Malalai of Maiwand

Malalai of Maiwand, also known as Malala, or Malalai Anna is a national folk hero of Afghanistan who purportedly rallied Afghan troops at the Battle of Maiwand during the Second Anglo-Afghan War. She was alleged to have fought alongside Ayub Khan and bore responsibility for the Afghan victory at the Battle of Maiwand on 27 July 1880. She is also known as 'The Afghan Jeanne d'Arc' or as 'The Afghan Molly Pitcher' to the Western world. There are many schools, hospitals, and other institutions named after her in Afghanistan, and her story is told in Afghan school text books.