Tarabai Shinde (1850–1910)[1] was a feminist activist who protested patriarchy and caste in 19th century India. She is known for her published work, Stri Purush Tulana ("A Comparison Between Women and Men"), originally published in Marathi in 1882. The pamphlet is a critique of caste and patriarchy, and is often considered the first modern Indian feminist text.[2] It was very controversial for its time in challenging the Hindureligious scriptures themselves as a source of women's oppression, a view that continues to be controversial and debated today.[3] She was a member of Satyashodhak Samaj.
Born in Maratha Family in the year 1850 to Bapuji Hari Shinde in Buldhana, Berar Province, in present-day Maharashtra, she was a founding member of the Satyashodhak Samaj, Pune. Her father was a radical and head clerk in the office of Deputy Commissioner of Revenues, he also published a book titled, "Hint to the Educated Natives" in 1871. There was no girls' school in the area. Tarabai was the only daughter who was taught Marathi, Sanskrit and English by her father. She also had four brothers.[4][5] Tarabai was married when quite young, but was granted more freedom in the household than most other Marathi wives of the time since her husband moved into her parents' home.[6]
Social workedit
Shinde was associate of social activists Jotirao and Savitribai Phule; both husband & wife and were a founding member of their Satyashodhak Samaj ("Truth Finding Community") organisation. The Phules shared with Shinde an awareness of the separate axes of oppression that constitute gender and caste, as well as the intermeshed nature of the two.
"Stri Purush Tulana"edit
Tarabai Shindes popular literary work is "Stri Purush Tulana" .In her essay, Shinde criticised the social inequality of caste, as well as the patriarchal views of other activists who saw caste as the main form of antagonism in Hindu society. According to Susie Tharu and K. Lalita, "...Stri Purush Tulana is probably the first full fledged and extant feminist argument after the poetry of the Bhakti Period. But Tarabai's work is also significant because at a time when intellectuals and activists alike were primarily concerned with the hardships of a Hindu widow's life and other easily identifiable atrocities perpetrated on women, Tarabai Shinde, apparently working in isolation, was able to broaden the scope of analysis to include the ideological fabric of patriarchal society. Women everywhere, she implies, are similarly oppressed."
Stri Purush Tulana was written in response to an article which appeared in 1881, in Pune Vaibhav, an orthodox newspaper published from Pune, about a criminal case against a young Brahmin widow, Vijayalakshmi in Surat, who had been convicted of murdering her illegitimate son for the fear of public disgrace and ostracism and sentenced to be hanged (later appealed and modified to transportation for life).[4][7][6] Having worked with upper-caste widows who were forbidden to remarry, Shinde was well aware of incidents of widows being impregnated by relatives. The book analysed the tightrope women must walk between the "good woman" and the "prostitute". The book was printed at Shri Shivaji Press, Pune, in 1882 with 500 copies at cost nine annas,[8] but hostile reception by contemporary society and press, meant that she did not publish again.[9] The work however was praised by Jyotirao Phule, a prominent Marathi social reformer, who referred to Tarabai as chiranjivini (dear daughter) and recommended her pamphlet to colleagues. The work finds mention in the second issue of Satsar, the magazine of Satyashodhak Samaj, started by Jyotiba Phule in 1885, however thereafter the work remained largely unknown till 1975, when it was rediscovered and republished.[2]
See alsoedit
Jyotirao Phule, another revolutionary who fought for the rights of women and dalits.
^ abFeldhaus, Anne (1998). Images of women in Maharashtrian society. SUNY Press. p. 205. ISBN978-0-7914-3659-2.
^DeLamotte, Eugenia C.; Natania Meeker; Jean F. O'Barr (1997). "Tarabai Shinde". Women imagine change: a global anthology of women's resistance from 600 B.C.E. to present. Routledge. p. 483. ISBN978-0-415-91531-1.
^ abGuha, Ramachandra (2011). Makers of Modern India. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. p. 119.
^Roy, Anupama (24 February 2002). "On the other side of society". The Tribune.
^Devarajan, P. (4 February 2000). "Poignant pleas of an Indian widow". Business Line.
^Anagol, Padma (2005). The emergence of feminism in India, 1850–1920. Ashgate Publishing. p. 239. ISBN978-0-7546-3411-9.
Sourcesedit
Shinde, Tarabai. 1882. Stri purush tulana. (Translated by Maya Pandit). In S. Tharu and K. Lalita (Eds.) "Women writing in India. 600 B.C. to the present. Volume I: 600 B.C. to the early 20th century". The City University of New York City : The Feminist Press.
Chakravarti, Uma and Gill, Preeti (eds). Shadow Lives: Writings on Widowhood. Kali for Women, Delhi.
O'Hanlon, Rosalind. 2000. A Comparison Between Women and Men : Tarabai Shinde and the Critique of Gender Relations in Colonial India. Delhi, Oxford University Press, 2000, 144 p., ISBN0-19-564736-X.
O'Hanlon, Rosalind. 1991. Issues of Widowhood: Gender and Resistance in Colonial Western India, in Douglas Haynes and Gyan Prakash (eds) "Contesting Power. Resistance and Everyday Social Relations in South Asia", Oxford University Press, New Delhi.
