The Education of the Secluded Ones Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain 1880-1932

By Yasmin Hossain

Le processus de l'education des femmes challengedthepatriarchy,particularlyover cestry anddescentfrom lands close to that vivant dans la claustration implique the issue ofpurdah, the main deterrent to ofthe Prophet Muhammad. (Roy). Ofher beaucoup de discretion en plus de female education. The success of her at­ childhood Rokeya recalls: provoquer de la desapprobation, de tempts is clearlydemonstrated in the blos­ l'ostracisme et parfois une perte de soming ofthe school, which having gath­ I had to observe purdah even from dignite. Ce processus depend aussi de la ered a momentum of its own, runs to the women from the age offive. I did not cooperation des freres, des epoux et des present day. understand why it was improper to beaux-parents qui se sont occidentalises. Rokeya is also known for her writing. meet somebody, but I had to observe L' article traite de comment Begum She was published regularly in journals purdah. The inner side of the house ' Rokeya a acquis sa propre education was outofbounds for the menfolk; so avant de s' en alier negocier l'education I did not have to suffer by their pres­ des jeunes flUes musulmanes du ence. However, women freely en­ Bengale. It was not education tered the house, and I had to hide butpurdah which myself before they could see me. As Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, com­ soon as any woman of the locality monly known as the emancipator and was deemed necessary would come, somebody ofourhouse educator of the Muslim women of Ben­ for the upbringing would give a signal with the eye and gal, is ofparticular significance in under­ ofgirls. I would run pell mell and hide myself standing the attitude of the Muslim com­ anywhere-inthe nookofthe kitehen, munities ofBengal regarding female edu­ within...the rolled up pallet of the cation and eventual emancipation. Born maid-servant and sometimes under within the confines ofa rigid ashraffam­ such as Mashik Muhammadi, Sawgat, the bedstead. I had to run and hide ily (Roy), in rural Rangpur in present day Nabanur, Muazzin, Bangiya Musalman myself just as the chicks do when Bangladesh, Begum Rokeya was to con­ Sahittya patrika, and al-Eslam. Her liter­ their mother gives them the signal tradict all the predictions of her back­ ary contribution is also significant. She against a kite. But while the chicks ground. In later life, she moved into the wroteonenovel, several plays, poems and had a definite place-their mother's public sphere to assume the role of a short stories, the best known of which is wings-to hide, I had no such place. national figurehead by actively promot­ Sultana's Dream, published in 1905 in Moreover, thechicksunderstand their ing female education through the estab­ the Indian Ladies Magazine (Jahan 2). mother's signal instinctively. I had lishment in 1911 of the highly successful Begum Rokeya's educational process no such instinct, and if I failed to Sakhawat Memorial Girls' School, in is not an uncommon story in the lives of understand the signal of the eye and Calcutta. Shesimultaneously campaigned most educated women of her time and cameacrosssomebody,thewell wish­ for full emancipation of purdahnasheen background. In her father's polygamous ing elders used to say "how shame­ women through the establishment of the household, it was not education but pur­ less the girls have become." (Joardar Bengal branch of the Anjuman-e­ dah which was deemed necessary for the and Joardar 5). Khawatin Islam, in 1916. (Minault) upbringing of girls. The vulnerability of Begum Rokeya is best known for the the Muslim identity reached a crisis point In this environment, girls with educa­ establishment of the school which she in nineteenth century Bengal with its tion were regarded as being as abomina­ began with only a handful of girls whom highly successful class of Hindu profes­ ble and shameless as those without pur­ shepersonally collected from andretumed sionals. As a consequence, Muslim fami­ dah. How then was itpossible for Rokeya to their homes in specially designed lies, such as Rokeya's, clung fiercely to to familiarize herself not only with the purdahnasheen carriages. Mindful ofher traditional values, incessantlyevokingthe Urdu and Bengalialphabets,butalso with critics, Rokeya negotiated with, as well as ashraf way of life, claiming foreign an- English? We know that at the age offive

