I

I M f R O p ; q ;c t I Q N

It has been said that the eighteenth century was Siecle da la lumlere1 dr the century of Enlightenment in the history of Europe. The medieval mind which was governed by superstition had a release from. these enlightened influences. During this century Europe witnBssed a far-reaching change in the political, socio-economic and cultural life of its people. People started to cherish individual liberty and equal rights. This enlightened movement of thought was specially revealed by a class of rationalist Philosophers and thinkers like Montesquieu (1689-1755), Voltaire (1694-1778), Rousseau (1712-.778), Denis

Diderot and his friend D'Alembert. They exposed in I heir writings the defects of the existing institutions and protested against cruel and irrational customs of the society.. This thought process not only influenced the .European middle class intellectuals, Indian Socio-1 cultural and religious thoughts also underwent a transformation as; well, as a result Of this western contact, it gave birth to. irresistible forces of socle-cultural and religious ’ reforms in the first half of the nineteenth century. Western thought found its first 2 explosion in Bengal and a leading feature of this wa^e of thought was its active concern for the regeneration of the society and the emancipation of women.

Women's issues (Sati, widow remarriage, KulirTsm, Furdah, ■ education etc.) formed a central point of the nineteenth century reform movement in Bengal, led by Rammohan, Vidyasagar, II

Keshabchandra Sen, AkShOy kumar Dutta, The Tagores and other Brahmo reformers. Bengali reformers held- the nation first propagated widely that "Hindu social reform in Bengal must start with the emancipation of women. Because women played such a crucial role in shaping the character and thought of children, it 3 was essential that they be educated properly. Denizens of colonial Bengal face to face with a different cultural and intellectual order and divisted of crucial elements of their public selves, turned their gaze inward to the private sphere (the home and the family, the. space inhabited by women, children and servants). When a similar process set in among the Muslims it is not surprising that, once again, the 'Women Question' became a central issue which 4 generated discourses, posed problematics and spawned solutions.

But it is becoming more apparent as research on the matter progresses that though the movement for emancipation of women in general and Muslim women in particular in Bengal did not grow out of opposition to men yet in many instances the women themselves were active agents in the process of social change. Looking back one finds that the early decades of the twentieth century witnessed a gradual process of social transformation that may Ve termed the 5 Muslim women's awakening. Many of the early generation of Muslim women in Bengal responded to modernization and took up the pen. Among them Shahifa Banoo (1850-1926), Faijunnessa (1852-1903), Karimunhessa (1855-1926), Khairunnessa (1880-1912), (1880-1932), Nuruhnessa Rhatun Bidyabinodini (1892-1975), Begum Sara IMfur (1893- ? ), Mumlukul Fatema Khananr. (1894-1957), Ill sham&unnahar Mahmud (1909-64), Ajljunnessa Khatun, Taherurmessa,

Sajeda Khatun, Mrs. . M-. Rahman, Kaseoia Khatun, Mre.Suhrawardia g Begum, Syeda Motahara Banco's names deserve to be mentioned. Many of them were self taught, or tutored at home, few had had access to formal schooling and some of them sincerely tried for the expansion of women education also within a certain limit, though much of their public lives were conducted behind the curtain. They remained beyond the religious bigotry, traditionalism, parochialism, obscurantism prevalent at that time. But it is a miatter of great regret that their identity has never been established in a broader social perspective. Neither the western scholars nor the oriental researchers have focussed their eyes on the key rolas played by them in the process of social regeneration.

Researchers like Borthwick and Murshed refer the fact that they have dealt with the Brahmo/Hindu Bhadromohila only, leaving 7 the Muslim bhadromohila (gentlelady) to future research.

Therefore, as a woman and as a member of the Muslim community of Bengal the present researcher is interested to enquire into the roles played by Musliin Bhadromohilas in the process of expansion of education during the 2nd half of the nineteenth century to the first quarter of the twentieth century.

But it is hot possible and feasible for a single researcher to study the roles and contributions of all the ohadromohilas (though their number is significantly negligible) in the process of social transformation. So it requires to limit the area of the IV study. However, it is intended to findout one of the above Muslim bhadramohilas who played a significant role in the field of female education. At the same time the present researcher remembers that Raja Rammohan Roy (.1772-1833) and Vidyasagar (1020-1891), the celebrated social reformers and stem fighters against social evils and the emancipators Of women had emerged out of Hindu society, but whatever might be the reason, their abiding appeal did not reach the women of the Muslim community. Naturally, an effort has been made to seek the answer to the question whether any woman educationist. from the Muslim community had emerged as an emancipator of women who could mould the cultural thought of the

Moribund Muslim society of Bengal in the last decade of the nineteenth century or in the first quarter of the twentieth century.

