Browsing by Subject "Colonialism"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

Open Access
Mountains, Modernity and Nature: Reconfiguring the aspects of Himalayan Mountaineering
(University of North Bengal, 31-03-2023) Dutta, Debaditya
paper traces the genealogy of mountaineering from its origin in the Alpine mountains to its manifestation in the Himalaya through the mechanisms of colonialism in the late nineteenth century. Mountaineering and modernity coincided with each other and conquering the Himalayan mountains became a colonial project. The paper attempts to show how the entanglements between nature and humans were (re)organised as mountaineering unfolded in the high Himalaya. From records on the early Himalayan surveys and expeditions the paper tries to comprehend the reconfiguration brought about in the Himalaya through colonial survey and mountaineering in its early days of inception.
Open Access
Shades of South Asian Women in Rasheed Jahan’s Writings: Navigating Patriarchies, Spaces, Regime Control, and Colonialism
(University of North Bengal, 2022-12) Chakraborty, Anup Shekhar; Biswas, Praggnaparamita
Women in South Asia had a different colonial experience compared to that of men. Colonialism liberated indigenous women from traditionally restrictive practices, expanding their mobility opportunities. It also introduced indigenous women to newer forms of colonial patriarchy and sometimes resurrected older forms of masculine privilege. Women attempted to overcome obstacles to education and healthcare, forced marriages, and restrictions on their freedom of movement. A group of women actively participated in the nationalist movement and advocated for women’s rights. Writing allowed colonised women in South Asia to convey their thoughts and experiences and to challenge the oppressive structures that confined them, ultimately leading to women’s liberation. By drawing attention to the intersectionality of gender, religion, and culture, women writers in South Asia, particularly the Islamic women writers have contributed significantly to the feminist movement. These writings have given Muslim women in the region a voice and have challenged patriarchal norms and stereotypes. The writings of Rasheed Jahan, Ismat Chughtai, and Qurratulain Hyder continue to serve as a source of inspiration and motivation for future generations of women. The present study delves into the literary works of Rasheed Jahan, with a focus on the portrayal of South Asian women and their experiences in overcoming various forms of patriarchal oppression, their navigation through regimes and their mechanisms of control, their struggle for establishment of identities in diverse social settings, resisting authoritarian regimes, and recovering from the aftermath of colonialism while carving out spaces for their survival.
Open Access
Working Class and Politics of Drinking in Bengal (1856-1900)
(University of North Bengal, 2018-03) Mondal, Amrita
In colonial Bengal, being the victims of economic exploitation, the working class’s idea of drinking pleasure faced the moral question of the Indian reformists, Europeans and Christian missionaries. These three groups presented three perceptions on the drinking pleasure of the working class; however, all these narratives indicated that excessive drinking led this particular class into the paths of immorality and financial distress. The paper, while revisiting all these narratives, especially colonial excise policies, finds out patterns of drinking practice of the working class and the reasons for changing the perception of the society on working-class drinking and redefining drinking pleasure of the working class in the nineteenth century Bengal.