Women In Hyderabad State- a Historical

analysisRekha Pande

University of Hyderabad

Structure of the Talk• The Asaf Jahis- a historical background

• Need for women’s History• The Formative period, 1724 – 1857 ( The first four Nizams)

• The transitional phase : the period of reform, 1857 – 1883 ( Asaf Jah V and VI)

• The The new women : On the threshold of modernity – 1884 – 1948 ( Asaf jah VI and VII)

The Asaf Jahis• The Asaf Jahis were of Turkish origin from the

region around Samarkand in modern day Uzbekistan and came to India in the late 17th century, and became employees of the Mughals.

• As the Mughals were great patron of Persian culture, language, literature: the family found a ready patronage.

• In 1763, after a gap of nearly seventy six years Hyderabad regained its lost glory when Nizam Ali Khan, the second Asaf Jahi ruler moved the capital back from Aurangabad to Hyderabad.

• The period saw hostilities between the French and the English and in AD 1758 on the outbreak of Seven years war in Europe in AD 1756.

• As a result, the French lost their power in India and consequently it also lost influence at Hyderabad.

The formative period

Nizam 1 , 1724-1748A.D. Mir Qamaruddin Chin Qilij Khan

Nizam 11, 1762-1803 Nizam Ali Khan

Nizam III, 1803 – 1829 Nizam IV, 1829-1857Mir Akbar Ali Khan Sikander Jah Mir Farkhunda Ali Khan Nasir-ud-Daula

Transition phase Asaf Jah Nizam VI, 1869-1911Asaf jah - Nizam V 1857 – 1869Mir Tahniat Ali Khan Afzal-ud-Daula Mir Mahboob Ali Khan

The threshold of ModernityAsaf Jah VII - Nizam VII1911 - 1948Mir Osman Ali Khan

How are women studiedIt is always men who have defined women and their views have had an important and pervasive influence on human thought.Women are examined as semi humans unable to speak for themselves.Women are only looked at and rarely did they do their own looking.Women are studies as anomalies

Women in traditional disciplines

Kum Bhawani uses the concept of EDIT.

E Erasure of total contributions.D - Denial of women's contribution I- Invisibility from frontier areas of Knowledge. T- Tokenism- only few women visible at the heights

Why women have no history

Women are ignored in history because of the assumption that they did not play a part and were behind the scenes.We continue to get a partial picture of His- Story and not Her- Story. Unless we add this our understanding of the past will continue to be partial and biased and we will never get Our- Story.

1st Phase , Formative period 1724-1857

This period did not see any progress in Hyderabad.In fact Hyderabad state was far less progressive state when compared to the other princely states of British India.The Nizams were subordinate to the paramount as the British guided the state.

Financial crisisThe Nizam’s state was forced into a series of wars which resulted in the total chaos in state. The administration collapsed and state was facing financial bankruptcy.

To bring financial stability, a bank called “Palmer & Company” was established to advance loan to the state government. But it resulted in one of the biggest financial scandal of the time. Sikandar Jah, was a puppet ruler, while the defacto ruler was the British. The period was marked by complete chaos until the appointment of Salar Jung – I as the Prime Minister of Hyderabad state.

Women in private domain

Women were confined to the four walls. A women’s place was primarily in the home and it’s her destiny to organize the household and to rare children. Thus the early women were by and large in private domain. few women who came to public space by crossing the boundaries of private and they were not regarded as ‘respectable women’. In rural societies women were participating in the agriculture fields along with their men for they had to work for a living.

The TawaifsThe women who were in public arena in urban centers were ‘courtesans’, ‘tawaifs’, ‘annas’ and ‘mamas’ (zanana servants).These women were trained in the long standing tradition of skilled entertainment and were artists with skill. During any happy occasion it was these tawaifs who provided entertainment and performed especially on marriage and birth of male child among aristocrats and elites.

Walters Art Museum, Baltimore Maryland

The Nizam patronised the Twaifs by establishing an office known as, Dafter-e-Arbab Nishat.

During the period of Nizam Ali khan, a sum of rupees twelve was spent per month towards salaries of tawaifs.

