, Prince of Deheubarth. Gwenllian was the daughter of Gruffudd ap Cynan (1055–1137), ...

leads an army against the Normans. She is defeated and killed. * 1141: Matilda I, Countess of Boulogne raises an army to continue the fight for the crown of England, after her husband, King Stephen is captured by the

Empress Matilda Empress Matilda ( 7 February 110210 September 1167), also known as the Empress Maude, was one of the claimants to the English throne during the civil war known as the Anarchy. The daughter of King Henry I of England, she moved to Germany as ...

.Marjorie Chibnall, « Matilda (1102–1167) », ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004. * 1145:

Eleanor of Aquitaine Eleanor ( – 1 April 1204; french: Aliénor d'Aquitaine, ) was Queen of France from 1137 to 1152 as the wife of King Louis VII, Queen of England from 1154 to 1189 as the wife of King Henry II, and Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right from ...

accompanies her husband on the

Second Crusade The Second Crusade (1145–1149) was the second major crusade launched from Europe. The Second Crusade was started in response to the fall of the County of Edessa in 1144 to the forces of Zengi. The county had been founded during the First Crusa ...

. * 1147:

Fannu Fannu bint Umar ibn Yintan (died April 1147) was a princess and a Commanding officer of the Almoravid dynasty. In the guise of a man, wearing armour she participated in the defense of the citadel of Marrakesh during the Almohad conquest of the cit ...

, an Almoravid princess, participate in the defense of the Almoravid dynasty capital's fortress in Marrakech dressed as a man during the conquest of the Almohad ''jihad''. * 1150: The Swedish nobleman

Jon Jarl {{Infobox noble , name = Jon Jarl , title = Earl , image = , caption = , alt = , CoA = , more = no , succession = {{ill, Earl of Sweden, ...

are killed by Baltic pirates who attacks his estate Askenös after his return from the First Swedish Crusade, after which his widow, the Lady of Askanäs (her name is not preserved), flee to Hundhammar, gather an army and return to kill the murderers of her spouse. * 1170–1176:

Aoife MacMurrough Aoife MacMurrough (c. 1145 – 1188, ga, Aoife Ní Diarmait), also known by later historians as Eva of Leinster, was an Irish noblewoman, Princess of Leinster and Countess of Pembroke. She was the daughter of Dermot MacMurrough (c. 1110 – 117 ...

conducts battles in Ireland on behalf of her consort Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke and is sometimes known as "Red Eva". * 1180–1185: Female Japanese warrior

Tomoe Gozen Tomoe Gozen (, ) was an onna-musha from the late Heian period of Japanese history. She served Minamoto no Yoshinaka during the Genpei War and was a part of the conflict that led to the first shogunate. Her family had strong affiliations with Yos ...

fights in the

Genpei War The was a national civil war between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the downfall of the Taira and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto no Yoritomo, who appointed himself ...

alongside men. * 1172: Aldruda, Countess of Bertinoro commanded the army that fought to lift an imperial siege of the town of Aucona in 1172. * 1182–1199: Hōjō Masako rides with her spouse Minamoto no Yoritomo on his campaigns and was never defeated in battle. * 1178 : Indian queen Naikidevi, ruling on behalf of Mulraja II fights Muhammad Ghori in

Mount Abu Mount Abu () is a hill station in the Aravalli Range in Sirohi district of the state of Rajasthan in western India.The mountain forms a rocky plateau 22 km long by 9 km wide. The highest peak on the mountain is Guru Shikhar at above s ...

* 1191–1217:

Nicola de la Haye Nicola de la Haie (born c. 1150; d. 1230), of Swaton in Lincolnshire, (also written de la Haye) was an English landowner and administrator who inherited from her father not only lands in both England and Normandy but also the post of hereditary ...

defended loyalist interests against rebel barons in

Lincoln, England Lincoln () is a cathedral city, a non-metropolitan district, and the county town of Lincolnshire, England. In the 2021 Census, the Lincoln district had a population of 103,813. The 2011 census gave the Lincoln Urban Area, urban area of Lincoln, ...

