The Struggles, Contributions and Empowerment of Women in the Indian Subcontinent (1857-1946)

Foreword

Rummana Chowdhury

The study of History is essential to our lives as it immensely shapes our literature and culture. It is vital for deciphering the very nature of human beings and what bonds us together. But this history has to be free from manipulation and distortion, it has to include all the figures that selflessly took part in revolutions, not just ones that the patriarchy approves of. Consequently, the role of women in national history, especially women in the Indian subcontinent, is often intentionally eradicated over time. As time elapses, this section of History starts to fade away in the archives.

          This is especially true for women in the Indian Freedom movement. Women from all walks of life, those who were educated, uneducated, wealthy, impoverished, mothers, students and courtesans all played a crucial role in fighting for freedom, despite their lack of status and respect in 19th and 20th-century societies. They were subjugated by the British patriarchy, the nationalistic Hindus who particularly suppressed Muslim women more than others, Muslim fundamentalist groups and by the very nature of the contextual society during this age where women were not given their rightful share of recognition. This book aims to shine a light on the contributions of the relentless women in the Indian Subcontinent leading up to the Partition of India in 1947 and their role in shaping future nations for decades to come.

          The subject matter of the research in this book also includes that special class of women who were employed in a special category, willingly or unwillingly, who were experts in the art of dancing and singing, who had easy entrance to the palaces or residential quarters, who had lived in brothels for extended periods of time and who ceaselessly had their motherland in their hearts, dead or alive. Many of them were brutally killed, kidnapped and persecuted and their stories could never come out during their lives, but the few who survived this fate had their stories spread to all corners of the world, but this was just the tip of the iceberg.

          Dr. Muhammad R. I. Nadvi talking about History, personalities, characters and organizations says, “the developments that are well acknowledged are being changed, and the personalities and organisations whose contributions are well-known are being erased, and those having played no considerable role are being highlighted. This is the general scenario; however, the national history of the last two hundred years is in danger nowadays.”

          Let us take the case of the notable literary figure Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay in analyzing how History is distorted and people are misunderstood. Sarat Babu was famous for the dynamic female characters he penned in his works, but in reality, he was known to frequently visit brothels. He did not have the courage and fieriness to advocate for the rights and freedoms of unfortunate women. Sarat Babu, despite being famous for idealizing truth, transparency and honesty, was not outspoken enough in open society. Another such figure was Mahatma Gandhi. When the devastating floods happened in Bihar, Mahatma Gandhi went from one brothel to another requesting donations from them and received generous contributions from these women. Gandhi-ji accepted these donations without hesitation, but for the rest of his life, he did not undertake any large-scale welfare activities to improve the lives of these impoverished women. These unfortunate women were just used for his political and monetary causes.

          The British pursuit for vengeance specifically targeted Muslims more than others; they were massacred, usurped, looted and even sent to the gallows, every method of torture was utilized against them. However, this History that depicts the struggles of Muslims is distorted. The numerous Muslims who had sacrificed so much, and ultimately their lives, are now being forgotten while stories about them in academic textbooks are being omitted. In contrast, some people did not play significant roles in the fight for freedom, they verbally and physically supported the English but gained unbelievable glory and their treachery is only now being brought into prominence. In the same way, the contributions of women in the 19th century, be it physical, economic, psychological or emotional have often been trampled and deleted.  

          Many women participated in the 1857 War of Independence, the Non-Cooperation Movement, the Khilafat Movement and then later the national struggle for freedom in 1947. Amongst them, some played a very active role in the freedom struggles of all periods. In 1857, and the period after that, many women participated in various wars and revolutions; this included sword fighting, disguising themselves as men to fight in battles and other small revolutions, many of these women were arrested, hung and burned alive. British Colonel Hudson once said, “when the women of the country are so venturesome and patriotic, the British rule here will depend only on the treachery of few traitors craving for some wealth or jagir.“

          Some of these brave women include Nazneen, who was well versed in gun fighting and sword-wielding, who was later shot and went down as a martyr. Another anonymous woman carrying a gun and sword while wearing a green burkha, valiantly attacked the British forces many times. In 1833, Habiba Begum and her sister were captured while fighting and were sent to the Gallows. Women also came together in groups to actively take part in battles and sacrificed their lives, for instance, the two-hundred-fifty women in Muzaffarnagar who were shot to death. 

           Many courtesans even lead charges into battle; Farhat Begum was known for covering her face, kissing her sword and riding into the battle while Azizun Nisa of Kanpur famously “threw her anklet and took up the sword.” Azizun Nisa was a brilliant strategist who prepared an army of women disguised in men’s clothes who took up swords, rode horses, were armed with braces of pistols and moved along the streets and lanes carrying provisions for the fighters, and spurred the fighters on to fight. She lead this army but was eventually captured, and she chose being shot to death over betraying the cause by confessing to the enemy army. Pritilata Waddedar in Bengal was able to carry out messages from jailed revolutionaries, transport arms and destroy telephone lines without raising suspicion as women were rarely accepted into revolutionary groups. She later sacrificed her life and became a martyr for the movement to avoid being captured by the enemy forces.

