Rashid Jahan’s Writings

Rashid Jahan’s writings in Angaare boldly challenged the oppression of the women of the Muslim elite and took issue with the implications of patriarchy and faith. Though Muslim women writers were indeed suggesting reform in domestic and social life, Rashid Jahan’s bold attack on cherished aspects of Muslim culture and social setup marked an important departure, bringing issues of the body and sexuality to the agenda of reform. This article examines her feminist concerns and the radical thrust towards social justice that marks her writings. The coming together of the Angaare group reflects the impact of intellectual and political currents on the Muslim youth of the period. Aligarh, though not a hub for nationalist and radical politics, still afforded spaces for alternative thought, which obviously did not go uncontested. The present article seeks to contextualise Rashid Jahan’s writings within the Aligarh Movement, looking at the relations between modernist reforms and the nascent feminism represented by Rashid Jahan and the Progressive Writers’ Movement.