56 CANADIAN WOMAN STUDIES/LES CAHIERS DE LA FEMME Rokeya once visited Calcutta with her hurriedly when Karimunnessa was about have spent much time in her paternal mother. There, she was introduced to tu­ fourteen. home. Being twenty seven years older tors and a missionary woman was even She married Abdul Hakim Khan than Rokeya, Karimunnessa took on the appointed to teach her. But the plan was Gaznavi, the son ofa zamindari family in roleofmotherin thelargeandbusy house­ quickly abandoned when the elders ofthe Deldewar in Tangail. (Khan 244). Her hold. family decided that education received new home, although far from Rangpur, Karimunnessa was crucial to Rokeya's from a Western woman would breakpur­ and remote and difficult to get to, was a development It was she who voiced her dah. Mter returning to her village house blessing for her. Not only was it liberal opposition to thesocial norms concerning in Rangpur, it was her eldest brother, and modem, but most importantly, it en­ women, thus setting a precedent for Ibrihim Saber, who inspired Rokeya and couraged female education. She began to Rokeya. She was defiant in her challenge initiated the learning process. learn along with her brothers-in-law. She to society, her convictions were strong, Most of the teaching sessions, how­ proved to be a gifted woman who read and her faith in herself constant In her, ever, took place in the darlmess of night. "hundreds ofthousands ofbooks" (Kadir Rokeya, younger and impressionable, Samsun Nahar, familiar with the Saber 288) and began to write love poems, as found a mentor. Itwas theoldersisterwho family and a personal friend of Rokeya, well as others dealing with gender issues taught her not only to intellectualize the presents us with a romantic picture ofthe and the question of women's status. The issues and themes we see her so involved siblings seated with their books after the following is anexampleofonesuchpoem: with in her work, but also to question the evening meal when the father had gone to verynatureandpurposeofexistence,push­ bed. They studied together by candle­ Whether rich, poor or middle class ing her forward onto the quest for self light, often until dawn, when they were Men are never trust worthy identity. In this, her influence is immeas­ interrupted by the Azan for the morning Forget not, forget not sisters! urable, for in her, Rokeya found a role prayer. (Akanda) Rokeya was not only Their words model who inspired and encouraged her hard-working butalso bright and curious. Are the ruination of women. at every step. Her progress no doubt delighted Ibrihim (SufIan 86). The elder sister died of heart failure in and soon a tender relationship developed 1926 atthe ageof71. Itis with deepregret between the two. Itwas also Ibrihim who thatRokeyawrites"KarimunnessaSahiba postponed Rokeya's date of marriage for could have been one ofthe brightest jew­ as long as he could, and when the time Girls with education els of this land had society not throttled came, he was most enthusiastic about the were regarded as her genius." educated, westernized Sakhawat Hossain The third person most influential in whom Rokeya eventually married. being as abominable encouraging Rokeya's education was The othermajor influence on Rokeya's and shameless as those Sakhawat Hossain, her husband. He was education was her sister, Karimunnessa. without purdah. the Deputy Magistrate of Bhagalpur, a She is interesting in herself, apart from man in a position ofsome power, and one her role as Rokeya's guide and mentor. who enjoyed the trust of his colonial em­ Born in 1855, Karimunnessa too was an ployers. Not only was he likely to have exceptionally bright and curious child, been influenced by them in European eager to learn. Her life in her father's In 1881, she completed her long poem, ways of thinking, but he himself had vis­ house was uninspiring. She learned the Dukkha Tarangini, as well as her 118­ ited the Continent and had studied agri­ Quran by heart, but any other education page long Manob Bikas. She had worked culture in England. He wasan advocateof was taboo. Yet from an early age, she was on the latterfor almost twenty years. Nei­ female education and, recognizing the resourceful enough to eavesdrop on the therofthese was publishedbutweare told potential of his wife, was determined to Munshis who came to teach the brothers. that they were carefully written, bound in develop it further. He improved her Eng­ In this way, she taught herself some Per­ leather, and presented as proper books. lish and stimulated her intellectually, no sian and, by copying herbrothers, learned Hercuriosity andenergyfor learningnever doubt introducing new ideas and litera­ to write Bengali in utmost secrecy. Learn­ ceased, at the age of sixty-seven she de­ tureall thetime. InBaiyuJanayPanchash ing byeavesdroppingon the lessons ofthe cided to take up Arabic in order to under­ Mile. we are told that Rokeya began to male members of the house was not un­ stand theQuranic verses sheknew so well write Sultana's Dream notonly to fill the common in secluded households, where by heart. time while her husband was on tour, but education was taboo for girls. In 1878, on her widowhood, also to impress him on his return. No Karimunnessawas eventuallydiscovered Karimunnessa was left with two young doubt Rokeya was a tremendous asset to by her father, who atfirst was amusedand boys, Abdul Karim Abu Abmed Khan her husband, contributing greatly to his for a short while took an interest in teach­ Gaznavi and Abdul Halim Hussain Khan reputation as a westernized, modem man. ing her himself. However, this came to an Gaznavi. There was general opposition in Itis clearthathewas proudofherachieve­ abrupthaltwhen themullahslearned ofit. Delduar to theeducation ofher sons in the ments and believed in the causes she her­ Theircriticism was so severe that, fearing modem system, soshemoved to Calcutta, selfbattledfor. Athisdeath, he leftherRs. ostracism, notonly did her father stop her breaking with the custom of a joint fam­ 10 000 to spend on schools for Muslim education at once but married her off ily. It is likely that as a widow, she would girls.

