Volume : 12, Issue : 1, JAN 2026

HISTORICAL DYNAMICS OF WOMEN’S EDUCATION IN HOWRAH DISTRICT (1800–1960): SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND RELIGIOUS DETERMINANTS

MOUSUMI SAMANTA, DR. KIRANMOY JANA

Abstract

The development of women's education in India's social and educational history is an important but long-neglected area of ??research. Particularly during the colonial and pre-independence periods, social customs, religious injunctions, and economic disparities acted as major obstacles to the spread of women's education (Sen, 1999; Kumar, 2005). This research aims to analyze the historical development of women's education in the Howrah district of West Bengal during the period from 1800 to 1960, and the influence of social, religious, and economic factors on this development.
The research is based on historical and descriptive research methods. Both primary and secondary sources were used for data collection, including government education reports, census data, district gazetteers, education commission reports, and relevant books and research articles (Government of India, 1951; Chakrabarti, 2014). The collected data was analyzed thematically and chronologically to explain trends in female literacy, gender disparities in education, and the influence of social structures.
The findings of the research show that in the first half of the nineteenth century, women's education was mainly confined to urban areas and upper-caste families. However, colonial education policies, social reform movements, and initial post-independence educational initiatives played a significant role in the expansion of women's education (Seth, 2007; Srinivasan, 2008). This research, by presenting the historical development of women's education from a regional perspective, will help fill existing gaps in the research.

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IESRJ

International Educational Scientific Research Journal

E-ISSN: 2455-295X

International Indexed Journal | Multi-Disciplinary Refereed Research Journal

ISSN: 2455-295X

Peer-Reviewed Journal - Equivalent to UGC Approved Journal

Peer-Reviewed Journal

Article No : 7

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