Beyond the Barriers, New Horizons: Education of Women in Bengal (1800-1900)

In the beginning of the nineteenth century, female education in Bengal was largely limited to customary practices drawn from ancient texts. In the same century, the East India Company and later the British Crown and the Christian missionaries operating in India addressed the unprecedented issues of education including female education. These occurrences impinged upon the indigenous avant-garde leaders, along with women themselves, to further progress in female education. In a reader-friendly manner, the chapters show how the trajectory of these events eventually led to a gradual development of higher education. In this historical progression, Krishna Lahiri narrates how the great changes were brought about in Bengali society. This well-documented book presents the first women professional writers, poets, journalists, teachers, administrators and doctors at the end of the century.