. * 1198:

Maud de Braose Maud de Braose, Lady of Bramber (c. 1155 – 1210) was an English noble, the spouse of William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber, a powerful Marcher baron and court favourite of King John of England. She would later incur the wrath and enmity of t ...

defends Plainscastle against Welsh attack. * 1199:

Joan of England, Queen of Sicily Joan of England (October 1165 – 4 September 1199) was a Queen of Sicily and countess consort of Toulouse. She was the seventh child of Henry II, King of England, and Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine. From her birth, she was destined to make a ...

took arms against the lords of Saint-Felix, and laid siege to a castrum belonging to them known as Les Cassés. * Late 12th-century: Umadevi, consort of King Veera Ballala II, commanded Mysore armies against the rival Chalukyas on at least two occasions, allowing Bellala to concentrate on administrative matters and thus significantly contributing to the Hoysalas' conquest of the Chalkyua at Kalyani (near present-day Bidar).

13th century

* 1201: Japanese woman Hangaku Gozen defends a fort as an archer until she is wounded by an arrow. * 1220s:

Yang Miaozhen Yang Miaozhen (; c. 1193 – 1250) was a female military leader and warrior in medieval China. A native of Yidu, she grew up in northern China during a turbulent, war-wracked time. In 1211, her brother Yang An'er organized a group of roving ...

acts as war leader in China. * 1221: The ruler of Maragha, Sulafa Khatun, successfully commands the citadel of Ru'in Diz during the Mongol siege of Maragha.El-Azhari, Taef. Queens, Eunuchs and Concubines in Islamic History, 661–1257. Edinburgh University Press, 2019 * 1226:

Yesui Yesui was one of the wives of Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire. She was of Tatar ancestry. Like the other wives of Genghis Khan, she had her own ''ordo'', or court and to her was assigned the Tuul River. Her sister Yesugen was al ...

, one of the wives of

Genghis Khan ''Chinggis Khaan'' ͡ʃʰiŋɡɪs xaːŋbr />Mongol script: ''Chinggis Qa(gh)an/ Chinggis Khagan'' , birth_name = Temüjin , successor = Tolui (as regent)Ögedei Khan , spouse = , issue = , house = Borjigin , ...

accompanies her husband as he set out on a punitive expedition to the

Tangut kingdom The Western Xia or the Xi Xia (), officially the Great Xia (), also known as the Tangut Empire, and known as ''Mi-nyak''Stein (1972), pp. 70–71. to the Tanguts and Tibetans, was a Tangut-led Buddhist imperial dynasty of China tha ...

. * 1236–1239: Reign of Razia Sultana. She led her troops in battle. * January 1229: Blanche of Castile led her forces to attack Mauclerc. * 1249: Magistra Hersend accompanied

Louis IX of France Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), commonly known as Saint Louis or Louis the Saint, was King of France from 1226 to 1270, and the most illustrious of the Direct Capetians. He was crowned in Reims at the age of 12, following the ...

on the Seventh Crusade. * 1258:

Doquz Khatun Doquz Khatun (also spelled Dokuz Khatun) (d. 1265) was a 13th-century princess of the Keraites who was married to Hulagu Khan, founder of the Ilkhanate. Life Doquz Khatun was a granddaughter of the Keraite khan Toghrul, through his son Uyku or A ...

accompanies her husband Hulagu on campaigns. At the Sack of Baghdad in 1258, the Mongols massacred tens of thousands of inhabitants, but by the order of Doquz, the Christians were spared. * 1261–1289: Reign of Indian queen Rudrama Devi. She leads her troops in battle, and may have been killed in battle in 1289. * 1264:

Eleanor of Provence Eleanor of Provence (c. 1223 – 24/25 June 1291) was a French noblewoman who became Queen of England as the wife of King Henry III from 1236 until his death in 1272. She served as regent of England during the absence of her spouse in 1253. ...

raises troops in France for her husband during the Baron's War. * 1270:

Eleanor of Castile Eleanor of Castile (1241 – 28 November 1290) was Queen of England as the first wife of Edward I, whom she married as part of a political deal to affirm English sovereignty over Gascony. The marriage was known to be particularly close, and ...

accompanies her husband on his crusade. According to legend, she saved his life by sucking poison from his wound when he was injured. * 1271: Isabella of Aragon, Queen of France dies at

Cosenza Cosenza (; local dialect: ''Cusenza'', ) is a city in Calabria, Italy. The city centre has a population of approximately 70,000; the urban area counts more than 200,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Province of Cosenza, which has a populati ...

on the way back from the Crusades. * August 1282:

Dina and Clarenza Dina and Clarenza are two women connected in legend with the historical siege of Messina by Charles I of Anjou during the Sicilian Vespers in August 1282. The legend Dina and Clarenza, two Messinese women, were heroines who, in legend, opposed t ...

assist in repelling a siege of

Messina Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in ...

