Tales of Adventure: Suniti Devi's Book, Bengal Dacoits and Tigers
This week in Daak:
1. Tales of Adventure: Suniti Devi's Book, Bengal Dacoits and Tigers
2. Carry a Little Talisman With You
3. Daak Recommends
1. Tales of Adventure: Suniti Devi's Book, Bengal Dacoits and Tigers
Can you imagine a queen writing stories of thieves and murderers? It’s a puzzling juxtaposition, pitting two extremes against one another: abundance and safety versus deprivation and danger.
A prominent figure during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Suniti Devi (1864 - 1932), the Maharani of the princely state of Cooch Behar, was an influential social reformer and a patron of the arts. Raised in a family steeped in progressive ideals — her father, Keshub Chandra Sen, was a Brahmo Samaj reformist and a champion of women's education — Suniti Devi carried the legacy forward by championing women’s education and welfare. She not only set up and supported girls’ schools, but also became the first President of All Bengal Women's Union in 1932, working alongside other women's rights activists from Bengal.
She wrote a handful of books, which offer rare glimpses and interesting insights into the lives and people of her time. One of these books, Bengal Dacoits and Tigers, written in 1916, is a fascinating collection of short stories which revolve around encounters with thieves and tigers — two disparate themes which have elements of danger, adventure and courage in common. One of the short stories in this book, “A Punjabee Dacoit” is particularly interesting as the hero of the story turns out to be a heroine!
The story takes place in a train compartment carrying a cheerful group of Punjabi women, all of whom save one, is decked out in their finest jewels, apparently returning from a wedding. The only woman without the jewels is a widow, we’re told. As night descends, the women have a shocking encounter with a dacoit who boards their compartment and armed with a knife, demands all their jewels. An Englishman suddenly appears and attacks the dacoit, saving all the women. However, as the Englishman claims, “they owed their lives and their jewels to their courageous friend,” referring to the widow.
The widow was the heroine of the adventure. As soon as she saw the man entering the carriage, she realised his purpose. Slipping into the lavatory she climbed through the window there on to the footboard, and pulled herself along by the carriage rods to the next compartment where the solitary occupant, an Englishman, sat reading.
He was amazed to see a woman clinging to the window of this carriage, but fortunately he understood the language…
Although we’re not sure if these stories were based on real incidents or entirely imaginary, this is an incredible story which would’ve surely challenged social norms about women’s agency.
2. Carry a Little Talisman With You
Need a little reminder of hope, wisdom, courage? Get our keychains with words of affirmations in different South Asian languages.
3. Daak Recommends
Find a free copy of Suniti Devi’s books, Bengal Dacoits and Tigers as well as The Autobiography of an Indian Princess.