Importance of the Tawaif

In Hyderabad society tawaif held a respectable place and were known for decency, politeness, manners and culture. Many elite families send their boys to their doors for the learning of culture. Due to this many women from north India migrated to Hyderabad and adopted the profession. The singing and dancing girls performs in mehfils and behind from purdha the ladies of zanana also enjoyed, their performances. It was compulsory for tawaifs to sing in the marriage functions and after the nikah a group photo was taken for the sake of remembrance and in the group tawaif also given place

Mahlaqa ChandaOne very important twaif was Mahalaqa Chanda. She had already compiled her first collection of poetry and attained fame when legendary Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib was just a year old. She was associated with six royal courts starting from Ruknuddaula, followed by Nizam Ali Khan to Sikandar Jah, Arastu Jah, Maharaja Chandulal Shadaan and Raja Rao Rambha. She was a famous Urdu poet of Deccan was a contemporary of renowned poets like Mir Taqi Mir, Sauda and Dard in North India.

Maha laqa’s FamilyHer father Bahadur Khan belonged to an illustrious family. Her mother Maida Bibi also came from a family of repute in Gujarat. Mahalaqa was born in 1776 A.D. Maida Bibi was the youngest of three sisters. Her father was an administrative officer under the Mughal governor of Ahmadabad.He wasted the governor’s money and was threatened with arrest and he fled abandoning his family. His wife was reduced to utter poverty left Ahmadabad with her three daughters and two young sons. They were adopted by a roving band that sang and danced for a living – probably Hindus of a gypsy character ( bhagtiyan).

Maha Laqa’s early life• Maha Laqa grew up in the lap of her elder step-sister, who raised her in a mansion called Zenana Dewdi .

• She must have received the best aesthetic education that money and prestige could buy. She was taught Persian, wrote poetry in Urdu, learned dance and studied classical music under her Ustad, Huš Hal Han Kalawant. He was a Shi‘i musician who, as indicated by his title Kalawant was an exponent of Dhrupad and Khayal styles.

• She also associated with her mother’s old friend, Šah Tajalli ‘Ali, the poet, historian and illustrator. As she matured and began to Courting ‘Ali.

Maha laqa

Her Library• Mahlaqa's library was well-known for her collection of rare books and scripts. She had a number of writers, 'Kaatibs', in her personal service, for copying texts for her library. Whenever she heard of a new or rare book, she would somehow get hold of it and ask the Kaatibs to prepare a fresh copy for her library

• She was renowned for her mastery on dhrupad apart from khayal tappa.

Wealthy women• Maha laqa was one of the richest woman of her

period. • A prominent personality, she lived in Khasa Mahal

with hundreds of khadims at her disposal.• Mahlaqa's estate was spread over Syedpalli,

Chanderguda, Chandapeth, Ali Bagh and several other areas.

• She was a generous woman who spent lavishly on the preparations for Khat Darshan Mela and Gyarahvin Sharif. For Muharram and Jashn-e-Haidari, she prepared for months in advance.

• She threw banquets in the honour of visiting poets and also patronized poets and artists.

Purdah• Among the early women strict pardah was prevalent. During the early years of Nizam rule, the practice of pardha was prevalent in every class of women’s especially among elite class.

• Even the ‘mama’ (maid servant) wore pardah while going to the market. The pardah was very strict in Hyderabad, but the unmarried daughters of the Nizam were exempted from its rule.

• They attended palaces and residency parties and accompanied their father in race. They did not participate in any public functions.

Transitional Phase• Women. during the transitional phase in the Hyderabad state during the period of reform. The period from 1853 – 1883 was very significant in the history of Asaf Jahs, during this time Hyderabad state was transforming from medieval to modern state.

Women’s Education• The census of state was conducted in 1881.The state’s

education system was formed. There was no progress in female education until the coming of Salarjung – I. The first girl’s school was opened in this period.

• Girls were taught household skills and got religious education.

• The society started its move towards progress but there

was no progress of women. • At this time elite women were given formal education at

their palaces and deodies. • For a middle class woman an enlighten outlook was

developed towards their education. • This period can be described as the background for the

upcoming era of women’s emancipation in the history of Nizam state.

2nd Phase, The period of Transition, 1853-1883

• During this time Hyderabad state was transforming from medieval to modern state.

