Abstract: In the history of Muslim India, the late nineteenth and early twentieth century formed a period that witnessed intense public contestation over the role of women in society. Against that background, this article explores the writings and institutional initiatives of the forty-eighth Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan III, with reference to women’s education. It compares and contrasts his thinking with the foundational texts on women’s education written by four other prominent Muslim leaders of that time period: Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Nazir Ahmed, Mumtaz Ali and Ashraf Ali Thanawi. An analysis of the writings demonstrates that the Aga Khan’s approach was markedly different; while other leaders saw women’s roles primarily in the domestic sphere, as dependent daughters, wives or mothers, the Aga Khan recognized the dignity of women as individuals worthy in and of themselves and not merely due to the function that they performed in society. He, thus, not only advocated for women’s education to promote their socioeconomic well-being but also argued for it as a basic right that could promote inner happiness through intellectual growth. The article discusses a variety of factors that may have influenced the Aga Khan’s thoughts, including exposure to first-wave feminism, and concludes with the implications of his reforms for Ismaili women today.
Page 69 to 94, from the PDF link at the source: SAGAR 20 – Fall 2011: http://sagarjournal.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/sagar-20-update/
Ismailimail 