‘Sultana’s Dream’ written by Begum Rokeya Shekhawat, is a fictional feminist utopia, wherein the power dynamics have been reversed, authorising women to attain superior stature of sovereignty. Through this written piece, Sakhawat attempts to critique the centuries-long existence of the patriarchal structures, which have been employed in diverse spheres of autonomy to regulate the exercising of one’s individuality, specifically women’s. Due to the conventional dogma regarding the inferiority of the other sex and the requirement to ‘keep them protected’, women are considered as property and their protectors’ honour. The personalised exposure of Sakhawat to such dogmatic traditions shaped her perspective regarding the conduct of women in society (Sharma). During that era, women were denied access to education and confined to the domain of their households. Moreover, they had restricted influence in decision-making. The Zenana system--wherein Muslim women are confined to distinct spheres separated from the male gaze and enabled to foster a private exchange amongst themselves--was embraced for educational purposes (Chakrabarty 35). This notably physically imprisoned their prerogative.
The emergence of Sultana’s Dream was an outcome of Shakhawat’s similar confining life experiences. She dared to dream of a world where women unashamedly exercised their autonomy; a place known as Ladyland, where women were not restrained from aspiring and made choices based on their own accord. A dreamland, wherein, having mental capability was admired and deeply appreciated; people did not get consumed by the physical competence of an individual. Moreover, in Ladyland, no woman had to abide by the Purdah or Zenana system. Purdah, also known as veil, was a prevailing tradition in the Hindu and Muslim communities wherein, the seclusion of women from the public sphere was preserved through the means of “concealing clothing” (Chakrabarty 35). The veiling of women was a strategy to keep their individuality suppressed and the male-domination ubiquitous. Through Sultana’s Dream, Sakhawat imagined a place where such patriarchal traditions were not prevalent. In Ladyland, women unreservedly ventured outdoors without the presence of Purdah. Their interactions there were not regulated through the Zenana system, thereby providing them a male equivalent privilege.
The extent of the practice of Zenana was considerable especially in the confinement of women to the private sphere. In Ladyland, this is observed when Sister Sara asks the protagonist to venture outside since she believes it would be alright to do so in nighttime considering that men would have gone to sleep. However, once outdoors, the protagonist discovers that it is day-time instead. This, being a stark contrast to the real world, demonstrates the restriction commonly experienced by women under the Zenana tradition. Therefore, the author effectively portrays the predicament of women in her discourse. The consideration of women as private property belonging to their ‘owners’ is still observed in the contemporary era, establishing this piece as an essential feminist work. Since birth, a woman’s fate is determined wherein, throughout their lifespan, she is taught to conform to patriarchal norms, thereby internalising this restricted autonomy while abiding to the subjugating nature of male authority.
Religious affiliations are employed to implement and effectively maintain women within the private sphere. However, through Sultana’s dream, the author defied such dogmas. It not only demonstrated her suppressed desires burdened by patriarchal customs, but also broke all the physical and mental barriers imposed by the diabolical society (Chakrabarty 36). Women’s confinement is justified through the myth of the clouding nature of their emotions which subdues their rationality and guarantees their subordination in physical endurance. However, through her writing, Sakhawat questions such rationalisation. The story continuously explores the social and religious affiliations “plaguing women’s emancipation” (Sharma). Through her writing, the author is attempting to highlight the veiled and underlying facets of this emancipation, concealed by the enhanced ignorance of the polite society. In addition to this, her story is explicitly ridiculing the existence of this patriarchal society’s fundamentals that contribute to women’s oppression. As in this fictional place, women’s capabilities are instigating such profound prosperousness in various aspects of life.
The internalisation of subjugation is considerably prominent in women so much so that they often neglect their potential (Chakrabarty 37). The association of their identity with their male authorities is quite dominant. Moreover, the insistence upon accurately fulfilling their familial obligations, including the effective management of the household, mostly overpowers their assertion for a distinctive identity. However, through Sultana’s dream, Sakhawat is attempting to achieve this sovereignty over her individuality by adequately exercising her suppressed desires through a substantially acceptable medium, during the colonial era. The story highlights the requirement and relevance of equality and women’s autonomy. The customs of Ladyland prominently defy the relations of “kinship” regarded by the patriarchal society, as attributes of love and truth are valued instead (Sharma).
In the contemporary era, this feminist utopia might be considered a recreation of a contrasting domination structure, ruled by inequality. However, in the late nineteenth century, radical feminism was the emerging feminist ideology wherein a role reversal was emphasised upon, as the framework of inequality then was enormous. The aim of Sultana’s dream is to portray the extent of the impact of patriarchal oppression present in Muslim women’s lives, in addition to establishing the necessity for determining their identity as distinct from their male authorities. Even in the contemporary era such domination patterns are observed wherein, women are still struggling to effectively achieve autonomy and create an identity not determined by their kinship. Moreover, the concealed politics of veil is a constant challenge for them, as the presence of indirect and internalised domination perpetuated by societal norms is prevalent thereby, establishing this feminist utopia as relevant in the present-day society.
Works Cited
Chakrabarty, Priyanka. “A Contemplation on ‘Sultana’s Dream.’” Space and Culture, India, vol. 2, no. 1, 2014, p. 33., doi:10.20896/saci.v2i1.57.
Sharma, Deeksha. “Sultana's Dream and Its Conception of a Feminist Utopia.” Feminism In India, FII Media, 3 Oct. 2017, feminisminindia.com/2017/10/04/sultanas-dream-feminist-utopia/.
Note: This paper was originally written for a course on Feminist Classics (Prof. Nandini Dhar), O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonepat, Haryana
Apurva Aggarwal
(Guest Blogger)
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