VOLUME 13, NUMBER 1 57 Rokeya's educational accomplishments were acquired on an This was then an important turning point Women couldbegin to informal basis, yet the ideaofformal academic qualification had depend on others oftheir own sex rather than on men. It is when enormous appeal for her. There remained in her a longing for women began to claim and take responsibility for their own formal recognition as an accomplished scholar. Yet, she was a education that marks the beginning offemale-engineered eman­ learnedwoman. Ofher,Dr. MuhammadEnamulHaqwrites: "the cipation outside direct male control, and often in defiance of it. knowledge this extraordinary woman acquired on herown, from within the confines of her home, was no less than the education Yasmin Hossain is currently completing a PhD. at the School of meted out at universities." (Alam 5) . Oriental andAfrican Studies, University ofLondon. The subject The educational experiences of women such as Rokeya and ofherstudyisBegumRokeyaandthe position ofBengaliMuslim Karimunnessa were not unique. Learning in secrecy from well­ women. meaning brothers or guardians, or even learning by eavesdrop­ ping on their lessons, and after marriage, from the modem References westernized husband, were the only means of women's initial access to education. Buthoweversympatheticto the education of Akanda, L. "Kartini and Rokeya: Their Contributions Towards women, most male patrons pursued their own interests through EmancipationofWomen,"Dhaka University Studies39(1983). them. The patriarchal aim diverged from the course set out by Alam,M. S.RokeyaSakhawatHossain:JibonoSahittya. Dhaka, Rokeya and other women educators. The male ideal of female 1989. education was tailored to fit the image of modem India. The Jahan, R., ed. Sultana's Dream. New York: 1988. education of women was not a cause in itself, but an issue in the Joardar, H. and Joardar, S. Begum Rokeya: The Emancipator. process of decolonization. Therefore, the beginning of female Dhaka, 1980. education controlled by women depended on a negotiation with Kadir, A. Ed. Rokeya Racanabali. Dhaka, 1973. the patriarchal establishment, leading to a relaxation of its con­ Khan, N. I.,ed.BangladeshDistrict GazetteersRangpur. Dhaka, straints.Rokeyabegan to challengeprevailingassumptionsabout 1977. the status of women in earnest after widowhood, when women, Minault, G., ed. The Extended Family: Women and Political particularly those without children, were freed from the ties of Participation in India and Pakistan. Delhi: 1981. domesticity. Roy, A. The Islamic Syncretistic Tradition in Bengal. Princeton, The crucial issue was that women could begin to teach one 1983. another, as in the caseofKarimunnessa's instructions to Rokeya. Sufian, N. I. M. Bangla Sahityer Nutan Itihas. Dhaka, 1965.

The Women's Movement in Edited by CONSTANCE BACKHOUSE Canada and the United States and DAVID H. FLAHERTY

By allowing the reader to draw comparisons between women's movements in Canada and the United States, Challenging Times shows that certain political and theoretical issues transcend international borders, ebbing and flowing between the two countries symbiotically. Topics discussed include the origins of "second-stage feminism," the strength of the women's movement within academic structures, and the challenges posed by racial, ethnic, and class diversity; violence against women; the promise and limits of legal reform; reproductive technology; and economic discrimination. "1 can say without hesitation that I have seldom encountered such a high general level of excellence in a collective work ... the breadth of coverage is remarkable. This book will make a major impact on feminist literature, not only in Canada but internationally." Peta Tancred, Centre for Research and Teaching on Women, McGi11 University.

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58 CANADIAN WOMAN STUDIES/LES CAHIERS DE LA FEMME