Sultana's Dream; The portrayal of the Ladyland as a feminist utopia

Begum Rokeya has long been known as a radical feminist, with her works operating in the same line. One of her most famous works, 'Sultana's Dream' tackles this and poses an alternative that is both extraordinary and questionable.

Sultana's Dream

'My dear Sister Sara, if we do everything by ourselves, what will the men do then?'

'They should not do anything, excuse me; they are fit for nothing. Only catch them and put them into the zenana.'

Such is the wonder of the Ladyland, a feminist utopia, which seeks out to remove all gender discrimination and in the process, paints women as superior to men. It is a radical approach to sketch a world wherein women aren't subjected to sociological, political, and psychological limitations. The Ladyland that exists within Sultana's Dream (published in 1905), a work by Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, is a land of beauty and wonders. Rokeya, born in 1880 in Pairabondh village of Rangpour, is a renowned writer and is especially celebrated for her works on feminism. Though belonging to an orthodox family, Rokeya rebelled to attain education with the help of her brother, and later, her husband. Rokeya wasn't a mere writer. She also worked towards the education of women and founded Sakhawat Memorial Girl's High School. Another salient contribution was the foundation of Anjuman-e-Khawateen-e-Islam (Islamic Women’s Association) which was formed with the intent of providing academic and financial support to underprivileged women.

Rokeya's famous work, 'Sultana's Dream' is a reflection of her ideals and how she aspired Indian society to be more equitable in its treatment of different genders. Sultana's Dream starts with Sultana's introduction to the Ladyland by her friend, Sister Sara. As she further explores the land adorned with gardens and beauty, she starts to grasp the nature of this land. Sister Sara informs her of scientific wonders, such as the solar heat system, rainwater collection, and flying planks among many others.

Through Sultana's dreams, Rokeya aims to keep the female reader occupied and make them question their worth and their rightful position in society. She constantly emphasizes the importance of not being bound by patriarchal roles and encourages women to educate themselves as well as break themselves free of the misogynistic shackles. She paints Ladyland as a dreamland, wherein women are unrestrained and maintain the peace of the land with scientific inventions. Sister Sara also mentions, "Our religion is based on Love and Truth. It is our religious duty to love one another and to be absolutely truthful." Rokeya, with this particular quote, ridicules the usage of military, arms, and sheer brawn prevalent in a male-dominated society.

Rokeya also inculcates several Muslim traditions in her story and condemns them for their hostility towards women. This act of hers is also evident in 'Sultana's Dream' when she denounces the practice of zenana and instead seeks to replace it with the 'Mardana' system. She also seeks to remove the purdah system, the practice of seclusion of women from public domains by either physical means or by concealment of the form of the woman. In the fictional dream of Sultana, men are reserved for domestic affairs and are restricted from even stepping out of the houses. Sister Sara even draws a comparison between men and a 'wild animal', conveying how men are deemed as a threat to the peace of the land. They are locked up inside their houses and are only responsible for tending to the babies, cooking, et cetera. This is in contrast with the society prevalent during the 1900s wherein these kinds of duties were reserved for women.

Perhaps the most notable argument presented in Rokeya's work is that of the relations between Science and women. In the beautiful Ladyland, wars are sought out with science and intelligence, which are ultimately in the hands of women. Hossain is critical of the way men possess arms and the military and disapproves of the usage of technology in wars. In the 1900s, women were mostly dismissed from contributing to science as they were looked upon as inferior and dull-witted. The Ladyland, however, transcends these notions and presents a society that promotes education for women and encourages scientific innovation which pays an ode to nature's gifts. These innovations, in turn, prove to be extremely fruitful for the land, as is seen with the lack of mosquitos, mud, dirt puddles, etc. Hossain's work is surely an act of rebellion against the ideas prevalent in society at that time.

Begum Rokeya was a woman ahead of her time. She brought to light issues that wouldn't be deliberated extensively upon, until the early 2000s. In her work, 'Sultana's Dream', she questions the rationale behind keeping the women inside the comfort of their houses to "protect" them from the dangerous men that are allowed to roam freely on the streets. She probes the question of why society keeps women in zenanas when they should prioritize lambasting the men who commit these heinous acts. This is a topic quite prevalent in the discussions surrounding modern feminism. Despite her prominent input towards the deliberations of modern feminism, her contributions remain greatly unrecognized, as is the case of several Eastern female writers. Nonetheless, Hossain's work, 'Sultana's Dream' successfully managed to depict a utopia and inspired women to step forward and fight for their rights.