Contribution Of Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain To Bengali Literature

Begum Rokeya is a very familiar name to the Bengali people. Her full name was Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, but she was widely known as Begum Rokeya. She was one of them, the pioneer woman of Bengali society, who has an immense contribution to Bengali literature that can’t be forgotten.

So, today I am going to write about this great woman. From this article, you will learn about Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain’s contribution to Bengali literature, including her short biography, illustrious works, struggle, etc. So keep reading this informative article to know about this famous woman.

Biography Of Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain

Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain was born on 9 December 1880 in Pairaband, Rangpur District, Bengal Presidency, British India, an aristocratic Muslim family. Her father’s name was Jahiruddin Muhammad Abu Ali, a highly educated landlord.

Rokeya has two sisters and three brothers, one of her brothers died in childhood. Begum Rokeya was far ahead of other women of the time; she had modern thinking at this time. She believed that men and women should have the same rights in society.

Rokeya was influenced a lot by her elder brother Ibrahim and her sister Karimunnesa. In 1896, Begum Rokeya married Khan Bahadur Sakhawat Hussain, a Deputy Magistrate of Bhagalpur (now a district of Bihar, India). After getting married, she was inspired mainly by her husband; Khan Bahadur Sakhawat Hussain always encouraged Rokeya to do what she wanted.

Her husband has been instrumental in her success. And that’s why Rokeya became the first Muslim feminist thinker, writer, educator, and political activist.

Later, she established a high school in her husband’s memory, named Sakhawat Memorial Girls High School, after her husband’s death in 1909. Finally, her struggling life came to an end in 1932; she died of heart problems on 9 December 1932 when she was only 52 years old.

Contributions In Bengali Literature

Bengali literature is a widely known literature in the world. Many poets and writers have contributed to Bengali literature; Begum Rokeya is one. The contribution of Begum Rokeya in Bengali literature can not state properly.

Begum Rokeya started writing in 1902; her first story was Pipasa. She wrote in several genres, such as short stories, poems, essays, novels, and satirical writings. A distinctive literary style has been created in Bengali literature by her.

Begum Rokeya started writing for Nabanoor in about 1903, a monthly Bengali magazine published from Kolkata. The bibliography was written by Rokeya given below;

• Pipasha  (1902)
• Matichur 1st Vol. (1904)
• Matichur 2nd Vol. (1922)
• Saurajagat
• Delicia Hatya
• Jnan-phal
• Nari-Srishti
• Nurse Nelly
• Mukti-phal
• Sultana’s Dream (1905)
• Padmarag (1924)
• Abarodhbasini (1931)
• Boligarto
• Narir Adhikar
• God Gives, Man Robs (1927)
• Education Ideals for the Modern Indian Girl (1931)

She fought for women’s rights in her lifetime, and most of her literary works refer to the women’s rights movement. Her writings evocation women to protest against discrimination and injustices.

And upon a time, she successfully broke down discriminatory social barriers. She is widely regarded as a pioneer of women’s liberation in South Asia for her outstanding feat.

Begum Rokeya was a pioneer of women’s civilization. At present, the development of women’s civilization has come into her hands. She expressed the women’s rights movement through her writings.

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