• It was in 1853, Mir Turab Ali Khan Salarjung – I was appointed as the Diwan of the Nizam state and with his appointment an array of hope rose in Hyderabad.

• Salar Jung introduced many reforms for the betterment of the Nizam state, which marked the beginning of a new era of modernization.

• He was the prime-minister of three Nizams i.e. Nizam-iv, v, vi from 1853 to 1883.

3rd Phase, On the threshold of modernity, 1884-1948

• In the year 1884 Mehboob Ali Pasha Nizam VI assumed the sovereign power, as he attained 18 years and regency rule came to an end.

• The policies and progress initiated by Salarjung was carried on by Nizam VI and VII which resulted in the attainment of administrative and financial stability.

• The period witnesses an all round development of Hyderabad state, an enlighten outlook was developed towards the cause of women, which led to the progress of the women.

Education bringing a change

• Education brought in a new life to women, which in turn helped them to see the outside world with new eyes.

• Thus the new Nizami women especially elite muslim women were able to cross the boundaries of private and public domain, contrary to Nizami women of the early period.

Prosperity in the state• This was a very prosperous period.not only

economically but also culturally. • The Asaf Jahi rulers from the beginning were

great patrons of literature, art, architecture, and culture, and rich food. The Nizams patronized Persian art, architecture and culture.

• The Nizam was known for his wealth and the last Nizam had been the richest man in the world.

• The Nizams also developed the railway, and the introduction of electricity; developed roads, airways, irrigation and reservoirs; in fact, all major public buildings in Hyderabad City were built during his reign during this period.

• Hyderabad State had its own army, airline, telecommunication system, railway network, postal system, currency and radio broadcasting service.

Osman Ali Khan• Osman Ali Khan (1911-

1948), was the last Nizam of Asaf Jahi dynasty and last ruler of Hyderabad state. By this time the British had strongly established themselves in one of the biggest princely state of India.

• He was one of the richest men in the world. The Nizam Jewels under his possession were estimated to be worth four hundred million, which includes Diamonds, Emeralds, Sapphires, Rubies and Pearls etc.

• “He used for paperweight, a Jacob Diamond of 17 carat, which was in the size of a small lemon .

•

Princess Niloufer and Durru Shewar

• On Nov 1931 Osman Ali khans sons , Azam Jah was married to Princess Durru Shehwar and Moazzam Jah was married to Niloufer, daughter of ex. Sultan Abdul Majeed Khan, Caliph of Muslims and Princess (niece of ex. Sultan) respectively at Nice in France. .

• If Princess Niloufer was the nagina, Princess Durru was the heera (diamond).

CelebrationsWhen the two royal couples returned to Hyderabad after a long journey, there was a tumultuous welcome. The city was decked up. It is said that all communities joined to contribute to the building of a "shadikhana" as a permanent memorial. People from neighbouring villages poured into the city to catch a glimpse of the newly married couples. The royal reception was in the stately Chowmohalla palace and the then British Resident, Lt. Col. T. H. Keyes, proposed a toast.Nizam declared a holiday in Hyderabad and newspapers printed special editions.

The two Princesses• Although the marriages didn’t bring a rich dowry (for the Caliph had already been deposed), they earned the Nizam a diplomatic alliance with the Turkish aristocracy.

• The Nizam encouraged both princesses to take part in sports, such as tennis and horse-riding.

• He sent them on tours of Europe so they could broaden their mind and also pick up works of art for his museums and this was a dissemination of royal ideology through institutions.

• There was a large scale engagement with photography.

Durru Shevaar

Early life of Durru Shevaar

• The princess was born in Uskudar, Istanbul when the Ottoman Empire was passing through its last phase.

• Her father, Caliph Abdulmecid II, went into exile in Paris after the abolition of the Caliphate by Mustafa Kemal Ataturkin 1924.

• Upon the family's exile to France , she was sought as a bride for Prince Azam Shah (1907–1970), the eldest son and heir of the last Nizam of Hyderabad State Osman Ali khan.

• The marriage took place in Nice, France, on 12 November 1931

• The confidence and poise of the women in he photo shows the nuanced adjustment with modernity that eluded even povincials in Europe.

Importance of the marriage

• It was believed at that time that the matrimonial alliance between the Nizam, the richest ruler in the world of his time, and the deposed Caliph would lead to the emergence of a Muslim ruler who could be acceptable to the world powers in place of the Ottoman sultans.

