This highly interesting book studies the cultural context of modernisation of middle-class Muslim women in late 19th- and 20th-century Bengal. Its frames of reference are the Bengal 'Awakening', the Reform Movements -- Brahmo/Hindi and Muslim -- and the Women's Question as articulated in material and ideological terms throughout the period. Tracing the emergence of the modern Muslim gentlewomen, the bhadramahilā, starting in 1876 when Nawab Faizunnesa Chaudhurani published her first book and ending with the foundation in 1939 of The Lady Brabourne College, the book gives an excellent analysis of the rise of a Muslim woman's public sphere and broadens our knowledge of Bengali social history in the colonial period.

Embodied Violence is a major investigation into the myriad of ways in which societies play out the struggle for cultural identity on women's bodies. Focusing on communal violence, it explores how such violence reconfigures women's experiences, facilitates the formation of particular identities and the dissemination of specific ideologies and how it positions women vis-a-vis their communities as well as the State. A distinguished cast of contributors explores the relationship between ideals of motherhood, tradition, community and racial purity, and uncovers the ways in which women's bodies become the recording surface of repressive cultural practices and symbolic humiliations.

First Published in 1997. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The political and social life of India in the last decade has given rise to a variety of questions concerning the nature and resilience of patriarchal systems in a transitional and post-colonial society. The contributors to this interdisciplinary volume recognize that every aspect of reality is gendered, and that such a recognition involves a dismantling of the ideological presuppositions of the so-called gender neutral ideologies, as well as the boundaries of individual disciplines.

In the field of architecture, urbanism, and heritage studies, the realm of contemporary ideas is in a constant state of evolution, reflecting the dynamic nature of our surrounding world. Amidst this intricate tapestry, this collection of book chapters, appropriately titled "Convergence of Contemporary Thought in Architecture, Urbanism, and Heritage Studies," emerges as a guiding light through a maze of concepts, challenges, and imaginative solutions. The chapters within this volume traverse the globe, exploring diverse cultural, geographical, and temporal settings. Each chapter offers distinctive perspectives on various facets of the constructed environment, ranging from the preservation of architectural heritage to the modeling of urban energy consumption, from the fusion of traditional and innovative approaches to the consequences of human habitation on natural ecosystems.

Abanindranath Tagore recalls his childhood and ancestral home with meticulous detail and gentle affection.