Sultana's Dream

Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain was born in the Rangpur district (in Bengal Presidency, which was a part of the British Empire in India), present-day Bangladesh, in 1880. She was a writer, social worker, feminist, and academic. Rokeya was a pioneer of women’s education in Bengal. She critiqued customs that forcefully relegated women to the inner sanctums of their houses instead of allowing them to actively contribute to society.

In the early 20th century, Bengali Muslim women were allowed to learn only Arabic or Urdu to read the religious texts. Though she did not have her father’s permission, Rokeya learned Bangla and English from her eldest brother. After her marriage, her husband encouraged her to learn more and write in English. Rokeya wrote “Sultana’s Dream” (1905) when she was alone at home while her husband was away for work. This short story highlights the absurdity and unfairness of gender inequality. Rokeya strongly believed that education provided women with the means to liberate themselves from patriarchal oppression. In 1909, she established a school for girls in Bhagalpur in the memory of her late husband. In 1911, Sakhawat Memorial Girls’ High School moved to Calcutta and is now affiliated to the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education.