Introduction by De Souza, Eunice
Biographical notes by Pereira, Lindsay

In this anthology Eunice de Souza brings together the writings of women whose contributions in various areas - social and literary - during the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries were of much significance. A collection of excerpts from letters, tracts, diaries, magazines, articles, autobiographies, biographies, short stories, and even speeches, this anthology once again brings to the forefront voices that have faded over a period of time, and works that are almost impossible to find. The women writers included here address a wide range of issues, some of which were specific to their times but most of which are of relevance even today - from theatre, dance, and travel to the position of women in society, education for women, child marriage, orthodox practices such as the purdah; and most importantly, the issue of franchise of women. In the context of the nineteenth century, some of these issues are particularly important because this was a time when the demand for social reform in relation to women was beginning to acquire a political dimension in many ways, and was being perceived, finally, as part of a larger nationalist problem. This anthology includes writings by Cornelia Sorbaji, Toru Dutt, Iqbalunnisa Hussain, Sarojini Naidu, Zeenuth Futehally and Santha Rama Rau: - Putting these works together will lead to some reassessments in the history of Indian writings in English.