Emergence of Women’s Associations in Colonial Bengal: A Case Study

Dr. Tuhina Islam

Assistant Professor, Department of History, Aliah University, Kolkata

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59815/bhs.vol2804

Abstract: In nineteenth-century Bengal, the condition of women in general and Muslims in particular was deplorable due to the prevalent social evils and customs of society. Although the early social reformers such as Raja Rammohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Debendra Nath Tagore, Keshab Chandra Sen   and other prominent figures took initiatives for the upliftment of women but the Muslims lagged behind due to their deep-rooted conservatism. The efforts of social reformers were largely constrained within a patriarchal framework that reinforced their traditional familial roles and denied them autonomy in both public and private spheres. By the late nineteenth century, as education gradually spread among women, they started questioning their subordinate status. However, the emergence of women’s associations from 1865 marked a pivotal shift that offered women a collective platform to articulate their concerns and demands for socio-political rights. At that time, the publication of Bengali periodicals was also often affiliated with such associations and became a vital tool for spreading awareness among women. This article aims to examine the formation and evolution of women’s associations in colonial Bengal from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century and assess their role in empowering both Hindu and Muslim women in a patriarchal society.

Key Words: Women’s Associations, Periodicals, Colonial Bengal, Patriarchal Framework, Socio-Political Rights.