Contesting seclusion : the political emergence of Muslim women in Bhopal, 1901-1930
This study examines the emergence of Indian Muslim women as politicians and social reformers in the early years of the twentieth century by focussing on the state of Bhopal, a small Muslim principality in Central India, which was ruled by a succession of female rulers throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The last Begam of Bhopal, Nawab Sultan Jahan Begam (1858-1930, r. 1901-1926), emerges as the main figure in this history, though a substantial effort has also been made to examine the activities of other Bhopali women, whether poor, privileged or princely. Special significance has been attached to their changing attitudes to class, gender and communal identities, using the veil as a metaphor for women's expanding concerns. Their connections with wider movements of social reform have also been emphasized in an attempt to show that the emergence of women in Bhopal was representative of a broader development occurring amongst Muslim women, both within India and throughout the Islamic world. The importance of this study lies in its treatment of the 'daughters of reform,' the first generation of Muslim women who contributed to the reformist discourse, particularly at the regional level, as complex
Lambert Hurley, Siobhan
Indian; Islamic
Contesting seclusion : the political emergence of Muslim women in Bhopal, 1901-1930. This study examines the emergence of Indian Muslim women as politicians and social reformers in the early years of the twentieth century by focussing on the state of Bhopal, a small Muslim principality in Central India, which was ruled by a succession of female rulers throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The last Begam of Bhopal, Nawab Sultan Jahan Begam (1858-1930, r. 1901-1926), emerges as the main figure in this history, though a substantial effort has also been made to examine the activities of other Bhopali women, whether poor, privileged or princely. Special significance has been attached to their changing attitudes to class, gender and communal identities, using the veil as a metaphor for women's expanding concerns. Their connections with wider movements of social reform have also been emphasized in an attempt to show that the emergence of women in Bhopal was representative of a broader development occurring amongst Muslim women, both within India and throughout the Islamic world. The importance of this study lies in its treatment of the 'daughters of reform,' the first generation of Muslim women who contributed to the reformist discourse, particularly at the regional level, as complex
political emergence muslim woman study_examines emergence indian muslim woman politician social_reformer focus state small muslim principality central india rule succession female ruler throughout sultan emerge main figure history though substantial effort also_make examine activity woman whether poor privilege princely special significance attach change_attitude class_gender communal identity use metaphor woman expand concern connection wider movement social_reform also emphasize attempt_show emergence woman representative broader development occur amongst muslim woman within india throughout islamic_world importance study lie treatment reform first_generation muslim woman contribute reformist discourse particularly regional_level complex