Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi served as Prime Minister of India for a combined total of over 15 years, becoming the country's first and, to date, only female head of government, and one of the most powerful and controversial leaders in modern Indian history.
Gandhi, daughter of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, rose through the Indian National Congress party to become Prime Minister in 1966, leading India through the 1971 war with Pakistan that resulted in the creation of Bangladesh.
Her tenure included a highly controversial period known as the Emergency, from 1975 to 1977, during which she suspended civil liberties and ruled by decree, drawing significant domestic and international criticism.
Gandhi returned to power in 1980 after an election defeat, and was assassinated in 1984 by her own bodyguards following her decision to order a military operation against Sikh separatists at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.