By Sumaiya Rabeya
In 19th-century India, British colonization was in full force. The biggest alibis of the colonizer were the Hindu Raja- Maharajas, who collected taxes for and worked as executive bodies for their imperial masters. Thus, by default, the Hindu community were second-class citizens. Then came the Muslims, the lineage of the recently-defeated Mughal Empire, who needed to be kept submerged in case they retained their royal glory. At the absolute bottom of society were women, regardless of their race or religion.
At the time, women were traditionally treated the same as or in a slightly higher position than the servant class. They were not allowed to be educated, to work or to speak louder than men. Defying all odds in such an environment, one Muslim woman challenged patriarchy. She was Begum Rokeya Shakhawat Hossain.
Islamic laws have been instrumented in so-called controlling women through its myopia of explanations. But, for some brave Muslim women like Begum Rokeya, Islamic laws encouraged her to break the glass ceiling! In fact, Begum Rokeya pioneered the liberation of women in South Asia.
She was born in a wealthy merchant’s home in Rangpur, Bangladesh, which was undivided India at the time. Coming from a well-educated family, Begum Rokeya sought knowledge. However, she was not allowed to study. Her elder brother, Ibrahim, noticed her enthusiasm and decided to educate her in secret, at nighttime when everyone else was asleep. Sooner than she knew it, Begum Rokeya became well-versed in both Bengali and English, which was extremely rare for a woman of her time.
What made her rebellious was not only the situation for women in her own country, but also the situation for women abroad. Through literature, she learned that women were devalued all over the world and cited this in her writing: “…although the Japanese wife is considered only the first servant of her husband, she is usually addressed as the honorable mistress.”
Like the girls of her time, Rokeya was married, in her teens, to a wealthy diplomat named, Khan Bahadur Shakhawat, who was in his late 30’s. However, her marriage turned into a blessing as her husband was the one who encouraged her to start writing. Her writing, in the form of stories, encouraged women to raise their voices. It was fiery and controversial as protests erupted and demands were made to ban her writings. It was her husband’s diplomatic position and encouragement that sheltered her.
Eventually, Begum Rokeya’s revolutionary writing boldly turned into action. She founded the first school for girls in Calcutta. In her memoir, she remembered how difficult it was to convince parents to send their girls to school; sometimes, she endured verbal and physical abuse.
In 1916, she founded Muslim Women’s Association that fought for women’s right to education in India. Even though in recent times, the rhetoric of woman and man being equal is a common phrase, it was an audacity to utter such a proposition in 19th-century India. Yet, Begum Rokeya wrote: “We (women) are half of the society. If we lag, how can the society move forward? If a person’s one leg is tied down, how far can he go limping?” She fought for equality and justice for women. Regarding the inheritance law, she lamented: “According to the Muslim man, we women are half of a man, that is two women equals to one man. Even then, this law is confined to books only. If anyone kindly take your time to observe a wealthy Muslim’s distribution of wealth, then you will see that the daughter is given nothing from her inheritance.”
What I love about her writing is that she didn’t just resort to blaming the “man” for the condition of women; rather, she pushed the women to find courage in using their voices: “It’s not easy to rise at first, I know! Indian Muslims will give fatwa to kill us and Hindus will want to throw us in fire, I am aware! And I also know many of my sisters don’t even want to rise! But for the greater good of society, you must rise. No good can be achieved easily.” Therefore, Begum Rokeya’s mission in life was to awaken the sleeping conscience and lowered self-esteem of Bengali women, of Muslim women, of all women, which benefitted them beyond social and material goals. Her reminder will always be my inspiration to strive for better:
“If your Lord holds you accountable, have you utilized your brain, heart, and eyes properly? If you don’t employ your own hands into labor, what explanation can you give to your Creator?”
Reminder: May is “International Muslim History Month.” Take this opportunity to learn more about Muslim men and women from the Golden Age up until now, who have shaped humanity as we know it.
About the Author
Sumaiya Rabeya is a researcher and content writer. She is the co-founder of a Malaysia-based media-production company. Sumaiya is also a community volunteer, actively working on various projects related to Islamic dawah, social engagement and women. Born in 1989, she graduated with a degree in Politics and International Relations and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Gender Studies. Moreover, she has been working as a media content writer for over a decade. As a Bengali young mother, she feels responsible in creatively contributing to society.