          Begum Hazrat Mahal, the harem Begum of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Lucknow, was known to be the most famous Muslim woman to fight and resist the British forces. She gathered and lead a large group of fighters in Northern India by disguising herself as a man; she rode on a horse with a sword in her hand and turban on her head and charged against the British Forces again and again. W. H. Russell, in his book My Indian Mutiny Diary, writes “This Begam [Hazrat Mahal] exhibits great energy and ability…. The Begum declares undying war against us. It appears, from the energetic character of these Ranis and Begums, that the zenanas and harems a considerable amount of actual mental power and, at all events, become able intriguantes. Their contests for ascendancy over the minds of the men give vigour and acuteness to their intellect.”

          Along with their participation in active fighting, various women took on pivotal roles in the private sphere. One such group was the Ayahs, who were nannies and wet nurses hired by British families in India, who were able to perform espionage and keep track of the British plans for action. There were also singers, dancers, courtesans and other entertainers who intercepted and collected sensitive and vital information from important figures such as Viceroys, Zamindars, Military leaders and Rajputs and passed it on to revolutionary leaders who used the information to carry out their missions and advance their cause.

          After World War I, in the Khilafat Movement against the British Colonial powers, Muslim and Hindu women along with their families, gallantly fought shoulder-to-shoulder against the enemy. Women also contributed to the movement by raising funds to support the fight. Historically, we see that Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar’s wife, Amjadi Begum and his mother, Bi Amma took part in the Khilafat Movement. It is here we see that Bi Amma and Amjadi Begum had amassed crores of rupees from their tours and collections which went towards the Congresses Satyagraha, Tilak Swaraj Fund of Mahatma Gandhi and the Khilafat Fund. Amjadi Begum also monitored the Jamia Millia Islamia and lead the Khilafat Movement when her husband was in jail.

          In Kanpur of British India, the British lost a battle and the city was free for 3 months before the British army accumulated its power and attacked again. In this war, the female leaders who were associated with the freedom movement were tied to the British army’s cannons and used as cannon fodder to be fired at the enemy. 10 other female leaders were hanged 7 of whom were Muslim women, while 3 of them belonged to the lowest strata of the Hindu caste system. My enlightened and revolutionist sisters of the past, I Salute you!

          In 1857, the courage and fame of the Sepoy Mutiny (Rebellion) spread like wildfire into the hearts of the people, including those in brothels and entertainers of all kinds. These entertainers in turn gathered secret information from their clients who consisted of lords and rulers and passed it on to the mutineers. In the gardens and houses of these courtesans and entertainers, revolutionists would take shelter and learn how to use and transport arms. The entertainers as well as others who hated the British rule contributed money, provided shelter, trained the revolutionists and sent them out to fight the British. All their wealth, time and support were given to the mutineers to make them formidable against the British soldiers. Unfortunately, no one spoke of these huge sacrifices that came from behind the curtains. No one wrote about these priceless contributions and they never received the acknowledgement they deserved.

          Despite their bravery and resolve, courtesans were far more marginalized than other women who took part in the freedom movement due to the moral narratives and pre-existing biases that suppressed their positions in society. Their involvement was so intense that the British powers targeted them by confiscating their property and pushing the accepted narrative that courtesans were malicious people that did not deserve respect. The foreign powers were also intimidated enough to threaten the narrative that women from good families who associated themselves with courtesans, did not deserve respect and would lose the chance to become “good wives” in the future.

          The British forces did not want to express their many defeats caused by women in the subcontinent, whether they were Hindu or Muslim. Even a hundred years before the British left India, many women did their work silently, acquired their wealth through their own means and spent their life-time savings by building temples, mosques and schools. This lowest stratum of society comprised of singers, dancers, courtesans and other entertainers were generous contributors to these buildings which allowed the native people to prosper. However, no one bothered to know who or what was the source of these contributions; they cleverly and purposefully ignored them.

          Women make up half of our society, they contribute greatly to our overall growth and national development and they have shaped our history every step of the way. Begum Rokeya is a trailblazer in women’s empowerment, she is the first person who comes to mind for many of us when we think of the word feminist in the subcontinent. Enlightened women like Begum Rokeya, however, filtered through many barriers and obstacles with ease due to their family’s wealth and status in society. Begum Rokeya’s birth and stature gave her a head start over other voices who also fought for the rights of women. In the long run, there would have been many other Begum Rokeyas if we had focussed on and listened to the voices from the lowest stratum of society. In this book we are not focusing on known feminist figures like Begum Rokeya, but on those invisible people who contributed infinitely to the social, cultural and intellectual enhancement of British India.  

          We have written this book with very high expectations, hoping that it will serve as a mirror for today’s and all future generations. The many varieties and degrees of struggles for Independence faced by these women of the Indian Subcontinent (1857-1946) may astonish some, may bring credibility to others, and may make others feel they are part of this women’s empowerment past, present and future.

          If this earns a place in the innermost crevices of our readers’ hearts, the dishonour and degradation of historical facts will decrease to a large extent.

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