Provide evidence to support the claim that print culture had a significant impact on the social lives of women in India?

Answer:

Answer by Student

Some evidence to support the claim that print culture had a significant impact on the social lives of women in India are:

• Print culture enabled women to access education and literature , which were previously restricted to men. Women started reading and writing books, magazines, newspapers, etc., and expressed their views on various issues. For example, Jyotirao Phule’s Gulamgiri (1871) was dedicated to the American movement to free slaves and praised the role of women in that struggle
  
  
• Print culture also encouraged women to participate in social reform movements and challenge oppressive practices like sati, child marriage, purdah, etc. Women writers like Tarabai Shinde, Pandita Ramabai, Rashsundari Devi, etc. raised their voices against these evils and inspired other women to fight for their rights. For example, Tarabai Shinde published Stri Purush Tulana in 1882 which criticized the double standards of men towards women.
  
  
• Print culture also created new spaces for women’s entertainment and leisure. Women enjoyed reading novels, stories, poems, etc. that depicted their lives and emotions. Women also formed reading clubs and associations to share their ideas and experiences with other women. For example, Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain wrote Sultana’s Dream (1905) which imagined a world where women were free from male domination.

Detailed Answer by Teachoo

Print culture had a significant impact on the social lives of women in India in the following ways:

• Print culture enabled women to access education and literature, which were previously restricted to men. Women started reading and writing books, magazines, newspapers, etc. and expressed their views on various issues. For example, Jyotirao Phule’s Gulamgiri (1871) was dedicated to the American movement to free slaves and praised the role of women in that struggle. Rukhmabai wrote a pamphlet Stri Purush Tulana (A Comparison between Women and Men) in 1882 that criticized patriarchy and supported women’s education.
  
  
• Print culture also encouraged women to participate in social reform movements and challenge oppressive practices like sati, child marriage, purdah, etc. Women writers like Tarabai Shinde, Pandita Ramabai, Rashsundari Devi, etc. raised their voices against these evils and inspired other women to fight for their rights. For example, Tarabai Shinde published Stri Purush Tulana (A Comparison between Women and Men) in 1882 which criticized the double standards of men towards women. Pandita Ramabai wrote The High Caste Hindu Woman (1887) which exposed the miserable lives of upper-caste Hindu women. Rashsundari Devi wrote her autobiography Amar Jiban (My Life) in 1876 which narrated her struggles as a child bride and a mother of twelve children.
  
  
• Print culture also created new spaces for women’s entertainment and leisure. Women enjoyed reading novels, stories, poems, etc. that depicted their lives and emotions. Women also formed reading clubs and associations to share their ideas and experiences with other women. For example, Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain wrote Sultana’s Dream (1905) which imagined a world where women were free from male domination. Cornelia Sorabji wrote Love and Life behind the Purdah (1901) which described the joys and sorrows of purdah-bound women. Kailashbashini Debi wrote a series of essays titled Hindu Meyer Proshno (Questions of a Hindu Girl) in 1902 that discussed various issues faced by Hindu women.