. * 1285: Mercadera, dressed as a man, wounds and captures a French knight during the French siege of the Aragonese city of Peralada. * 1290:

Royal Armouries Ms. I.33 Royal Armouries Ms. I.33 is the earliest known surviving European ''fechtbuch'' (combat manual), and one of the oldest surviving martial arts manuals dealing with armed combat worldwide. I.33 is also known as the Walpurgis manuscript, after a fig ...

is written. It depicts fighters. An illustration of a woman named Walpurgis training in sword and buckler techniques is in the manuscript among others. * 1296:

Bertha van Heukelom Bertha van Heukelom (died 1322), was a Dutch noble, the legendary heroine of the Siege of IJsselstein Castle in 1296. She was the daughter of Otto I van Arkel lord of Heukelum, Heukelom (floruit, fl. 1254-1283) and married around 1280 to Gijsbrech ...

defends Castle IJsselstein against Hubrecht van Vianen of Culemborg * 1297: Joan I of Navarre, Countess of Champagne, leads an army against the Count of Bar when he invaded her domain Champagne. * Late 13th century: Khutulun, a relative of

Kublai Khan Kublai ; Mongolian script: ; (23 September 1215 – 18 February 1294), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizu of Yuan and his regnal name Setsen Khan, was the founder of the Yuan dynasty of China and the fifth khagan-emperor of th ...

, is described as a superb warrior and accompanies her father Khaidu on military campaigns.

14th century

* 14th century: Urduja, a

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

princess, takes part in several battles. Many historians believe that she was mythical, however. *14th century: Women of the

Mississippian culture The Mississippian culture was a Native Americans in the United States, Native American civilization that flourished in what is now the Midwestern United States, Midwestern, Eastern United States, Eastern, and Southeastern United States from appr ...

in the Central Illinois River Valley Region participated in warfare, defending their camp, if needed, while men were out hunting. * 1326: Isabella of France invades England with Roger de Mortimer, and overthrows Edward II of England, replacing him with her son

Edward III of England Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring ro ...

, with her and de Mortimer acting as regents. * 1335: During the Second War of Scottish Independence Christina Bruce commanded the garrison of Kildrummy Castle and successfully held the castle against pro-Baliol forces led by David III Strathbogie. * 1335: The Scots defeat a company led by the Count of Namur. Amongst the Count's casualties was a female lancer who had killed her opponent, Richard Shaw, at the same moment that he had killed her. Her gender was only discovered when the bodies were being stripped of their armor at the end of the engagement. "The chronicler Bower seems to have been at least as impressed by the rarity of two mounted soldiers simultaneously transfixing one another with their lances as with the fact that one of them was a woman." * 1338:

Agnes, Countess of Dunbar Agnes Randolph, Countess of Dunbar and March ( 1312 – 1369), known as Black Agnes for her dark complexion, was the wife of Patrick, 9th Earl of Dunbar and March. She is buried in the vault near Mordington House. She was the daughter of Tho ...

successfully defends her castle against a siege by England's earl of Salisbury. * 1342–1343:

Joanna of Flanders Joanna of Flanders ( 1295 – September 1374) was Duchess of Brittany by her marriage to John of Montfort. Much of her life was taken up in defence of the rights of her husband and, later, son to the dukedom, which was challenged by the House of ...

conquers the city of Redon and defends the city of Hennebont during the Breton war. * 1341-1347: Empress Irene Asanina commands the garrison of Didymoteicho and defend the city during the

Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347 The Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347, sometimes referred to as the Second Palaiologan Civil War, was a conflict that broke out in the Byzantine Empire after the death of Andronikos III Palaiologos over the guardianship of his nine-year-old so ...

. * 1347: Philippa of Hainault persuaded the King to spare the lives of the

Burghers of Calais ''The Burghers of Calais'' (french: Les Bourgeois de Calais) is a sculpture by Auguste Rodin in twelve original castings and numerous copies. It commemorates an event during the Hundred Years' War, when Calais, a French port on the English ...

. This popularity helped maintain peace in England throughout their long reign. * 1348: Empress Irene Asanina organize the defense of Constantinople against the Genoese. * 1351–1363:

Han E Han E (, born 1345) was an ethnic Han female warrior who is considered a war heroine. She served in the anti-Yuan dynasty Red Turbans dressed as a man under the name Han Guanbao. She was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and became famous as the ...

serves as a soldier in the Chinese army as a man under the name Han Guanbao, and is promoted to lieutenant. * 1351–1357: Cia Ordelaffi ''née'' Marzia degli Ubaldini an Italian noblewoman from

Forlì Forlì ( , ; rgn, Furlè ; la, Forum Livii) is a ''comune'' (municipality) and city in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, and is the capital of the province of Forlì-Cesena. It is the central city of Romagna. The city is situated along the Via E ...

came in help of Lodovico Ordelaffi during the battle of

Dovadola Dovadola ( rgn, Dvêdla) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Forlì-Cesena in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about southeast of Bologna and about southwest of Forlì, on the road leading to Florence. Dovadola borders th ...

