Shadow or substance : the changing role of women in Bengal, 1849-1905

Abstract

In this study, I present the thesis that the role of the 'modern' Bengali woman of the nineteenth century differed from that of the traditional Hindu woman more in style than in substance. Historians of nineteenth-century Bengal have tended either to ignore women or to depict them as a passive group emancipated by the efforts of male social reformers. This study sets out to counteract the view that social reform movements led to the emancipation of women. It concentrates on the changes in the lives of the Bengali bhadramahila between 1849, the year in which the Bethune School for girls was founded, and the partition of Bengal in 1905. Writings for and by women, as well as other sources, have been examined in order to gain an insight into changes in domestic and social life, and women's responses to these. The situation of the bhadramahila has been analysed in the context of colonial rule and its impact on the social, economic and political life of Bengal. It is argued that in areas such as marriage, child rearing, the running of the household and participation in social functions, the bhadramahila shouldered the responsibility for maintaining a style of living suited to the conditions of colonial rule. The process of change through institutional and public means such as education, voluntary associations, employment and political activity has also been discussed. undoubtedly there were many positive gains for women - steps towards equality, increased physical freedom, expanded horizons through the acquisition of literacy and limited entry into the area of non-domestic work - but these changes often brought unforeseen negative consequences in their wake, such as a reduction in autonomy and power within the household, and subordinate status on entering the public world. By 1905, Bengali women were entering an era of increased opportunity, but were still hampered by the confines of their role. Show more