Author Prof Kirti Narain

Lucknow: A book of great national and international significance, “Participation and Position of Women—Uprising of 1857- Redefinition of Social Status: Then and Now,” was launched on November, 20, 2016 at the Lucknow Literature Festival. The author, Prof. Kirti Narain, has focused mainly on the women social status in India. The role played by women within the War of Independence (the great Revolt) 1857 was creditable.  The launch was impressive and Prof. Kirti Narain had descendants of the main players connected with the Revolt on the stage.

The chief guest was Dr. S.A. Sadiq, the descendant of the primary wife of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. Sultana Begum, the Great Granddaughter-in-law of the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah II, came from Kolkata. Manzilat, the descendant of Begum Hazrat Mahal also travelled from Kolkata. Besides, there were descendants of other unknown, yet significant, players during the Revolt, who played a sterling role in providing support in various overt and covert ways.

The launch was followed by a vibrant panel discussion preceded by a presentation made by the author. The panel was moderated by Prof. Nita Kumar, Brown Family Professor of South Asian History at Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, California. The other eminent panelists were, Vice Admiral P.S. Das, who, besides being on several national security think tanks, has also served on the National Security Advisory Board in the office of the Prime Minister; Seema Alavi, historian and professor at Delhi University.

Admiral Das commented, “Dr. Narain’s work is of a seminal nature left largely untouched so far. It will be useful reading not just for historians but for all Indians.” Alavi commented,“This fascinating book throws fresh light on the 1857 rebellion by showcasing the contribution of women rebels. Beautifully produced, dutifully researched and lucidly written it is a treat to both historians and informed readers.”

Author Speak

Prof. Narain said that the book was the outcome of several years of intensive primary and secondary research. It entailed extensive traveling and personal interviews of descendants and experts. “We have unearthed several unknown women who belonged to different segments of society and contributed to the upsurge.” Prof. Narain was Project Director at Giri Institute of Development Studies, Lucknow, where “I had a wonderful research associate, Dr. Amina Hasan, who is the backbone of the book.

A Geographer, she proved to be a brilliant historian!”  She retired as Principal of Jai Hind College, Mumbai, and was Adjunct Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where she introduced Indian History. She has worked extensively on women, has published extensively, and is recipient of several awards. Three events with regard to the book are scheduled for Mumbai in December, followed by releases in Delhi and Kolkata. “Lucknow is special, have studied in Loreto and the university, hence, I planned the first launch.”

 About the Book

The participation of women in the Revolt of 1857 is still an area that needed to be explored and researched. The terms used for the upsurge in the book are ‘Uprising’ and ‘Revolt’, and these have been used interchangeably. Not only have the known and unknown heroines of 1857 been profiled, but the manner that the conflict impacted the lives of both Indian and European women has been succinctly tackled. The measure of participation was varied and ranged from women being combatants to being unobtrusive contributors.

The term ‘participation of women’ has been used in a much wider sense than what is popularly understood. The ‘woman factor’ has not been dealt in isolation and the role of prominent men has been essayed to give a holistic flavor. Women have also been classified as a part of the general social issues that affected them—issues that were prevalent as societal practices during that era. The social facet raises the piquant question with regard to the continuance of the issues that may be relevant in contemporary society and could be a throwback to the mid-nineteenth century era.

A natural aspect of the ‘Now’ factor is the question of descendants of the known and unknown heroes of 1857. To complete the picture, the projections in the media and writings both historical and contemporary have been included and analyzed. The belief that the Revolt had a limited spread has been addressed by dwelling upon the areas of the Revolt—supported by customized maps—thus projecting the widespread impact of the upsurge.