PARTICIPATION OF MUSLIM WOMEN IN THE SOCIO-CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN NORTH INDIA DURING THE 19TH CENTURY THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF Doctor of Philosophy IN HISTORY By SHAMIM BANO UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF PROF. TARIQ AHMAD DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY ALIGARH, INDIA 2015 Dedicated To My Beloved Parents and my Supervisor Tariq Ahmed Dated: 26th October, 2015 Professor of History CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the thesis entitled “Participation of Muslim Women Socio-Cultural and Educational Activities in North India During 19th Century” is the original work of Ms. Shamim Bano completed under my supervision. The thesis is suitable for submission for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History. (Prof. Tariq Ahmed) Supervisor ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all I thank Almighty Allah, the most gracious and merciful, who gave me the gift of impression and insights for the compilation of this work. With a sense of utmost gratitude and indebtedness, I consider my pleasant duty to express my sincere thanks to my supervisor Prof. Tariq Ahmed, who granted me the privilege of working under his guidance and assigned me the topic “Participation of Muslim Women in the Socio-Cultural and Educational Activities During the 19th Century in North India”. He found time to discuss various difficult aspects of the topic and helped me in arranging the collected data in the present shape. Thus, this research work would hardly have been possible without his learned guidance and careful supervision. I do not know how to adequately express my thanks to him. I have great pleasure, expressing my deep sense of gratitude to Prof. Ali Athar, Chairman and Co-ordinator, Centre of Advanced Study, Department of History, A. M. U., Aligarh for his kind support. I have always benefited from interaction with the scholars and learned teachers such as Prof. (Retd.) Muhammad Umar (Department of History, A.M.U., Aligarh), Dr. Aneesa Iqbal Sabir. Dr. M. K. Zaman, Dr. Hasan Imam, Dr. Waseem Raja, Dr. Sumbul Halim Khan, Dr. O. P. Shirivastava, Dr. M. K. Pundhir, and I express my gratitude to all of them because of their unhesitating support and encouragement till the completion of this thesis. I am thankful to Prof. Azizuddin Hussain Sir (Director, Rampur Raza Library), Rampur) who constantly helped me in providing books and research material. I am also grateful to (Late) Mr. Waqar-ul-Hasan Siddiqui (Ex- Director, Raza Library) to who helped me in various ways during my visit to the Rampur Raza Library. Besides, I must thank Shazia baji, Islahi Sir and Mukhtar bhai for helping me in my search of material collection there. I am also thankful to the staff members of Seminar Library, Centre of Advanced Study, Department of History, A.M.U., Aligarh, Maulana Azad Library, A.M.U., Aligarh, Women Studies Library, and Raza Library, Rampur, Sulat Library Rampur, M.J.P. Rohillkhnad University, Centre Library Bareilly (U.P.), National Archives of India, New Delhi and Indian Council for Historical Research, New Delhi, Trimurti Bhaban, New Delhi, Lucknow Archive,They helped me generously in searching and collecting significant reference material for my research from there. In the course of its preparation I have received help from a number of friends, colleagues and well-wishers. I am thankful to Almas Zaidi, Mrs. Alia, Ms. Areeba Arif, Ms. Farheen Azra, Ms. Sadaf Fatima,Tuhina Islam, Seema, Bushra Apa, Mr. Naiyer Azam, Mr. Salim Ansari, Dr. Muhammad Nafees, Dr. Tariq Ahmad Sheikh, Mr. Rizwan Siddiqui Mr. Mohd. Anas, Mr. Fakrul Islam, Khalid Ahmad and Ms. Tahira Jamal, Anas BaBu T., Geeta Sharma, Rushda Ziya, and Fatima Zaidi, who have helped me in various ways. My special thanks are due to, Dr. Shamsi Azmi, Dr. Shadma Shahin Dr. Fazila Shahnawaz for all their support and encouragement and they also constantly urged me to complete the work with great care. I am also especially thankful to Mr. Mohd Usman for helping me in various ways. I must express my gratitude to my parents, brothers and sisters and particularly my mother who always stood by my side and supported me in all ups and downs in my life. Lastly, I place on record my gratitude to my father Dr. Late Alauddin, my mother Mrs. Nek Bi, my brothers, Raisuddin, Firozuddin, Ajazuddin, and my sisters Ms. Haseena Khatoon, Ms. Firoza and Ms. Parveen for all their ii love, care, support, encouragement, as well as best wishes which helped me and encouraged me to complete the work in a right way. I am thankful to all of them for bearing with me all the times while I was busy with my work. I want to express my grateful thanks to Nazim Akhter, Samreen, Nazia, Asif, Vicky, and Mohd. Arif. Though, I received help