Therefore, after a careful review of literature, it has been decided to select Begum Rokeya (1880-1932) as subject because of her uniqueness and distinctive personality whose works and activities mostly centred around Calcutta and who launched formal education for Muslim girls as a campaign in the movement of women's emancipation.

But what is so special about Begum Rokeya ? It is because she was a pace setter in the .social thinking for Muslim girls ? or, because she was the first Muslim woman of her time to present a blue print for education for Muslim women ? What is her relevance to-day ? How would she herself have reviewed her o//n educational achievements in the light of the, present day problems ? Is she a V forgotten narte fo-day ? The present thesis endeavours to answer these pertinent questions along with other cc-reiated queries in the broader context of Begum Rokeya, denoted twentieth century pioneer of Bengal in the field of women education. The researcher's mode,

Therefore, is the qualitative analysis of information as regards the educational idea and practice of this social liberator. The study is confined to the major activities and works of Rokeya related to her educational idea and practice only.

There has been some works of a general nature on Begum 8 Rokeya. Such as 'Rokeya Jibani' (the biography of Rokeya) by 9 Shamsunnahar Mahmud; 'Pa trey Rokeya Parichiti' (Rokeya introduced through letters) by Moshfeda Mahmud; 1 Begum Rokeya: the

Emancipator, 0 by Hasina Joardar and Safiuddin Joardar; 'Begum Rokeya: her time and w orks' ^ by Morshed Shafiul Hasan; ,12 ^ . 'Chhbtoder Rokeya ' by Bande All Mia; 'Begum Rokeya: 13 Jiban 0 Shahitya' (biography and literary works) by Mofahar 14 Hossain Sufi; 'Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain : Jiban 0 Shahitya Karma' (Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain : her biography and literary works) by Dr. Shamsiil Alaiii; 'Begum Roquiah Sakhawat Hossain : Her thoughts 15 16 and social work' by Tahmina Alam; 'Begum Rokeya by Shahid 17 Akhand; 'Begum Roquiah' by Syed Kaniz Shugia Sabzawari; 18 19 'Rokeya' by Sutapa Bhattacharya; 'Yugjanani Rokeya' by Mirat-UN-Nahar; 'Begum Rokeya* 20 by Abdul Mannan Syed.

The articles and tributes consulted are immense. Some of 21 these are 'Anirban Agnishikha Tin!' (She is everburning flame) VI by Jyotirmoy Ghosh; 'She was the forerunner of our modem 22 23 sensibility' by Abdul Marinan Syed; 'Payrabander Mukto Parya' by Maleka Begum; 'the soul and conscience of Bengalee Muslim • v 24 ■ • 2§ ‘ Society' by Mohitlal Mazumder; 'Alor Fasal Tumi' (you are the fruit of the light) by Begum Lutfunnessa Abbas 'Begum Rokeyar 26 Jagriti-Sadhana' (the meditation of awakening of Eiagu'm Rokeya) by Morshed Shafiul Hasan; 'Nari Jagoraner Agrudootee Begum 27 Rokeya' (Begum Rokeya : the pioneer of women's progress) by 28 Sufi Motahar Hossain; 'Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain' by Late Gouri Ayub.

The poets also are not lagging behind in their tributes to

Begum. Sahadat Hussain and Gulum Mustafa, the renowned poets of offered their homage to her in their poems captioned 29 30 'Daradi Amma' (the benign Mother) and 'DushshahaBhlka' (the Daring She). There are also many articles and tributes on Rokeya offered by Kaji Abdul Odud, Sufia Kamal, Md.Nasiruodin, M.Nasir

All, Nilima Ibrahim, GulQm Murshid Suraiya Begum, Laila Jaman, Hasna Begum and a host of others containing penetrating observations on her biography and literary works.

But the above studies and observations have stressed more on her biography and literary works and failed to highlight the distinctive features of her thinking, approach, attitude, idea and philosophy in the broader context of education only which is the purview of the present thesis. VII

So this thesis purports to bo an enquiry into her educational idea and practice of Begum Rokeya, the great pathfinder o? education of

the women of Bengal in.general and Muslim girls in particular.

