GENDER HISTORY

ASSIGNMENT

Trends of Feminist Historiography, with special emphasis on India.

The task of feminist historiography is to understand the complex ways in which women are and
have been subjected too systematic subordination within a framework that acknowledges new
political possibilities for women and infusing them with new meanings. James Mill stated that
status of women indicated a society’s rung on the ladder of civilization, and India featured way
below. Most traditional and missionary writings viewed position of women in India as extreme
degradation and they saw their rule as making a significant improvement in the condition of
women. Traditional histories of nationalism have largely been written from a male perspective.
The trajectory of women’s historical accounts in colonial India started from the period of social
reforms in 19th ce. Though it was initiated by men, they made anxious debated around gender
questions but later women took over along with active involvement in freedom struggle.
Recasting women highlighted some of the historical processes which reconstitute patriarchy in
colonial India.
Nationalist history writing and reformist argued that reforms like social reform, education,
political participation led to emancipation of women from stagnating and also led to abolish
sati, female education, widow remarriage, rise age of consent, eradicate purdah etc. Gail
Pearson remarked women’s participation provided universalizing the national movement as a
whole. A group of later historian (leftist) along with feminist writing argued that all earlier
initiatives on women’s question were taken largely by men and reformers mostly belonged to
upper caste-middle class Hindu women. Geraldine Forbes remarks that women’s issues that did
not threaten patriarchal society could comfortably co-exist with nationalist movement.
Mrinalini Sinha’s work brought new aspects to studies on masculinity. Ashis Nady’s work
pointed that gender history would be incomplete without examining masculinity and how
colonial discourses saw Empire as masculine and India as feminine. He went on argue that
Gandhi subverted these notions by saying that feminine was worthier and preferred and
Gandhi gloried sacrifice to suffer, which he related with women. Therefore, he meant that
women had the ability to sacrifice and suffer.
Partha Chatterjee argues the growth of national movement, women’s question was co-opted
to larger political project and put on hold pending achievement of other objectives. His
formulations were largely true for Bengal. J.Devika contends that Partha’s model does not
apply to malayalee society. Anupama Rao looking at the anti-caste movement which was led by
Phule, her work shows when questions about women’s movement began to fade out
dominated by upper-caste then the question of social reform movement becomes important.
Subaltern historians sharpens the critique of colonial modernity. They also helped us achieve
that the reforms were very often based not on what women want but rather how to modernize
them. They also introduce categories like ‘White Subalternity’, pointing to gender and class
deviances and hierarchy.
Feminist Historians inclusive records the debates over social issues and political participation
denied women complex personalities and agency and continued to evoke gender stereotypes
also pointed out that liberation of India from British colonial rule did not do much for women’s
freedom. They also pointed out the reforms and nationalism told about the women’s desire and
emotions, their health and work etc remained untouched. A significant study had argued that
modern nationalist and liberal feminist historiographies have largely been Hindu centric and
have rendered Muslim women as invisible, oppressed and always sidelined. Reforms and
nationalism signal new opportunities for women and there was growing awareness of women’s
role and rights and their increase articulation in public-political spheres. Law against sati and
favor of widow remarriage was legally now permissible. Also spread of education among
women increased through print and political participation in public domain. Colonial law was
biased to colonial and reform discourse and law excluded large number of women often tribal,
working class.
Gender historians writes on recasting of patriarchy and it was subverting. Lata Mani argued
that contentious traditions around sati revealed that the indigenous participants conditioned
on colonial framework of debate which privileged Brahmanic tradition. Andrea Major’s show
the ideas of British on sati were not monolithic but a combination of revulsion and admiration.
Also helped in shaping even who opposed practice of sati culogised its ideals of devotion,
chastity and sacrifice construction of new and ideal women. In 1891 government raised the age
of consent for having sex with a wife from 10 to 12yrs. Conservatives who opposed this didn’t
want government restricting religious rituals such as garbhadhan as they believed that bill
would weaken the bonds of love between husbands and wives. Madan Mohan, articulated his
opposition to raising age of consent for marriage by citing the sanctions of sastras, some
women of All India Women Conference demanded ‘new sastras’. Paradoxical relationship
between reforms and gender well represented in case of female infanticide which was
increased because of state’s nature of economic policies which led to son preference and
daughters as unwanted burdens. Ranajit Guha, Subaltern historian provides extraordinary
detail about caste, class and kinship structures against a failed abortion resulting in death of a
peasant women. Widow Remarriage Act of 1856 administrated by Brahmin lawyers and
Victorian judges who tended to dive out customary law which became a means also to control
widow’s sexuality. Debate on it was linked to hardening of Hindu religious identities. Education
for women was linked to religious edifices. J.Devika shows differences between kind of
education advocated to Malayala Brahmin women and men, women received education that
was modern domesticity and prepare them to be efficient housewives and god companion.
Feminist historiography aims to produce not just new historical subject but a critique of gender-
neutral but gender-blind, methodologies of discipline itself and feminist critique of
historiography of colonial India has been strongest. Feminist scholars have not only pointed
how caste was consistently but also how sexuality, marriage and family took on different
contours in lower-caste, anti-Brahmin or Dalit politics of colonial period. Caste emerged central
in the work of many feminist historians. Prem Chowdhry shows contradictory stances of
government, where even while legally sanctioning inter-caste marriages, they morally or
ethnically denounced it. Anupama Rao brings out effects of social reform of gender by caste
radicals. She shows how Jyotirao Phule and Satyashodhak used same vocabulary to equate the
plight of women with that of lower castes.
Women’s organization like Women’s Indian Association, National Council of Women in India etc
emerged by 1920s they raised voices for suffrage, marriage and symbolized female solidarity.
Rennu Chakravarty’s memoir of women activist dead with patriarchal oppression. With
emergence of Gandhi women became more involved in mass struggles. Gandhi’s view on
women was mixed, he empowered women to join public action but believed they must stay
within domestic spheres. J.Devika states that Gandhian arguments that women had certain
natural qualities and a gentle power that made them worthy in political-public domain.
Feminist scholars have relied on oral histories and testimonies on Partition.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Gupta, Charu – Gendering Colonial India: Reforms, Print, Caste and
Communalism.
- Nair, J – On the question of Agency in Indian: Feminist Historiography.
- Class Notes.

-SMRITHI ANNA MATHEW

History (hons) 3rd yr

170316