Contents
Begum Rokeya
Advocating women’s education and imagining a society governed by women in Sultana’s Dream.
Sultana’s Dream · Kolkata school
- Born
- 9 December 1880
- Birthplace
- Pairabond, present-day Bangladesh
- Died
- 9 December 1932
More people
Begum Rokeya
Begum Rokeya was a Bengali writer and educator who challenged restrictions on women’s freedom and learning.
Early life
Restricted schooling
Grew up in a household where girls’ education was limited.
Languages
Learned Bengali and English with support from family members.
Career
- Early 1900s
Writing
Published essays and fiction about women’s position.
- 1909 onward
Education
Established a girls’ school, later reopening it in Kolkata.
- 1910s–1932
Organising
Combined school leadership with writing and women’s associations.
Writing & institutions
Sultana’s Dream
Imagined Ladyland, a society reversing conventional gender roles.
Kolkata school
Re-established Sakhawat Memorial Girls’ School.
Abarodhbasini
Criticised the confinement imposed by extreme seclusion.
Beyond work
Advocacy
Worked to persuade families to educate their daughters.
Legacy
Remains a major figure in the history of Bengali feminism.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: Unknown author Unknown author. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