This thesis comprises six chapters. The first chapter

describes a synoptic history of the condition of education of Muslim females in Bengal from the second half of the nineteenth century to the first score of the twentieth century for the convenience of

evaluation of Begum Rokeya in relation to her age. The chapter

only pinpoints the relevant data and very few examples just to

conceptualise the age of Begum Rokeya where she lived.

Chapter-II provides a little overview of related studies on

Rokeya along with a brief life sketch (birth to death) of this

social emancipator. That she was an eminent torch bearer in

education has been shown by including a few tributes of the

contemporaries after her death.

Chapter-Ill shows Rokeya's emergence as a social thinker, her views regarding seclusion (in short) and then the translation of her social consciousness Into her developing thoughts on

education. Rokeya was particularly conscious of the social status of

women. In her days the inhuman and worsening condition of women has been depicted in many of her works. As a mode of solution she intended to use education as an effective instrument. How she

presented some powerful documents through her speeches and

writings pointing out some of the glaring inequalities between men and women in our society is dealt in this chapter. VIII

A wonderful reconciliation among the different ideals and philosophies is noticed in Rokeya's educational thinking. Chapter-IV focuses on her idea and philosophy in relation to education.

Being an idealist with a pragmatic outlook Rokeya wai not an idle' dreamer. Chapter-V depicts that Rokeya had a very modest beginning in her experiment with practical schooling and how her dream was translated into reality. This chapter also pinpoints her tenacity, perseverance, the amount of earnestness and sincerity she devoted in making her institution. Besides these, the chapter also emphasizes her difficulties, at the hands of tardy officialism and red tapism.

Chapter-VI contains the significance of the study, i.e. an evaluation of her relevance today followed by a conclusion.

The 'Mussalman', a leading and unique daily, formerly weekly (Registration No. 0426), an organ of Muslim public opinion that was 31 published from Bengal for long three decades (1906-36) was to safeguard the interests of the Muslim community, furthering their progress, achieve Muslim solidarity and maintain cordial relationship with the non-Muslims. It took up the cause in support of Rokeya. Some of the relevant writings published in its column (available in.

the form of micro-film from the Rare Book Division, National

Library, Calcutta) in terms of Sakhawat Memorial Girls' School, are included in the appendices (marked as appendix - 'A'), which give IX

a clear picture of all ths aspects of the school and illustrate Rokeya's tenancity and perseverance of her humanitarian zeal and indefatigable industry, the appendix marked as 'B' includes the names of the members and wellwishers of Anjumarie-Khawateen-Islam and the Appendix 'G' includes a critical appraisal on the writings of Begum Rokeya by Sonia Nishat Amin to get a partial idea about the nature and tendency of Rokeya’s literary works.

It should also be mentioned here that all the publications in the columns of 'Mussalman' related to Begum Rokeya and her school have not studied and included in this thesis because most of the writings of the said paper/joumal visualised through micro-film are hazy and illegible.

the research method used in this study is historical which involves investigating, recording, analysing and interpreting the works and activities of Begum Rokeya in the historical perspective. But descriptive research method has also been followed at the time of collecting data from Sakhawat Memorial Girls’ High School presently situated at 17, Lord Sinha Road, Calcutta - 700 017 to understand the latest number of students and the result of the concerned school X

The primary sources Of materials consulted are mostly

Rokeya's published and unpublished works. The secondary sources are variegated. They include newspapers, periodicals, writings and literature an Begum Rokeya, related other books, resolution and education reports, censuses, committee and commission's reports etc. Relevant materials have also been culled from Sakhawat

Memorial Girls' High School, Calcutta, the state archieves and Office of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commissioner, Calcutta *

As the thesis purports to be an enquiry into her educational idea and practice of Begum Rokeya, vivid description and analysis of her literary works have not been stressed and discussedk separately but the relevant essence of her works has been touched; because without indepth study ,of the Same enquiry into her educational idea and practice will remain incomplete. So here the relevant K quotations (translated by the present researcher or those have already been translated by the other outhors) in terms of her social thinking, her idea of education, her practical schooling, above all, her attitude towards the uplift of the society have been ; used from her own works whenever necessary. Moreover, the times and social environment of Begum Rokeya, when she dwelt upon, the condition of education among the Muslim women of Bengal during the period under review, the roles played by Anjumane Kl.awateen Islam for removing poverty and uniting Muslim women on a common platform have not discussed elaborately. (Because these have already been dealt in detail by the previous researchers). But for the convenience and purpose of the present study the relevant items about the abovementioned topics have been dealt synopfically. XI