• Durru Shahvar, whose father was raised by a branch of the Ottoman monarchy deeply interested in modernizing reforms and believed in modern education for women including his wives and daughter, became a popular public figure after her arrival in Hyderabad.

• These modern views had a lot of impact on her.• She believed that women should earn their own living, and

helped to remove the practice of purdah.• She ran the household in her palace when the other women of

the family dared not venture into the men’s domain

Marriage photo

Her two sons• Following the birth of her sons Prince Mukarram Jah in 1933 and Prince Muffakham Jah in 1939, Durru Sehwar took charge of their upbringing, The two princes were educated in Britain and also married Turkish ladies. The last Nizam later bypassed his own son and nominated her first son and his grandson, as his successor.

• The Princess became the first woman to inaugurate an airport when she inaugurated the airport in Hyderabad in the 1940s. She is also credited with inaugurating the Osmania general Hospital.

• She set up the Durru Shehvar Children’s and women’s Hospital for women and children in the old city of Hyderabad.

Durru Shevaar

Her other works• She also inaugurated the famous Ajmal Khan Tibbiya College Hospital at Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh in 1939.

• Her last public appearance in the city was when she presided over the opening ceremony of the Nizam’s Silver Jubilee Museum in 2000.

• She last visited Hyderabad in 2004.

Durru Shevaar

The Princess other skills

• These Princess were better educated” among the Nizam’s family. They were also good sportswomen, skilled in tennis and handball.

• The Nizam threw lavish parties where he showed off his daughters-in-laws.

• The Princess dazzled in them and was the most sought after.

• The princesses were visible in the Bombay party circuit, too, though they apparently did not dance. In keeping with the Nizam’s status, they kept their distance, projecting an alluring mix of oriental tradition and western freedom.

A priceless pearl• Durru Shevar is described by the media as the "priceless pearl," having her own list of accomplishments that included mastering European languages, besides Urdu.

• She had the honour of being the first royal lady from the Nizam's family to attend a public function when she presented a silver cup to the winning team of Public Garden Tennis Tournament in 1933.

• Her marriage was widely hailed as a "union of two great dynasties" linking Europe and Asia.

Her last days• She was upset about Turkish Government's attitude

against her family members after declaration of the republic. Despite being member of Ottoman royal family she refused to be buried in Turkey since she was upset that the Turkish Government refused in 1944 her father's burial in Istanbul.

• She was conferred the title of Durgana Begum, Princess of Berar by the Nizam. The Princess used to live alone at her house in Queens Street, London. For the last six months, she was very ill, it is said.

• She died in London on 7th February 2006 and was buried there itself. Her husband, Azam Jah pre-deceased her in 1974.

Early life of Princess Niloufer

• Princess Niloufer was born on 4th January, 1916, in the Goztepe Palace in Istanbul in Turkey.  Her mother was Adile Sultan, a grand-daughter of Sultan Murad V, who had been deposed on the grounds of purported mental illness. 

• At the age of eight, Niloufer moved to Nice in France.  This was not a voluntary move.  Turkey had lost its bearings during the First World War.  When the war ended, the mighty Ottoman empire was divided, and all that was left of it was Turkey itself.  Kemal Ataturk, the revolutionary leader, decided to modernize the country. 

Her Exquisite looks and clothing• Princess Niloufer’s

exquisite looks and clothes were a talking point across the country and in the cities of Europe.

• She caught the public imagination with her beauty and style.

• Her clothing collection took on a more European style with Mlle Fernande Cecire designing her saris and dresses.

Her beauty• Princess Nilüfer seems to have attracted quite as much admiration as her cousin.

• “Her violet eyes and blue-black Circassian hair were enough to ruin a man’s appetite,” remarked the British official Sir Conrad Corfield, who declared her “the loveliest creature I had ever set my eyes on”.

• When she accompanied the Nizam to Delhi, the Viceroy, Lord Willingdon, was equally enchanted, much to the annoyance of his wife.

Her saree’s

• Her sari were ornamented with beads metallic embroidery on chiffon, crepe and net, with sequins, the floral designs falling in the front or over the left shoulder.

