British India

Research Paper # 60439

Anthropology > Cultural
History > Asian
Women Studies

British India

This paper discusses the role of gender in politics and nationalist movements in British India, using a cultural anthropological approach.

3,745 words () | 37 sources | MLA | 2005 Pakistan

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that exploring the legalization of women's rights is an excellent way to understand the gender issues in British Empire, which predated the partition India and Pakistan. It cites the example of how the British passed the 1856 Hindu Widows Remarriage Act, which officially allowed widows to remarry but did not allow inheriting the property left by the deceased. The author points out that Gandhi, persuasively nationalistic, believed in the equality of women, which was new to the Indians; Gandhi did arouse national spirits by wanting women to move with the traditional responsibilities. The paper reviews the life of Sarojini Naidu, as a front-line speaker for the women and one of the women who pursued a career as a politician.

From the Paper:

"In 1890, Indian women sent petition to the Queen for legislative reforms. An immediate follow through was a practical representation of Indian women in English journals and attraction of English ladies in a 'desperately under-reformed' Indian society. This brings forth a mixed response in the form of proposed educational reforms and criticism of the old fashioned practices of India. It also brought in some famous British women ambassadors of the West. Such as Annie Basant, Akroyd, Sister Nvidita, Rathbone and Carpenter. In Bengal there were 95 schools with attendance of 2,500 in 1863 and 2238 schools & 80,000 in 1890. Primary school education was on a steady rise, from 5,486 in 1984 to 7,991 n 1905. But according to the Indian Gazetteer to the Queen, 1905, total number of female art institutions had risen from four (1894) to twelve (1905), with literally no professional college for women till 1905."