International Journal of Research and Review www.gkpublication.in E-ISSN: 2349-9788; P-ISSN: 2454-2237 Original Research Article Hidden Histories: Peasant Women and the Indian National Movement Dr. Maitree Vaidya Sabnis Assistant Professor, Department of History, the M.S. University of Baroda, Vadodara, Gujarat ABSTRACT Women have been absent from history writing of almost every civilization, more so the peasant women. Indian National Movement was the most recent turning point in Indian history, which ushered in a modern age. However, in order to present a complete picture, there is a need felt to create a dialogue between women and the national movement. Hence, an attempt has been made in this original research article to bring about the sublimities of this very discourse in the first half of the twentieth century. Key Words: Gender, Indian National Movement, Historiography, Awadh, Warli INTRODUCTION processes which reflect and later deflect the The old age adage of absences of common perceptions. The common women from history is too oft repeated to be perceptions are that men are active where as mentioned again. In the similar wane, to women are passive, which can be attributed reiterate writing women back in history too to according to Sherry Ortner‟s notion has assumed a rhetoric position. The widespread across the cultures that women question appears more pertinent in case of are closer to nature while men reside in the „low class‟ women, essentially women realm of culture. [1] So women are „working‟ in rural areas. It is a known fact associated with the 'domestic' or 'private' that there is virtually no record of women as rather than the 'public' domain of social, active agents in various events that took political and economic life, which only men place over the centuries in almost all the animate and transform. [2] civilizations. To fill the gap the feminist The other approach is to study and anthropologists, sociologists and historians articulate the processes of historical change are trying to give women their due as through various mediums other than the contributors in the development of society traditionally accepted ones. Social theorists and culture. The much recorded history is of the late 19th and early 20th century saw in about men, where women are absent or the transformation in the relations between silent. Apparently women‟s invisibility was the sexes, epitomized in changing family a matter not so much of fact but of structure, the clue to historical development. perspective which was more androcentric or It is possible, to retrieve the agential male-centric in nature. The question then capacities of women that may sometimes arises how historical events from the point defy neat categorizations in terms of of view of women can actually come to conventional classifications of social and have representations which are shaped to political action. In that women's public roles present the omitted picture? There is no are characterized by a politicization of their specific answer to this question, however private roles. The medium to explore is one approach could be to study the usually visible in "specific articulations of International Journal of Research & Review (www.gkpublication.in) 130 Vol.4; Issue: 7; July 2017 Maitree Vaidya Sabnis. Hidden Histories: Peasant Women and the Indian National Movement consent and resistance", which enables as literature in the form of articles, poems and well as constrains women from making their propaganda material. Shelter and nursing own history. The history by women and of care were also provided to nationalist women also has considerable levels and leaders who were in hiding from the British issues which are addressed in accordance authorities. [4] Outside the home with the need of the time and hour. The Prabhatferis were organized in which Indian Freedom Struggle and the various women from all castes and classes would movements that were carried within its fold walk to the local temple singing songs to had multiple affects and effects on the rouse the nationalist and patriotic feelings of society which was gradually becoming more the people. In addition they held meetings conscious to the idea of „nation‟ and and demonstrations, took part in satyagraha, „freedom‟. picketed toddy and foreign-cloth shops, India's struggle for independence is went to prison and also suffered brutalities of tremendous importance in the history of at the hands of the British police. Lastly, anti-colonial movements. The nationalist when the nationalist leadership was in jail, movement set the precedent of achieving the women took over the leadership roles independence through non-violence and and provided guidance to the movement. thus a whole new philosophy based on The mass participation of women in the ahimsa was born. The culmination of the nationalist movement is a well-recognized movement in the partition on religious historical reality. Their activities within the grounds of a country as big and culturally movement were, however, diverse and diverse as India was also significant. almost marginalized in comparison to the However, arguably the most important men. While some women participated aspect of this movement which need to be actively on the streets, others just gave brought forth for independence from a support to the movement. [5] The women historical point of view was that it saw mass emerged as an important force in support of participation by Indian women, women who the national movement under the leadership had till then been confined to the domestic of Gandhi, [6] who in his attempt to create a sphere whether they were of upper class, wider mass participation opened up middle class or lower class. On the other floodgates of women‟s political activism. hand Partha Chatterji makes it clear to us However the underlying problem is that that “The nationalist discourse we have these women cannot be simply assumed to heard so far is a discourse about women; be a homogenous group. Their participation women do not speak here. It is a discourse in the national movement can be viewed which assigns to women a place, a sign, an from different angles. On the one hand there objectified value; women here are not were women's organizations which sprang subjects with a will and a consciousness. We up all over the country with a view to now have to ask very different questions to further women's cause as well as that of the allow women in recent Indian history to country's independence. On the other hand speak for themselves”. [3] were the intense struggles of the lower class The contributions of women women (and men) against exploitation and especially of the middle class to the oppression of the colonial government as Independence movement are reflected in the well as that of the landlord-trader-forest number of studies that have been carried out contractor. so far. The middle class women were The recent feminist historians have involved in diverse nationalist activities, paid quiet deservedly so, deliberate attention both within and outside the home. Within to history of middle class women‟s the home they spun and wove khadi, held participation in the national movement. classes to educate other women and However, apart from sporadic works, the contributed significantly to nationalist historical records are silent about the International Journal of Research & Review (www.gkpublication.in) 131 Vol.4; Issue: 7; July 2017 Maitree Vaidya Sabnis. Hidden Histories: Peasant Women and the Indian National Movement participation of lower class women in the which are not essentially struggles spawned freedom struggle. The superfluous by women but movements where women‟s justification can be the lower classes were participation have been traced and recorded unable to cope with their miseries, which by women and women emerge as the central was the result of the exploitation at the players though the impact that is created hands of the upper classes or castes. does not remain remarkably women However the more apt justification can be oriented. The first movement discusses the felt in the absences of recorded material political participation of women in what has regarding the involvement of the lower come to be known as the „Oudh Revolt‟ classes in the national movement. The word which was led by the Kisan Sabha in Uttar freedom struggle naturally had a different Pradesh or United Provinces. The second connotation to the lower classes, which struggle discusses the Warli struggle of assumed the form of people‟s struggle. The 1945-47, which was also led by the Kisan woes of recording the history of the lower Sabha of the Communist Party of India classes women were much intense and deep (CPI) both carrying leftist cliché. due to the issue exclusive to them which focused more on meeting exploitation from Peasant upsurge in Awadh: Role of their own community members apart from Women [7] the others, thereby apparently extricating After the Uprising of 1857, the their issues from the larger national cause or dynamic of British rule changed and a need even the popular peasant struggles or tribal was felt to create an ally which would movements. Also, the historiography of enable the upholding of their rule in India. popular struggles in turn like the general Thus were created and buttressed a small histories, considered women under the class of feudal barons and their 'kinsmen' category of 'man' thereby marginalizing along with the rajas and maharajas of the their roles as the central players and Princely States. The taluqdars of Awadh negating their capacities of leadership and were one such category which found profound involvement. While written patronage in the British Raj. [8] Besides histories of peasant/tribal struggles are few, general exploitation numerous humiliation most of those available having been were exerted on the peasantry to carry out produced in the last two decades, they their extortionate demands.