Again, this thesis is neither a comprehensive portrait of the life activities ahd works of Begum Rokeya, nor n broad based empirical study of information about her practical works - but every attempt has been made to throw some light on the very specific area of her life devoted to the cause of Muslim women's emancipation through education. The title of the thesis i.e. 'An enquiry into her educational idea and practice' obviously supports ahd signifies the objective of this research work. Begum Rokeya was of such a variegated personality that there is a vast scope for studying different areas of her life and thought. So the researcher hopes that the present thesis will be an inspiration for research minded enquirSrs to undergo more intensive and comprehensive study on her educational thinking ideal and philosophy of Begum Rokeya, denoted emancipated intellect and a finest bloom of the ‘Awakening in Bengal’.^ XII

R E, F E R BN C E S

1. Prabhatangshtl Maitij.'A History of Europe' (1789-1919), P-10. 2; Biswaranjan Purkait, 'Milestones in Modern Education', P-69. 3., David Kopf, "The Brahino idea of social reform and the problem of Female emancipation in Bengal", Bengal in the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries, John R.Melane (ed) (Michigan, 1975), P-46. 4. Sonia Nishat Amin, Early Muslim Bhadromohilas, Education and writings : 1876-1939, (paper presented to women's studies research centre, University of Calcutta, 1991), P-2.

5. Annisujj aman, Muslim Manos 0 Bangla Shahitya, , 1964; also see Wakil Ahmed, Unish Shatoker Bengalee Musolmaner Chinta Chetonar Dhara.DPhaka, 1983.

6. Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain : Jibaii 0 Sahitya, Md. Shamsul Alam P-164.

7. Meredith Borthwick, the Changing Role of women in Bengal, 1849-1905, Princeton, 1984, Preface, P-XIII also see Ghulum Murshed, response of Bengali women to modernization, Rajshahi, 1983.

8. Shamsunnahar Mahmud, Rokeya Jibani (1937).

9. Moshfeda Mahmud, PatreyRokeya Parichiti, (1965).

10. Hasina Joardar and Safiuddin Joardar, Begum Rokeya : The Emancipator (1980).

11. Morshed Shafiul Hasan, Begum Rokeya : Her tine and works (1982). XIII

12. Bands All Mia; Chhctoder Rokeya (1977).

13. Motaiiai? Hossain Sufi, (3986). 14. Md. Shamsul Alaiii, Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain; Jiban 0 Shahitya

Karma (1989).

i 15. Tahmina Alam, Begum Roquiah Sakhawat Hossain : Chinta 0

Samaj Karma (thoughts and social work (1992).

16. Shahid Akhand; Begum Rokeya, (1980).

17. Syed Kaniz Shugra Sabzawari, 'Begum Roquiah', (1975).

18. Sutapa Bhattacharya, 'Rokeya' (1996).

19. Mirat-Un-Nahar, 'Yugjanani Rokeya' (1937).

20. Abdul Mannan Syed, 'Begum Rokeya', (1983).

21. Jyotirmoy Ghosh, Anirbah Agnisikha Tint, Ganasukti, Calcutta,

' 30.03.97.

22. Abdul Mannan Syed, Begum Rokeya, fore ward, Dhaka, 1983.

23. Maleka Begum, 'Payrabander Mukto Payra', Rokeya Sakhawat

Hossain, Smarak Grantha, 1993, P-94.

24. Mohitlal Majumder, book review, Saogat (Jaishtha 1344).

25. Maleka Begum, Smarak Grantha, P-33.

26. Prama, January, 1991, P-85.

27. Daily Ittefak, Agrahayan, 26, 1366.

28. Anandabazar Patrika, Calcutta, Baishakh 31, 1387. 29. Smarak Grantha, P-22. 30. Ibid, P-25. 31. Anisujjaman, Muslim Banglar Shamayikpatra,Dhaka,,P.208. 32. Abdul Mannan Syed, Begum Rokeya, foreward, Dhaka, 1983.