You know what’s the worst thing in life? I think it’s a mother’s divine love. They talk about love like it’s loud. But when the doctor handed her the diagnosis, she folded the paper, tucked it into her purse, and asked if the dinner would be ready in time and if the children were hungry already. That’s what love looks like, sometimes no tears, just logistics. Only if we could pay a price for achieving it, would we understand the heavenly, unconditional affection she has for her children, love that has transcended time and shattered barriers.
And she’s not the first. History is plotted with mothers who bore the world’s weight in silence; mothers who stood guard even in the darkest of times; mothers who buried grief and changed the course of kingdoms without ever stepping into the light, and such mothers, who gave their everything just for the sake of their children!
This love we so often overlook has echoed louder than history books care to mention. Let’s remember a few mothers who turned their silent strength into world-shaping action. Though separated by centuries and borders, these are mothers who shaped history with the same unwavering love and fierce determination:
Matilda of Scotland (1102-1167)
She was the daughter of King Henry I and the mother of King Henry II. Considered one of the most formidable women of the medieval era, her life was a storm of dynastic ambition, political betrayal and maternal strength. After the death of King Henry I, her cousin Stephen of Blois seized the throne and started a civil war known as The Anarchy. In a heavily male-dominated world, she managed to raise armies and inspire people to fight for her son. She suffered imprisonment and exile, but never gave up. She fought for her son and eventually captured Stephen, after whom her son became the rightful king of England.
Hirkani Baai (17th Century C.E.)
A mother from Maharashtra whose love moved the great Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, whose love made her name get etched into the walls of Raigad Fort. She was a milkmaid who lived at the base of the fort. Each day, she climbed the treacherous mountain path to sell milk inside the fort. She was a single mother who was looking after her infant, whom she left in the care of her neighbour. One evening, she couldn’t exit the fort on time, whose gates were shut at sunset, not opening until the next morning. However, Hirkani Baai’s maternal instinct refused to stay inside the fort. She found a way to exit the fort from a side that had a vertical cliff, which was unclimbable. In the darkness of the night, with animals wandering around in the jungles surrounding the fort, Hirkani Baai, barefoot, desperate and all by herself, managed to reach home to her baby, all because of a mother’s care for her child. On hearing this, Shivaji Maharaj was so touched that he ordered a watchtower to be built at the very spot from where Hirkani Baai left the fort and named it Hirkani Buruj in her honour.
Bhagirathi Amma (1914-2021)
As is her name, she truly is a mother who inspires and will continue to inspire generations of children. She lived in Prakkulam, a town in Kollam district of Kerala. While ironically, not receiving her mother’s love due to her death during childbirth, she made sure her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren received all the love they could get from her as a mother. After the death of her husband in the 1930s, she gave up her education to look after her children. Through various means and small jobs, she made sure that her children and their children henceforth would receive a good education and realise the value of it. At the age of 105, when she was free from the burden of looking after her family, she decided to pursue her childhood dream of education. She sat for Kerala’s fourth-grade equivalency exams, scoring 75% in them and earning rightful national recognition, including the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2019. Her story is a powerful reminder that maternal sacrifice isn’t always loud—it’s often lived in decades of quiet, determined love.
Phuc
A recent testament of maternal love, Phuc is a mother from Vietnam who worked across the border in Laos as a farmer with her husband. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, they lost their only source of income. She had two young children to look after. She turned crisis into opportunity not only for her own family but also for her entire community. She noticed that farmers nearby also suffered due to a lack of sellers. Hence, Phuc started a motorbike delivery service, becoming a proud ‘shipper’ for her children. She posted photos of their produce on social media, took orders online and delivered food to families at their homes. Her motherly affection made sure that her children and her family did not suffer due to the pandemic.
Conclusion
These were just four examples, but for every Matilda, Hirkani Baai, Bhagirathi Amma and Phuc, there were thousands of mothers who were never named, never thanked, yet they carried the same burden in quieter corners of the world. Their sacrifices are not written in stone, but in blood, hunger and silence. And even today, they are still among us. They may no longer carry swords or lead marches, but their love hasn’t changed; they carry us as we scroll past their untold sacrifices.
If you feel grateful, awake and human, if this article helped you realise what your mother is to you, do say a quiet thank you to her.