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The Political Emergence of Muslim Women in Bhopal, 1901-1930

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The Political Emergence of Muslim Women in Bhopal, 1901-1930 Contesting Seclusion: The Political Emergence of Muslim Women in Bhopal, 1901-1930 Siobhan Lambert Hurley Submitted for the degree of Ph.D at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, May, 1998 ProQuest Number: 10673207 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10673207 Published by ProQuest LLC(2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 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 subjects in possession of a history. It is also significant in that it redresses the paucity of academic literature on the princely states of India, highlighting the differences between states and the changes that occurred over time, rather than simply dismissing the princes as frivolous reminders of a by-gone age. The main theme that arises is the importance for early Muslim female activists of balancing continuity and innovation. By operating within the framework of Islam, Bhopali women were able to build on traditional norms in order to introduce incremental change. As many of their achievements were unforseen, however, their story is as much one of paradox, as of progress. Table of Contents Acknowledgements page 4 List o f A bbreviations 6 Introduction 7 I. The Literature of Reform 23 II. Social Reform in Bhopal State 68 III. Social Reform at the National Level 112 IV. Political Activism at the National Level 151 V. Gender, Islam and the Culture of Travel 200 VI. Contesting Seclusion: Conclusions 240 Appendix 247 Glossary 248 Bibliography 252 Acknowledgements This thesis owes so much to so many people. Though I cannot thank all of them here, I would like to express my gratitude to certain people and organizations that have made invaluable contributions. First of all, I would like to thank the Association of Commonwealth Universities and the Government of British Columbia for providing me with the essential funding to complete this research over the past four years in Britain. I am particularly indebted to Teresa Anderson at the ACU and Ruth Brough at the British Council, neither of whom I have ever met, for arranging the mechanics of my stay. I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to my supervisor, Avril Powell, who has been consistently kind and encouraging ever since I wrote to her from Canada in the winter of 1993-94. I owe her an especial thanks for bearing with me through several crises along the way! A word of thanks also to other members of the History Department at SOAS, especially Peter Robb, who not only made extensive comments on chapter IV, but also restored my faith in humanity once or twice; David Arnold, who always found time; and Daud Ali, who, by making a casual comment, convinced me that I could get to the end. For his assistance with Urdu translation, I am also grateful to Khalid Iqbal, who gave me so much time, but never lost patience. I would also like to extend my thanks to the staff of all the libraries in which I completed research, including the India Office Library in London, Friends’ House Library in London, the National Archives of India in New Delhi, the National Archives of India in Bhopal and the Indian Institute Library in Oxford. I feel particularly indebted to the staff at this last institution, as I spent nearly every day of my last year there, overlooking Oxford’s ‘dreaming spires’ and completing my revisions. May I also make a special mention of V.K. Juneja and N.D. Manake at the National Archives of India in Bhopal, who eased the difficulties of working in a Indian provincial archive both with their professional help and generous hospitality. For providing the background and initial inspiration for this work, I would also like to thank all my professors at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, who guided me through my undergraduate degree. My appreciation goes especially to Peter Harnetty for introducing me to the study of India; Hanna Kassis for fostering my love of Islam; Ken Bryant for suggesting Muslim women; and John Wood for his friendship and many animated 5 discussions. I am sorry that the late Fritz Lehmann cannot read the final draft of this study, as it was he who encouraged me not only to read so extensively, but also to have faith in my abilities. My sincere appreciation also goes to the former ruling family of Bhopal, including ‘Huzoor’ Abida Sultaan in Karachi, ‘Amma’ Rabia Sultaan in Bhopal, Shaharyar Mian in London, Nazir Mian and his family in Bhopal, Faiza Bi and her family in Bhopal and Kaisar Bi and her family in Bhopal, who, in the oldest tradition of princely patronage, provided me with invaluable help with my research, as well as personal memories, warm hospitality and a glimpse at Bhopali court culture as it used to exist. I refer to them in a familial way for, in the process of my research, they became just that, adopting Josh and me into their extended family. To my other Indian family, the Bhattachaijees, I am also grateful for always providing me with a home in Delhi, as I am to my aunt and uncle, Angela and Mike, and my ‘sas’ and ‘sasur’, Min and Colin, for doing the same in Britain. Special thanks also to all those people who have kept me sane over the last four years, especially the other two ‘stars’ of Canola, Josh and Jase, with whom I share a rare dream apart from this thesis. Let us now pursue it with passion. For her empathy in the final stages, my cousin, Clare, also deserves a special mention, as does Matthew, who listened to me gripe over many cups of tea. For providing me with much needed releases of fun, thanks also to my other cousins, Polly and Nick, Mark R. and all the Charlbury crowd. I am also grateful to my dear sister, Adrienne, for reminding me not to take things too seriously. And, of course, my parents, John and Evelyn, whose contribution to this study is too great to elucidate here. I only hope that they are as proud of me as I am of them. Finally, I would like to thank Josh for so many things. For accompanying me to India, for his research assistance in Bhopal, for ferrying me to various conferences, for his computer help, for listening to my ideas, for his fresh insight, for his respect, for making England home, and for so much more. Most of all, I must thank him for all the pleasure he brought me by marrying me last summer. I fell in love with him and the Begam of Bhopal within a month of each other, yet, somehow, we have all managed to get along happily to the end. Now, I look forward to our future together, just the two of us. To conclude, I would like to dedicate this study to four people, all of whom have already been mentioned above, for giving me a special gift: ‘Huzoor’ Abida Sultaan for her inspiration; my parents for their encouragement; and Josh for everything. Abbreviations AGG Agent to the Governor-General in Central India AIWC All-India Women’s Conference AS Agency Surgeon B Bundle Number BPA Bhopal Political Agency BSR Bhopal State Records of the Political Department, Bhopal State CIA Central India Agency CID Criminal Investigation Department CR Crown Representative Records CS Chief Secretary DPS Deputy Political Secretary F&P Foreign and Political Department FFMA Friends’ Foreign Missionary Association FSC Friends’ Service Council GOI Government of India HS Honorary Secretary MEC Muhammadan Educational Conference NAI(B) National Archives of India, Bhopal NAI(ND) National Archives of India, New Delhi NCWI National Council of Women in India PA Political Agent in Bhopal PD Political Department PS Political Secretary PSV Private Secretary to the Viceroy RR Residency Records WIA Women’s Indian Association Introduction Undoubtedly the barometer of social change in the Moslem world is the veil.
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