BOOK REVIEW
Dr Bilkis Rahmans Men-women relations in Bengal during 19th century
M M Rahman
19th century is a very crucial period in the history of Bengal as a transformation was taking place in the values of the rising middle-class during this time.
This wave of change led to a number of social movement where women played important role and this would ultimately generate multi-dimensional tension and conflict in the relations between male and female.
In Dr Bilkis Rahmans book titled Men-women relations in Bengal during 19th century, she took an extra-ordinary and courageous effort to unveil the intricacy of that relationship.
The 268-page book published by the Bangla Academy portraits how the values in regards to the extra-marital, pre-marital relationship were gradually changing among families of Bengals.
Dr Rahman who graduated from Dhaka University and later obtained her Ph D from the same institution previously wrote several articles on the history and evolution of family relations in this region which were adored by both readers and scholars for the depth of her analysis and lucid writing style.
The author of this book Dr Bilkis Rahman has tried to unearth the mutual relations of men and women in the 19th century Bangalee middle-class families.
The basis of the relations was on religious canons and contemporary social values. These values were changing due to the western education and the blows of literature.
As a result the social movements were witnessed in the prohibition of self-immolation of Hindu widows on husbands funeral pyre, introduction of the widow remarriage and prevention of child marriage.
At the same time a new ideal romantic relations between men and women were revealed in the Bangla literature.
The subject matter of her discovery is to find out the form of the men and womens relations in the practical life in light with the sentimental movements and new values.
Bilkis Rahman has presented her theme by revealing the picture of the men and womens pre-nuptial love affairs, conjugal lives, and extramarital or socially prohibited relations. In her research work, she has taken the assistance of the work of the previous researchers on the relations of Banglaee men and women.
At the same time she has used the autobiographies and diaries of the contemporary men and women, and the some unpublished sources that have not been used previously, like family documents, personal letters, marriage contracts, wills, Pati Patra, Karja Patra, Ekrarnama or Khoraki Patra, Heba/gift and deed of divorce.
The matter of male dominance between men and women relations has again been rediscovered through these papers. Again another thing has been manifested that many women have displayed their freedom of mind and strong self-respect.
The readers are also informed of a new aspect of mans psychology through the research of Bilkis Rahman and that is a mans concern over the financial security of his wife or sex partner after his death or during his absence.
The men make such a financial arrangement so that their wives or partners do not fall into troubles in their absence.
As a result many women start their independent business or invest in a different way to maintain their security or begin a professional life.
Hence, about this book Bangladeshs leading scholar Professor Anisuzzaman rightly said, we have obtained a new idea about the social and family lives of the 19th century Bangalees through the insertion of the information and the presentation of the analysis by Dr Bilkis Rahman in her book.
