The contribution of women in history was limited to a few chapters. Their contributions were equal to their male counterparts, hence, my work included bringing them back to the centrestage rather than making them limited to a chapter, said historian and writer Ira Mukhoty.
Mukhoty was speaking at a session of the four-day Koshala Literature festival 2024 which began on Friday here at Sangeet Natak Academy. In a conversation with writer Eric Chopra, and discussing the role of women during old times in society, especially Nawabi and British era, she pointed out and said, “Courtesans of Awadh were the highest tax payers of their time. This has been written by famous writer Veena Talwar Oldenburg in her essay, Lifestyle as Resistance: The Case of Courtesans of Lucknow. The records still exist in the archives of Lucknow.”
While discussing her latest book titled, ‘The Lion and the lily: The Rise and Fall of Awadh’ she spoke about Nawabs, especially Nawab Shuja ud Daula, his wife and mother, Bahu Begum and Nawab Begum, and his eclectic son, Asaf ud Daula.
“We know only what is available to us and made available to us by the British. They wanted to prove how decrepit the empire and the emperor had become. But we must remember that these records are made by European men,” said Chopra, while also mentioning Satyajit Raj film Shatranj Ke Khilari.
While talking about Begum Bahu, main wife of the writer Nawab Shuja ud Daula, she said that she held her treasury for a long time from the hands of the British.
In another session, TCA Raghavan, former diplomat, in conversation with Jayant Krishna, delved into the themes of his latest book, Circle of Freedom, the fourth in the series exploring India’s freedom movement. Raghavan, who previously served as Indian High Commissioner of Pakistan and Singapore, highlighted Circle of Freedom’s exploration of India’s independence through the intertwined lives of unsung freedom fighters like Sarojini Naidu, Aruna Asaf Ali, Syed Mehmood, Syed Hussain, and Asaf Ali.
In another compelling conversation with Nilotpal, renowned Hindi writer and poet Chandra Shekhar Verma, often referred to as Shabdon Ka Jadugar, shared his journey and views on Hindi literature. When asked about his identity as a poet or writer, Verma explained that he writes to connect with the youth and address socially relevant themes. He emphasised that Hindi poetry is struggling today, but the younger generation is reviving it by listening, writing, and engaging with it authentically.