• Many of these saris were designed by a Frenchman, Fernande Cecire, and embroidered in India.

Niloufer’s public role• While Niolufer's private life seemed empty due to lack of children, she compensated by making her public life very glittering.

• Unlike other ladies in her family who felt that their dignity and honour lay in not making public spectacles of themselves, Niloufer preferred to move about the city quite freely, leaving the zenana of the palace frequently to attend public engagements, cocktail parties and late-night revels in addition to her charity work.

• She attended many functions and also inaugurated several events, often unveiled.

Her Beauty• As no other lady of the Hyderabad royal family had ever moved about unveiled or attended cocktail parties or even public events, Niloufer came to be regarded as a torch-bearer for women's advancement.

• Her beauty and active public life received mention in the press, and she was featured on the cover pages of magazines. She was judged one of the 10 most beautiful women in the world, and was even offered several roles in films.

• The confidence of the women is reflected in the artefacts.

Niloufer Hospital• When did not conceive after marriage she wanted

to be treated. . She found that there were no specialist doctors in Hyderabad whom she could consult. She had to travel to Europe to consult doctors.

• During this time, one of her maids died in Hyderabad during childbirth, again as a result of the lack of medical facilities. At that time, there was no specialized hospital for children and mothers in Hyderabad. Childbirth took place mostly at home and even simple complications could prove fatal for mother or child.

• Niloufer made known to her father-in-law the problems arising due to this lack of medical facilities and as a result, a speciality hospital for women and children was built in the Red Hills area of the city. Indeed, the hospital was named Niloufer Hospital in her honour.

Divorce • In 1948, 17 years after his marriage to Niloufer, her

husband Moazzam took a second wife, Razia Begum, daughter of local aristocracy in Hyderabad.

• The second marriage was quickly blessed with children and three daughters were born within four years.

• Eventually, in 1952, after 21 years of marriage, Niloufer and her husband were divorced and she left for France. She continued to live in Paris, with her mother, in a flat.

•     Since she was only 36, she continued to attract a lot of attention, and had some of the most famous people as friends.  She was offered yet another role in a Hollywood film, but she turned it down again.

Her last days• When India became independent, Niloufer was in a

peculiar position.  Hyderabad had yet to decide on joining the Indian Union.  As this situation dragged on, eventually Hyderabad was amalgamated into the Indian Union by a “Police Action”.  Although the Nizam was retained as the Head of the State, he was just a shadow of his former self.

• Niloufer died in Paris on June 12th, 1989 and was buried next to her mother.

• Both these princess had a lot of impact on the socio cultural landscape of Hyderabad and this had an impact for women.

Patronage to artists• The Nizam had also invited many talented artists who performed at his Durbar , famous among them were Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan , Fayyaz Khan , Hirabai Barodekar , Saraswati Rane and DV Paluskar etc .

• The famous bhajan singer Jutika Roy of Bengal gave a performance at the Zamrud Mahal theatres in 1945 . The program was meant for a charity . She was accomodated at a guest house of Raja Saheb . She reached the theatre early for rehearsal and found Sarojini Naidu sitting on a sofa along with her daughter Padmaja Naidu

Other artists• The notable singer Miss Angurbala of Calcutta was invited for a performance at the royal court as a guest of the Nizam . Her famous ghazal ' inhe dhoondh rahi aankhein meri ' and ' toone gher liya yaar mujhe ghere me ' were extremely popular with the old timers .

• A singer of repute she also acted in several Bengali and Hindi movies in the thirties . Due to the political developments in later years the priorities shifted to administrative matters and music at the royal court took a back seat .

Courtesans

Courtesan in early 19th century in Deccan

• Prince Muazam Jah Bahadur Miss Akhtari Bai Faizabadi to Hyderabad . She stayed as a guest of the prince for a full fortnight at Rs 2000 a day with all her expenses covered in full .He gifterd her jewelery which was estimated at Rs 25,000 . The prince was almost bankrupt much to the annoyance of the Nizam who had to pay off for his extravaganza . Josh Malihabadi , Fani Badayuni , Maharul Qadri and Sidq Jaisi were some of the famous poets who witnessed the singing sessions of Akhtari Bai as royal courtiers of the prince ..

