Move over Aurangzeb, these are four most cruel rulers in history, list includes a woman too, her name is….

Nowadays Vicky Kaushal’s film ‘Chava’ is in the news, in which the bravery of Shivaji’s son Sambhaji has been described and Mughal emperor Aurangzeb has been shown as a heartbreakingly cruel ruler. Although historians have disagreements with this film, but who is actually considered the world’s most cruel ruler in history?

The whole world has seen many cruel rulers and women rulers are also not far behind in the list. Women rulers have also made their cruelty known. These four cruel rulers ruled from Mongol, Hungary, Syria to Britain.

Attila the Hun, known as the ‘Scourge of God’, ruled the Hun Empire from 434-453 AD. After murdering his brother Bleda to seize power, he expanded his empire to Germany, the Balkans and Russia. The Huns were nomadic, fearsome horsemen who made terrifying noises during attacks. Attila was considered a brilliant military leader, and some Roman leaders paid him protection money to avoid invasion. Attila died unexpectedly in his sleep on his wedding night and his followers killed those who buried him along with his wealth to keep the location of his grave a secret.

Roman Emperor Caligula

Caligula was a Roman emperor who ruled for only four years (37-41 AD), but became infamous for his cruel and erratic behavior. Although he began his reign with some significant reforms, he quickly descended into tyranny. He committed numerous atrocities, including suicide, public humiliation, sexual assault, and execution. It is speculated that several illnesses may have contributed to his mental instability. Caligula declared himself a god and was assassinated by his own guards, making him the first Roman emperor to be killed in this way.

Ivan the Terrible

Ivan the Terrible, whose real name was Ivan IV Vasilyevich, ruled as the first Tsar of Russia from 1547 to 1584. After the death of his wife Anastasia in 1560, he went mad. He believed that enemies had poisoned her, this worsened his mental instability and made him ruthless towards perceived political rivals. One of his most infamous deeds was the formation of the ‘Oprichniki’ group, who murdered priests, burned government officials alive, drowned families and destroyed businesses. Ivan died suddenly while playing chess with a nobleman, believed to have suffered a stroke or heart attack.

Queen Mary I (aka Bloody Mary)

Mary I, the only child of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, became queen of England in 1553 and soon reestablished Catholicism as the main religion (after previous rulers had supported Protestantism) and married Philip II of Spain, a Catholic. Over the next few years hundreds of Protestants were burned at the stake, earning her the nickname ‘Bloody Mary’.