(part of the

Guelphs and Ghibellines The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, ri ...

war). In 1357 she took part in the defense of

Cesena Cesena (; rgn, Cisêna) is a city and ''comune'' in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, served by Autostrada A14, and located near the Apennine Mountains, about from the Adriatic Sea. The total population is 97,137. History Cesena was o ...

during the Forlivesi crusade induced by

Pope Innocent VI Pope Innocent VI ( la, Innocentius VI; 1282 or 1295 – 12 September 1362), born Étienne Aubert, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 18 December 1352 to his death in September 1362. He was the fifth Avignon pope a ...

. * 1353: Empress Irene Asanina organize the defense of Constantinople against the army of John V. * 1354:

Ibn Battuta Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Battutah (, ; 24 February 13041368/1369),; fully: ; Arabic: commonly known as Ibn Battuta, was a Berbers, Berber Maghrebi people, Maghrebi scholar and explorer who travelled extensively in the lands of Afro-Eurasia, ...

reports seeing female warriors in Southeast Asia. * 1358:

Richardis of Schwerin, Duchess of Schleswig Richardis of Schwerin, also called Richardis of Lauenburg or Rixa, (year unknown – before 1386), was a Duchess consort of Schleswig and possibly a Danish queen consort, married to Valdemar III of Denmark (Valdemar V, Duke of Schleswig). ...

defends Sönderborg Castle on Als against

Valdemar IV of Denmark Valdemar IV Atterdag (the epithet meaning "Return of the Day"), or Waldemar (132024 October 1375) was King of Denmark from 1340 to 1375. He is mostly known for his reunion of Denmark after the bankruptcy and mortgaging of the country to finance ...

. * 1364–1405:

Timur Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kür ...

uses female archers to defend baggage trains. * 1387: Queen Jadwiga of Poland leads two military campaigns. * 1389: Frisian regent

Foelke Kampana Foelke Kampana (1355 – c. 1418), also known as Foelke the Cruel, was a Frisian noble. She served as regent for the Frisian territories Oldeborg, Brokmerland, Auricherland and Emsigerland in East Frisia in 1400 during the absence of her son Keno ...

leads armies to assist her spouse Ocko Kenisna tom Brok, chief of

Auricherland The Auricherland was an historic region, in central East Frisia, which covered a large area around the town of Aurich in north Germany. The Auricherland bordered in the west on the Brokmerland, in the north on the Norderland and the Harlingerland ...

: after finding him dead on the battlefield, she returns to Aurich, and upon finding it taken by an enemy during her absence, she retakes it by military force. *1395:

Agnes Hotot Agnes Hotot ( 1395) was an English noblewoman known for besting a man in a lance fight. According to Arthur Collins, writing in 1741, an unspecified monk recorded that Hotot took her father's place in a duel after he fell ill, disguising herself ...

takes part in a lance duel while dressed as a man, only revealing her gender once the fight is won.

15th century

* 15th century:

Qutlugh Nigar Khanum Qutlugh Nigar Khanum (''also spelled Kutlak Nigar Khanum''; d. 1505) was the first wife and chief consort of Umar Shaikh Mirza II, the ruler of Ferghana Valley. She was a princess of Moghulistan by birth and was a daughter of Yunus Khan, the Great ...

accompanies her son on military expeditions. * 1419:

Margaret of Bavaria Margaret of Bavaria (1363 – 23 January 1424, Dijon) was Duchess of Burgundy by marriage to John the Fearless. She was the regent of the Burgundian Low Countries during the absence of her spouse in 1404–1419 and the regent in French Burgundy d ...

defends French Burgundy against

John IV, Count of Armagnac John IV (15 October 1396 – 5 November 1450) was a Count of Armagnac, Fézensac, and Rodez from 1418 to 1450. He was involved in the intrigues related to the Hundred Years' War and in conflicts against the King of France. Biography Born 15 Oc ...