and guidance from a number of distinguished scholars, but none of them is responsible for the errors that still remain. (Shamim Bano) iii CONTENTS Certificate Acknowledgements Abbreviation Introduction 1-9 Chapter-I: Muslim Society and Culture in North India th Pre 19 Century 10-35 Chapter–II: Status of Muslim Women during the 19th Century in North India 36-76 Chapter- III Socio Cultural Trends and Traditions 77-116 Chapter-IV Educational System During Muslim Women 117-152 Chapter-V Participation of Muslim Women during the Revolt 1857 153-180 Chapter-VI Prominent Muslim Women in Northern Indian 181-218 Conclusion 219-225 Bibliography 226-244 ABBREVIATIONS A.N. Akbar Nama Ain. Ain-i-Akbari by Abul Fazl. Art.No. Artical Number. B. G. Bangal Gazetteer of India. Badaoni Muntakhab-ut-twarikh by Mulla Abdul Qadir Badaoni. Bernier Bernier Francois- Travels in the Mughal Empire”. English Translation by Constable,Urdu Translation by Khalifa Syed Mohammad Husain. D.H.N.I. Dynastic History of Northern India by H.C. Ray Choudhary. De.Laet. Deaet’s “Empire of the Great Mogol’’ Translatd by J.S. Hoyland. Della Valla Pietro Della Valle-“ The Travels of a Noble Roman into East Indies and Arabian Deserta” London, 1664. Ed. Edited Elliot & Dowson Sir Henry M-Elliot and prof. John Dowson’s “History ofIndia as toldby its own Hitorians” Vols.1-8. Govt. Government. Hamilton Alexander Hamilton’s “A New Account of the East Indies”. I.A.E. Indian Art ExhibitionExhibition of Indian Art Cataogue. J.A.S.B. Journal of Asiatic Society of Bengal, Calcutta. J.I.H. Journal of Indian History M.A. Ma-Asir-i-Aliamgir MAO (Mohammaden Anglo Oriental MS. Manuscript, Handwritten or typed. N.A.I. National Archives of India,New Delhi. N.W.P. North Western Province. P.I.H.C. Proceeding of India History Congress. Storia Storia Do Mogor by Manucci Nicco. Tavernier Tavenier, Jean Baptiste,”Travels in India”,Translated by V. Ball, London, 1889. Trans Translated; Translation. Vol. Volume. Vols. Volumes. ABSTRACT The theme taken for the Ph.D. thesis pertains to the regional studies during the 19th century in the Northern India entitled, “Participation of Muslim Women in the Socio-Cultural and Educational Activities in North India during the 19th Century”. The theme is gender specific and the topic has been taken keeping in view the Muslim women and their participation in the socio-cultural and educational activities. This is related to the study of a volatile century of the Indian History i.e., 19th Century North India. As this was the period of great transformation due to complete takeover of the British as a foreign power. So, the study could try to unravel the various facts of homogeneity and contradictions in the Indian society, particularly at the socio-cultural level in Northern India. The study relates to one of the most important locality which was Muslim dominated part of the present North India, and in that setting or environment, the study about the Muslim women, their participation, public life, their position in the society viz-a-viz., their male counterpart and the freedom they had or fulfilling their aspirations and dreams. The present study sheds light on the Muslim society and culture in northern India, especially in pre-19th century. Further, it highlighted the role of Muslim women in the 19th century, particularly in northern India. Not only the prominent royal ladies, but ladies from the elite class as well as the common women played a crucial role in the struggle against British colonial rule. The 19th Century was a period of general awakening in different countries of the world, in clouding India. Society, religion, culture, economic condition and political destiny of India received a new shape during this period as a result of the working of a number of forces, exotic as well as indigenous. The external forces were the growth of the British Empire accompanied with the gradual of the consolidation of a new administrative system making for unity and order, the influence of the scientific invention and discoveries, the stride of industrialism and the introduction of Western Education and also the ideas of the political philosophers and economists of the West. Internally, one has to note the potent influence of the splendid modern Indian Renaissance which being essentially a matter of the spirit has produced striking changes society, religion and culture. 1 The uplift of women has been one of the most valuable contributions of the Indian reformation of the19th century, so that they have now come forward to play dignified parts in different spheres of social and National life. In fact, the history of the Women’s Movement forms a very important and interesting topic of our modern history. I am not aware of any previous systematic attempt at historically tracing the genesis and early stages of this movement.