Feminist Historiography
What is it?
It’s a way of writing history that focuses on women’s roles and experiences.
It started in the 1970s with the women’s movement, which pushed for more studies about women.
Main Idea:
Earlier, history mostly focused on men. Feminist historians wanted to add women’s stories to history.
Over time, it became more about gender history – studying how society treats men and women differently.
What Did Feminist Historians Do?
They researched and wrote about women’s lives in history.
They collected and preserved women’s writings (like letters, diaries, etc.).
They studied how colonial laws and systems affected women. For example:
Women were often denied property rights or access to resources.
They looked at how laws (even progressive ones) shaped gender relations.
Important Works:
Two famous books about women in colonial India:
The High Caste Hindu Woman (1887) by Pandita Ramabai – talked about the struggles of upper-caste Hindu women.
Mother India (1927) by Katherine Mayo – criticized Indian society’s treatment of women (though it was controversial).
Key Points to Remember:
Feminist historiography focuses on women’s history and gender issues.
It started in the 1970s with the women’s movement.
It studies how colonial laws and society affected women.
Important works include Pandita Ramabai’s and Katherine Mayo’s books.