Music• Music became the main source of making the khilafat movement populist and bring awareness among the common masses .

• Bi Amma was one of the noted singers of those days whose songs supporting the khilafat movement and criticizing the British were heard all over the state .

• Many songs started with the words boli amma Hussaini ki . The qawwali programmes were organized in various localities . The sessions would start around 9-10 at night and last until dawn . The expenditure was met by some well to do members of the locality

• women organized their separate gatherings . They engaged Siddanis , also known as Habshis ( black African Arab women ) for singing sessions . The only musical instrument they used was Dhol ( a percussion )

New Zenana School• In Hyderabad , the New Zenana, later the Mahabubia Girls' school was established in 1907, primarily for Muslim girls belonging to sharif families, under the patronage of the Nizam.

• The work of the school really started in 1909, when Florence Marya Wyld arrived from England with three faculty members to take up the post of the principle.

• On the first day only four girls turned up all between the age of 6-10. Six more arrived in the next few days and they arrived in school any time between 9 to 12 noon.

Men’s involvement• With the spread of education, social reform came

more quickly among the Muslim women. Like elsewhere here to the men who were enlightened encouraged their women to read and write.

• The Muslim social reform movement produced a number of husband-wife teams who were both equally involved in raising questions related to the community and who served as models of social reform

• There are a number of examples of journals for women started by these reformist couples. For example, Sayyid Mumtaz Ali and his wife Muhammadi Begum (who served as the editor till her untimely death)started Tahzib un-Niswan (The Civilized Woman) in 1898 from Lahore. In a similar vein,

• Shaikh Abdullah and his wife Wahid Jahan Begum of Aligarh starting a magazine for women, Khatun (The Lady), in 1904 . The main purpose of the magazine was to advocate women’s education and to convince men of the need for it.

Spread of girls education• Ms.Wyld found a lot of support in

Khujitsa Begum, the Indian representative assigned by the British government to interact with Indian families.

• She also tried to pursue the Nizam Mahbub Ali to bestow his name to the school in the hope of getting patronagre from him.

• By the time Ms. Wyld left Hyderbad in 1919, Mahbubia school, as it was known had 100 students.

• By 1930,s there were 79 schools in Hyderabad and the Muslim students were twice the number of Hindu students. 22% of the girls in these schools were daughters of government officials

Begum Sughra Humayun Mirza• Begum Sughra Humayun Mirza (1884-1958) was one of the

important figures who worked for issues related to Muslim women’s education,

• She was the daughter of Captain Haji Safdar Hussain and Mariyam Begum. During her childhood in Hyderabad, learnt Urdu and Persian from her parents.

• After her marriage, she travelled widely and was quite well-read and knowledgeable.

• Begum Mirza served as the editor of many journals related to women. They include Annisa (The Woman) and Zebunnisa (The Beautiful Woman).

• She was quite prolific writer and wrote, Musheer-e-Niswan (Women’s Advisor, 1920), Mohini (1931) Safarnamah-e-Iraq(Travelogue of Iraq, 1915), Majmuah-yi-Nuhahjat (A Collection of Elegies,, 1989) Mukhtasar Halat Hazrat Bibi Fatima (A Short Life History of Hazrat Bibi Fatima, 1940) and Nasihat ke Moti: Majmuah-yi-Nasaeh (Pearls of Instructions: A Collection of Advice,1955).

• Most of them were written using her pen name “Haya.”

Annisa (The Woman)

Sugra Humayun Mirza

Begum Sughra Humayun Mirza , established Safdaria Girls School as part of her campaign to create awareness among Muslim girls and impart education to them.

Good woman• A reading of these journals gives us a very

interesting insight into the society. The journals became a very important tool for propagating the idea of the “good woman.”

• This was also being continuously enforced ons, religion, etc. The good woman was supposed to be educated in affairs to do with the home, her children, Islam, and sometimes, on her special community identity, as a Deccani.

• In the 1880s the discussion on women’s education was only just beginning, but this did not prevent Muhibb-e-Hussain and his magazine from taking up controversial topics for discussion, including purdah..

Women’s organisations• There were many women’s organisations, including

Muslim women’s organisations which were started during this period by various elite women, often under the influence of their husbands, who encouraged literacy among women.