O'Hanlon, Rosalind. 1994. For the Honour of My Sister Countrywomen: Tarabai Shinde and the Critique of Gender Relations in Colonial India, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
January 01, 1970
tarabai, shinde, 1850, 1910, feminist, activist, protested, patriarchy, caste, 19th, century, india, known, published, work, stri, purush, tulana, comparison, between, women, originally, published, marathi, 1882, pamphlet, critique, caste, patriarchy, often, c. Tarabai Shinde 1850 1910 1 was a feminist activist who protested patriarchy and caste in 19th century India She is known for her published work Stri Purush Tulana A Comparison Between Women and Men originally published in Marathi in 1882 The pamphlet is a critique of caste and patriarchy and is often considered the first modern Indian feminist text 2 It was very controversial for its time in challenging the Hindu religious scriptures themselves as a source of women s oppression a view that continues to be controversial and debated today 3 She was a member of Satyashodhak Samaj Tarabai ShindeBorn1850 2024 05 01UTC11 57 11 Buldhana Berar Province British India now in Maharashtra India Died1910 aged 59 60 NationalityIndianOccupation s feminist women s rights activist writerKnown forcriticising the social differences between men and womenNotable workStri Purush Tulana A Comparison Between Women and Men 1882 Contents 1 Early life and family 2 Social work 3 Stri Purush Tulana 4 See also 5 References 6 SourcesEarly life and family editBorn in Maratha Family in the year 1850 to Bapuji Hari Shinde in Buldhana Berar Province in present day Maharashtra she was a founding member of the Satyashodhak Samaj Pune Her father was a radical and head clerk in the office of Deputy Commissioner of Revenues he also published a book titled Hint to the Educated Natives in 1871 There was no girls school in the area Tarabai was the only daughter who was taught Marathi Sanskrit and English by her father She also had four brothers 4 5 Tarabai was married when quite young but was granted more freedom in the household than most other Marathi wives of the time since her husband moved into her parents home 6 Social work editShinde was associate of social activists Jotirao and Savitribai Phule both husband amp wife and were a founding member of their Satyashodhak Samaj Truth Finding Community organisation The Phules shared with Shinde an awareness of the separate axes of oppression that constitute gender and caste as well as the intermeshed nature of the two Stri Purush Tulana editTarabai Shindes popular literary work is Stri Purush Tulana In her essay Shinde criticised the social inequality of caste as well as the patriarchal views of other activists who saw caste as the main form of antagonism in Hindu society According to Susie Tharu and K Lalita Stri Purush Tulana is probably the first full fledged and extant feminist argument after the poetry of the Bhakti Period But Tarabai s work is also significant because at a time when intellectuals and activists alike were primarily concerned with the hardships of a Hindu widow s life and other easily identifiable atrocities perpetrated on women Tarabai Shinde apparently working in isolation was able to broaden the scope of analysis to include the ideological fabric of patriarchal society Women everywhere she implies are similarly oppressed Stri Purush Tulana was written in response to an article which appeared in 1881 in Pune Vaibhav an orthodox newspaper published from Pune about a criminal case against a young Brahmin widow Vijayalakshmi in Surat who had been convicted of murdering her illegitimate son for the fear of public disgrace and ostracism and sentenced to be hanged later appealed and modified to transportation for life 4 7 6 Having worked with upper caste widows who were forbidden to remarry Shinde was well aware of incidents of widows being impregnated by relatives The book analysed the tightrope women must walk between the good woman and the prostitute The book was printed at Shri Shivaji Press Pune in 1882 with 500 copies at cost nine annas 8 but hostile reception by contemporary society and press meant that she did not publish again 9 The work however was praised by Jyotirao Phule a prominent Marathi social reformer who referred to Tarabai as chiranjivini dear daughter and recommended her pamphlet to colleagues The work finds mention in the second issue of Satsar the magazine of Satyashodhak Samaj started by Jyotiba Phule in 1885 however thereafter the work remained largely unknown till 1975 when it was rediscovered and republished 2 See also editJyotirao Phule another revolutionary who fought for the rights of women and dalits Savitribai Phule Wife of Jyotirao Phule and social reformer References edit Phadke Y D ed 1991 Complete Works of Mahatma Phule in Marathi a b Tharu Susie J Ke Lalita 1991 Women Writing in India 600 B C to the Present Vol 1 Feminist Press p 221 ISBN 978 1 55861 027 9 Delhi University of September 2005 Indian Literature An Introduction Pearson Education p 133 ISBN 978 81 317 0520 9 a b Feldhaus Anne 1998 Images of women in Maharashtrian society SUNY Press p 205 ISBN 978 0 7914 3659 2 DeLamotte Eugenia C Natania Meeker Jean F O Barr 1997 Tarabai Shinde Women imagine change a global anthology of women s resistance from 600 B C E to present Routledge p 483 ISBN 978 0 415 91531 1 a b Guha Ramachandra 2011 Makers of Modern India The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press p 119 Roy Anupama 24 February 2002 On the other side of society The Tribune Devarajan P 4 February 2000 Poignant pleas of an Indian widow Business Line Anagol Padma 2005 The emergence of feminism in India 1850 1920 Ashgate Publishing p 239 ISBN 978 0 7546 3411 9 Sources editShinde Tarabai 1882 Stri purush tulana Translated by Maya Pandit In S Tharu and K Lalita Eds Women writing in India 600 B C to the present Volume I 600 B C to the early 20th century The City University of New York City The Feminist Press Gail Omvedt 1995 Dalit Vision Orient Longman Chakravarti Uma and Gill Preeti eds Shadow Lives Writings on Widowhood Kali for Women Delhi O Hanlon Rosalind 2000 A Comparison Between Women and Men Tarabai Shinde and the Critique of Gender Relations in Colonial India Delhi Oxford University Press 2000 144 p ISBN 0 19 564736 X O Hanlon Rosalind 1991 Issues of Widowhood Gender and Resistance in Colonial Western India in Douglas Haynes and Gyan Prakash eds Contesting Power Resistance and Everyday Social Relations in South Asia Oxford University Press New Delhi O Hanlon Rosalind 1994 For the Honour of My Sister Countrywomen Tarabai Shinde and the Critique of Gender Relations in Colonial India Oxford University Press Oxford Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tarabai Shinde amp oldid 1192767901, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