. * 1420: Tang Sai'er starts a rebellion against the emperor of China and take two cities with her rebel army before she is defeated. * 1428:

Cecília Rozgonyi Cecília Rozgonyi (1398– between 1436 and 1439) was a late mediaeval Hungarian noblewoman known for fighting against Ottoman invaders. Her given name also appears as Cecilia, Cicelle, or Cziczelle and her surname as Rozgoni; she is sometim ...

commanded her own ship in battle toward the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

under

Sigismund of Hungary Sigismund of Luxembourg (15 February 1368 – 9 December 1437) was a monarch as King of Hungary and Croatia (''jure uxoris'') from 1387, King of Germany from 1410, King of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor from 1433 until his death in 1 ...

at Golubac fortress. * 1428:

Philippa of England Philippa of England (mid-1394 – 5 January 1430), also known as Philippa of Lancaster, was Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden from 1406 to 1430 by marriage to King Eric of the Kalmar Union. She was the daughter of King Henry IV of England by ...

, Queen of Denmark, successfully organized the defence of Copenhagen against the Hanseatic League, a heroic feat later recounted by

Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fairy tales, consisti ...

in ''Godfather's Picture Book'' (1868). * 1429:

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronati ...

asserts that God has sent her to drive the English out of France, and is given a position in the

French Royal army The French Royal Army (french: Armée Royale Française) was the principal land force of the Kingdom of France. It served the Bourbon Dynasty from the reign of Louis XIV in the mid-17th century to that of Charles X in the 19th, with an interlude ...

. She is supported by Yolande of Aragon, mother of Queen Marie d'Anjou (wife of King Charles VII). * 1430s: Jeanne des Armoises was a soldier in Italy. * 1430: Aldonça de Bellera defends her barony of Rialp in Catalonia against Count Arnau Roger of IV Pallars. * 1433:

Ida Königsmarck Ida Henningsdotter Königsmarck (died 1450), was a Swedish noble and fief-holder, known for her legendary defense of Kastelholm Castle on Åland in Swedish Finland during the Engelbrekt Rebellion in 1433. She was the daughter of the nobleman Henn ...

legendary defense her fief Kastelholm Castle on

Åland Åland ( fi, Ahvenanmaa: ; ; ) is an Federacy, autonomous and Demilitarized zone, demilitarised region of Finland since 1920 by a decision of the League of Nations. It is the smallest region of Finland by area and population, with a size of 1 ...

in Swedish Finland during the

Engelbrekt rebellion The Engelbrekt rebellion (''Engelbrektsupproret'') was an uprising during 1434–1436 led by Swedish miner and nobleman Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson and directed against Eric of Pomerania, the king of the Kalmar Union. The uprising, with its center ...

. * 1450s: Zaydi

Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...

i chieftain

Sharifa Fatima Sharifa Fatima (; d. during or after 1461; ''sharifa'' is an honorific, her proper name being Fatima bint al-Hassan) was a female Zaydi Sayyid chief in 15th century Yemen. She allegedly conquered Sa'dah and Najran. She was the granddaughter of Z ...

conquers San'a'. * 1451–1452 :

Brita Tott Brita Olovsdotter Tott (or ''Thott'') (in Swedish) or Birgitte Olufsdatter Thott (in Danish), ( fl. 3 March 1498) was a Danish and Swedish noble, landowner and royal county administrator She was judged for treason and for the forgery of seals. ...

serves as a

spy Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...

in the war between Sweden and Denmark * 1455:

Elise Eskilsdotter Elise Eskilsdotter (''Elise Eskildsdatter'') (died c. 1483) was a Norwegian noble. Elise was the daughter of Eskild Ågesen and Elisabeth Jakobsdatter Hegle. Her father was a knight from Scania. Around 1420, she married the Norwegian nobleman Olav ...

leads a war against the German merchant class of Bergen in Norway as revenge for the murder of her spouse, by means of her pirate fleet. * 1461: Alice Knyvet defends Buckingham Castle at Norfolk against Sir Gilbert of Debenhem. * 1466:

Pomellina Fregoso Pomellina Fregoso (1387/88 in Genoa – 1468 in Monaco) was Lady Consort of Monaco by marriage to Jean I, Lord of Monaco, and the mother of Lord Catalan. She served as regent of Monaco several times during the absence of her husband between 1437 ...

stages and supports a rebellion against Lambert in the provinces of Menton and Roquebrunem. * 1467:

Ólöf Loftsdóttir Ólöf Loftsdóttir (c. 1410 – 1479), was a politically active Icelandic woman. She was the daughter of Loftur ríki Guttormsson and Ingibjörg Pálsdóttir and married to Björn Þorleifsson hirðstjóri. She resided at Skarth in Skarthströ ...

