Muslim Women in Howrah District (1857–1947): A Socio-Economic Analysis

Abstract

This research examines the socio-economic conditions of Muslim women in the Howrah district during the Colonial period (1857–1947). While the district's historical roots dated back to early times, its modern governmental autonomy was established under British governance, leading to its detachment from Hooghly in 1843. Drawing on colonial censuses, District Gazetteers, Official documents, and secondary literature, this article examines women's involvement in education, agriculture, and household activities. The transition of Howrah district from an agrarian economy to an industrial center created unique opportunities for women, especially in informal and household industries such as embroidery, weaving, zari work, tailoring, silk production, paper-making, and wig manufacturing. These mainly household activities empowered women from the Muslim community to participate in income-generating activities while observing to socially tolerable norms dictated by purdah and male-controlled traditions. Though the literacy rates among Muslim women were still lower than those of other societies, regular education and engagement in economic activities laid a socio-economically better ground for girl children from those families compared to their equals in other districts of Bengal. Without a doubt, this article discusses how Muslim women remained crucial, historically poorly-studied actors in the economy of Howrah district, and particularly its informal sector, despite the countless structural limits they faced.