• Sughra HumayunMirza must have been influenced by the Tayyiba Begum Khediev Jung (1873-1921), a social reformer who was her contemporary.

• She also frequently acknowledged her husband’s influence in her life choices.

• The magazine’s audience was not limited to the Deccan region. It spread throughout the mainland of British India, which included Lahore, Delhi, Lucknow and Aligarh, as can be inferred from the introduction of writers or references to earlier writings in the magazine itself

Annisa• Annisa was printed at different presses including Matba-e-Nizam-e-Dakin, Taj, Gangasagar, Shamsul Islam, Moin-e-Dakin, Matba-.Mufeel-e-Dakin, Imad, Matba-e-Rahbar-e-Dakin, etc.

• Most of these presses were in Chatta Bazar, where even today printing is done.

• Annisa had the subtitle Women’s and Girl’s Monthly Urdu Journal and had around forty pages in a standard issue.

• The usual fare included childcare, health and hygiene, cooking, home management, religious thoughts, recipes, discipline, travelogues, novels, poetry, biographies along with reformist and educational information.

Magazines and Organizations

• Writing contests for women writers were organised and prizes distributed.

• Various organisations for Muslim women were also spreading throughout the country during the same time, and the magazine should be seen in this context. Very often, these journals served as mouthpieces for the organisations.

• An example of such an organisation was the Anjuman-e-khavatin-e-Islam (Association of Muslim Women).

• A nuanced reading of these magazines suggests that there evolved a new language of patronage where women were active patrons.

Muslim identity• Yet, as a minority community, the Muslims in colonial India and Deccan could not ignore the specific identity of their community. We see this being forged through efforts like Annisa.

• However, it was not an assertion or revival of older traditions that was happening at that time.

• The most important function that the magazine and perhaps Muslim social reformers of those times took upon themselves was to mould a special identity, that of the modern Muslim community. .Annisa was in the forefront of this enterprise.

Understanding of modernity

• Also evident is the imagining of a “modern” individual through the pages of the magazine. This modern individual is built by discarding what is useless and “backward” in tradition.

• An example would be the article “Tark-e-Rasumat-e-Fuzool” (“Get Rid of Bad Customs”),which warns the women of the community to get rid of useless customs and move forward with times

• While the first surprise comes with the fact that women alone are identified as the culprits responsible for the backwardness of the community, the next one comes with the listing of avoidable customs. Most of these are quite local in character and had become a way of life before modernity. Moreover, they are also customs related to women’s lives.

Refashioning local Islam• Thus, viladat, or customs related to birth, rozah

kushai, the function when the child opens her/his first fast during Ramadan, mangni or engagement ceremony, mehndi or ritually putting henna on the hands of the bride, chawthi or the bride and the groom putting colours on each other, etc. are all seen to be an unnecessary waste of money and un-Islamic.

• The understanding of “wasteful” expenditure for feudal customs shows a shift towards capitalism and modernity with puritan values. We can also see that the move to get rid of useless customs was taking the community towards a more “modern,” i.e. scriptural, tradition of Islam that was refashioning local Islams.

•  

Anti Colonial sentiment• Another point to be noted is the curious

intermixture of Islam, India and the West that the magazine and perhaps Islamic reform movements themselves were advocating. It was not at all a complete and unproblematic acceptance of Western ideas.

• On the contrary, there are clearly anti-colonial sentiments expressed in the magazine, very often as an assertion of Islamic identity. These also appear in perhaps unexpected areas.

• For instance, in a travelogue, “London ka Ajaebkhanah” (“The London Museum”), an author, while describing the London Museum (perhaps the British Museum?) and the wonder she encounters there, notes that the museum showcases almost all the glories of the Islamic world.

Advocacy of modernity• While taking note of Tipu’s sword, kept in display, she feels it is Islam’s very sword which is taken from its roots and displayed in the museum.

• In fact, the advocacy of modernity in these pages, rather than blindly following of the West is the imagination of an Islamic modernity

• As mentioned earlier, the magazine originates at a time when Hindu-Muslim unity is talked about and is tried out in the national scene, and yet the special identity of a minority community is visible even at that time.

• The importance of social concerns, expressed in terms of community, is very often pointed out in the magazine’s discussions.

