Women being the important element of our society holds a lot of responsibilities towards their household and world , earlier women who were isolated and pushed away from everything, other than household chores and who belonged to the dormant section of the society have now changed and are successful in all walks of life with colored feathers in their hat.
The status of women in society has been changing from centuries to centuries, it was far way different in 19th century as what it is now in 20th century.
The modern society has started recognizing the individual identity of women. She is believed to have her aspiration, abilities and qualities as a man does have, and it is also agreed that she should have the opportunities to develop her faculties and to express them according to her own choice.
Hyderabad, the city of pearls was founded in 1591 by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah of golconda dynasty. He once fell in love with a woman dancer of the court named Bhagmati and he named the city as Bhagyanagar in her honour, but when she accepted Islam and changed her name to Hyder Mahal, Bhagyanagar changed to ‘Hyderabad’ which means Hydar’s city or Lion’s city.
Hyderabad state was heterogeneous society and women in the state were the historic representatives of diverse ethnicity, religions and regions. The society had its own unique culture called Ganga jamuni tahzib, and in it women played central role in the cultural transmission. The women of different backgrounds had different position and thus acquired different status in the society.
As stated earlier, women in Hyderabad played different roles in different era before modernization, Women were confined to the four walls. It has been conventionally defined that the women’s place was primarily in the home and it’s her destiny to organize the household and to rare children.
Thus the early women were by and large in private domain. There were few women who came to public space by crossing the boundaries of private and they were not regarded as ‘respectable women’.
In rural societies women were participating in the agriculture fields along with their men. Whereas in urbanc enters ‘courtesans’,’tawaifs’, ‘annas’ and ‘mamas’ (zanana servants) came to the public domain in order to earn bread for their families.
During the mid 19th century or exactly before modernization, there were many changes for the development of the society and when society started progressing, there was no progress in the conditions of women in Hyderabad. Still women were confined to private sphere especially middle – class women.
They were solely dependent on the earnings of their husbands and the male members of their families. At this time elite women were given formal education at their palaces and houses.
But a middle class woman was taught household skills and got religious education. The significance of the period can be seen in the aspect that an enlighten outlook was developed towards women and their education.
Now during the 20th century , there were many changes that could be seen with the spread of education and development. Like elsewhere here too, the men who were enlightened encouraged their women to read and write.
In this era, the good woman is supposed to be educated in affairs to do with the home, her children,religion, and sometimes, on her special community identity, as a Deccani.
There’s a famous couplet on literacy and development on women: “Dakin mein is tarah taleem-e-niswan ki taraqqi ho, Ki pardeh mein bhi har khatoon aflatoon-e-dauran“. [If there is such development of women’s education in Deccan Every woman, even in veil, will become a Plato of her times.]
Initially reform was slow and the early women during the formative period had to face a lot of restrictions. However, through the 19th century with the period of reform setting in and women’s education becoming the focus one could see that ground was laid for the modernization not only of the state but of the women folk also. This resulted in the birth of the new women who was on the threshold of modernity. However there was a paradox to this modernity.
But, for the first time we see that certain space was created for the women and they formed networks and associations and met many like minded women outside their family and to whom they were not connected through their family and hence used these spaces very creatively.
As of today, in Hyderabad women has taken over every field and responsibilities, be it in becoming successful entrepreneurs, bloggers, influencers, doctors, teachers, engineers, architects, pilots and what not…?
Recently ,the Hyderabad City Police launched women patrol teams “Women on Wheels”, whose services will be utilised towards crime prevention and crime against women, besides community policing initiatives also She teams have been appointed in different areas of the city for the safety of women in Hyderabad.
There’s a quote about women which says “A strong woman stands up for herself. A stronger woman stands up for everybody else.” One thing that differs Deccani women to the rest of women in India is the way they still follow the traditions and culture of Hyderabad in a beautiful way but the other side of the coin also shows how some women are connected to culture, not from our own land, but from the far lands .
In conclusion, Hyderabad women has come way too far out of their comfort zone when compared to the previous eras and many have also made to the world’s top categories while perfectly being in deccani style. #KhabarLive
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