personally leads a war against British traders working in Iceland. * 1471: Queen

Margaret of Anjou Margaret of Anjou (french: link=no, Marguerite; 23 March 1430 – 25 August 1482) was Queen of England and nominally Queen of France by marriage to King Henry VI from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471. Born in the Duchy of Lorrain ...

personally leads her troops in the Battle of Tewkesbury. * 1472:

Onorata Rodiani Onorata Rodiani (or Honorata Rodiana) (1403–1452) was a "semi-legendary"#Reference-echols, Echols and Williams, p. 358 Italy, Italian painting, painter and Condottieri, condottiere. She was born at Castelleone near Cremona, and also later die ...

from

Cremona Cremona (, also ; ; lmo, label= Cremunés, Cremùna; egl, Carmona) is a city and ''comune'' in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po river in the middle of the ''Pianura Padana'' ( Po Valley). It is the capital of th ...

, Italy is mortally wounded in battle. She had disguised herself as a man to become a soldier. * 1472:

Jeanne Hachette Jeanne Laisné (born circa 1454 ?) was a French heroine known as Jeanne Fourquet and nicknamed Jeanne Hachette ('Joan the Hatchet'). She was the daughter of a peasant. She is currently known for an act of heroism on 27 June 1472, when she preven ...

rips down the flag of the invading Burgundians at

Beauvais Beauvais ( , ; pcd, Bieuvais) is a city and commune in northern France, and prefecture of the Oise département, in the Hauts-de-France region, north of Paris. The commune of Beauvais had a population of 56,020 , making it the most populous ...

, inspiring the garrison to win the fight. * 1474: Caterina d'Ortafà participate in the defense of

Canet-en-Roussillon Canet-en-Roussillon (; ca, Canet de Rosselló, ; oc, Canet de Rosselhon, ) is a commune and town in the French department of the Pyrénées-Orientales, administrative region of Occitania. Geography Canet-en-Roussillon is located in the canto ...

during the French invasion of Roussilon following the Catalan Civil War. * 1480: Margareta of Celje defends the city of Glogow against the forces of the duke of Sagan, who lay siege to the town. * 1480s:

Mandukhai Mandukhai Khatun ( mn, Мандухай хатан, ᠮᠠᠨᠳᠤᠬᠠᠢ ᠰᠡᠴᠡᠨ ᠬᠠᠲᠤᠨ), also known as Mandukhai Setsen Khatun ( mn, Мандухай сэцэн хатан, en, Queen Mandukhai the Wise, ) (c. 1449 – 1510) ...

takes command of the

Mongol The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member of ...

army and defeats the

Oirats Oirats ( mn, Ойрад, ''Oirad'', or , Oird; xal-RU, Өөрд; zh, 瓦剌; in the past, also Eleuths) are the westernmost group of the Mongols whose ancestral home is in the Altai region of Siberia, Xinjiang and western Mongolia. Histor ...

. * 1481: Dutch noblewoman Swob Sjaarda defends her castle during a siege in the Netherlands. * 1487: Katarina Nipertz defends Raseborg Castle in Finland, the fief of her late spouse, against the troops of the new vassal appointed by the regent, for several weeks. * 1494: Ats Bonninga defends her fort in Friesland. * 1495: Beatrice d'Este supervised and animated the troops to move against the

Duke of Orléans Duke of Orléans (french: Duc d'Orléans) was a French royal title usually granted by the King of France to one of his close relatives (usually a younger brother or son), or otherwise inherited through the male line. First created in 1344 by King ...

in place of her husband, thus managing to avoid the french conquest of the

Duchy of Milan The Duchy of Milan ( it, Ducato di Milano; lmo, Ducaa de Milan) was a state in northern Italy, created in 1395 by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, then the lord of Milan, and a member of the important Visconti family, which had been ruling the city sin ...

. * 1496: Bauck Poppema defends her fort in Friesland. * 1499:

Caterina Sforza Caterina Sforza (1463 – 28 May 1509) was an Italian noblewoman, the Countess of Forlì and Lady of Imola, firstly with her husband Girolamo Riario, and after his death as a regent of her son Ottaviano. Caterina was a noblewoman who lived a li ...

successfully defends Forli against a Venetian attack and become famous and nicknamed "The Tiger".Brogi, Cecilia (1996). Caterina Sforza (in Italian). Arezzo: Alberti & C. Editori.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline Of Women In Medieval Warfare * Women in Medieval warfare post-classical warfare