Alternative modernity• There is an effort to build alternative roads to modernity other than those imposed by British colonialism. The point seems to be that when the rest of the world, including the Western world, was in darkness; the Islamic world was blooming in the Middle Ages. The identity of the community is built through constant comparisons, especially with Western colonizers

• There are direct comparisons with the British in many article. An example occurs in an article on women’s education where the writer brings in a direct reference to European women, who are perceived to be able to do everything as well as their men.

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Comparisons at work • There are comparisons at work, mostly with the rest of the elite communities in India with whom middle-class Muslims may have been competing.

• In a piece of fiction titled “Ladki Tumhari Ghar Mehman Hai” (“A Girl is a Guest in Your House”), again on the methods of education, a “modern” Muslim father admonishes his wife for the brutal methods she uses in imparting religious education to their daughter (Annisa, Ladki Tumhari Ghar Mehman Hai, 1925, 1-8).

• He compares his house, where the mother is shouting at the daughter for being such a fool, to the more “sophisticated ”Bengali Hindu friend’s house in Calcutta.

Modern identity• The effort to build a modern identity is visible

in the pages of the magazine. This effort does not constitute a total acceptance of the Western way of life; neither does it totally replicate the Hindu upper caste campaign for reform.

• The Islamic identity expressed is quite specific in the sense that it attempts to build a global Muslim identity which is constructed in comparison, contrast, and sometimes in alliance with many other communities.

• Thus, while the global Muslimis an ally, the West sometimes appears as a category worthy of emulation, and sometimes as a competitor. Other elite communities also serve the function of fashioning elite Muslim identity.

 

Patriarchal arguments• In fact, the argument isquite patriarchal. The greater

importance of women’s education is derived from the view of women as the first educators of men. Such arguments underline the importance of the female roles of wife and, above all, mother. Sometimes men take more responsible stances regarding women and their education.

• An article, “Kya Purdah Nashinan-e-Hind ki Taleem Angrezi Zaban ke Zarieh Zaroori Hai?” (“Should the Education of India’s Veiled Women Necessarily be through the English Language?”) takes the position that women need not be given an English education(Annisa , Kya Purdah Nashinan-e-Hind ki Taleem Angrezi Zaban ke Zarieh Zaroori Hai?, 1922, 4-9).

• What prompts the author is not the usual expectation that women should not surpass men; he is clear that women have a right to English education. Instead, his driving force is practicality: he argues that women have very little time for education from the age of eight till he age of fifteen, when they would be removed from school due to marriage. He takes the stand that it is not wise to expect them to become proficient in another language and also acquire a decent education in mothertounge.

Class Bias• The contradictions of charity are clearly visible in the

“Shazrat” (“Editor’s Comment”) of one issue of the magazine.

• The author mentions the increase in the number of beggars and recounts how forty beggars, most of the m women and children, died due to starvation in Bombay. She is also concerned about how many more will die from diseases.

• While she says it is important to wipe out begging, she also describes a group of beggars who are out to exploit the hard-working and generous people from good families.

• The phrase she uses to describe these beggars in Urdu is hatte, katte mustande ‘hale and hearty.’ The contradiction between this and her own observation that so many beggars are dying from diseases is not noticed by the author. She goes on to criticise thecustom of khairat or giving alms to beggars propagated by Islam.

• The class identification of its contributors and readers clearly defines its ideology.  

Conclusions• Therefore the long history of the Asaf Jahis shows us that the woman of Hyderabad state slowly coming into their own.

• Initially there was no question of any reform and women were in the private realm and the early women during the formative period had to face a lot of restrictions.

• It was during the transition period when the basis for modernizing the state of Hyderabad were laid the question of reform for women also arose.

Paradox of reform• The fact that women were taking up the pen for

the first time, using print media as editors, publishers, and writers would make them inscribe themselves as subjects into a hitherto male sphere.

• But that they primarily spoke of matters related to the private realm, or were mainly concerned with the creation of a private realm of a particular shape, made the use of print media a contradictory step for women.

• This was the paradox for they tried to create a modern woman who was sufficiently domesticated.

• However, for the first time we see that certain space was created for the women and they formed networks and associations and met many like minded women outside their family and to whom they were not connected through their family and hence used these spaces very creatively.

Thank You