Subhadra Kumari Chauhan: Defying Gender Norms in her Own Way

On 16th August, 1904, a baby girl was born into a patriarchal and orthodox family in Nihalpur Village, Allahabad District. She grew up to write one of the most echoed poems in Indian classrooms, “Chamak uthi san sattavan mein wah talvaar puraani thi, Bundele harbolo ke mukh humne suni kahini thi, Khoob ladi mardaani woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi!”

The poem has been subject to criticism for the use of the word ‘mardani’ (like a man). Jhansi ki Rani has been repeatedly called Mardani throughout the poem. Through the lens of third wave feminism, where we believe in non-conformity to traditional gender norms, the comparison of the queen to a man is definitely degrading. Jhansi ki Rani was brave and strong, not like a man, but like a proud woman that she was.

Everything the queen stood for, everything her life bears testimony to, loses meaning once likened to the actions of another gender, for ostensibly, it was the only justification for her unconventional behaviour.

However,  keeping in mind the period this poem was written in, the act of merely writing it was an act of defiance against traditional gender norms. A female poet writing about a female warrior queen was not something you’d get to see everyday in twentieth century India. In lack of a better vocabulary, Subhadra chose certain words that have not aged well, but the motive behind the poem stands as firm as ever.

We must not forget Subhadra Kumari Chauhan’s contribution to the feminist cause by penning down a piece of literature on a woman. In an age where women were treated as secondary to men in all aspects, Subhadra Kumari Chauhan wrote an epic poem centered around a female warrior queen Jhansi ki Rani. Today, Jhansi ki Rani is synonymous with courage, bravery, and strength, and the credit for this immortalisation goes to Subhadra Kumari Chauhan. She proved that women were worthy of being the central character in all aspects of life, even in literature.

Subhadra Kumari published her first poem ‘Neem’ at the age of 9, and was unstoppable ever since. She was so passionate towards poetry, that she is known to have written poems on the way to her school in a horse-cart. Married at the age of 15, she found a like-minded partner in Laksham Singh Chauhan, who was a part of the social reform and freedom movements.

She was always defiant of regressive social conventions, and practiced what she preached. In a time of major caste differences and untouchability, she attended the wedding of her domestic help, for which she was ostracized by her family members. Her husband supported her in her cause, and the couple simply stated that those who had a problem with their actions could excuse themselves from visiting their house. She also supported the inter-caste marriage of her eldest child Sudha in an era when caste purity, especially for women, was of the utmost importance. 

The Chauhan couple was actively engaged in the freedom struggle, despite constant opposition from their family. They participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1923, and were the leaders of the Jhanda Satyagrah (Jabalpur Chapter) in 1923. Subhadra was also the first woman Satyagrahi who was arrested. 18 and pregnant, Subhadra walked into jail unafraid and proud for her protests against British rule in 1923. She was arrested again in 1942 for her participation in the Quit India movement, when she marched into the jail with her youngest and ailing child. Despite her personal hardships, she kept fighting for the rights of her fellow inmates by giving up food at the Central Jail, Jabalpur.

She also presided over the women’s section of the state Congress Committee of Madhya Pradesh in the 1930s. In 1936, she was elected to the Bihar Legislative Assembly.

Her poetry and prose merged with her participation in the Indian Nationalist Movement. Her poetry reflected the emotions of every Indian fighting for the country's independence. Her two Poetry collections, ‘Mukul’ and ‘Tridhara’, have strong nationalist undertones. The idea behind writing the fiery prose was to reach out to the youths to encourage them to participate in the Indian Nationalist Movement.

Her story collections titled ‘Bikhre Moti’, ‘Unmadini’, and ‘Sidhe Sadhe Chitra’ capture social evils that women experienced in her times. Most of her protagonists are women countering social problems and caste discrimination. She wrote in a simple and straightforward Khadi Boli Hindi, and her style found relevance amongst the populi spreading her message far and wide.

Subhadra Kumari Chauhan’s burning patriotism, a deep seated humanism, an intense intolerance of social barriers, especially those imposed on women, and a very genuine compassion for Dalits were the chief driving forces of her creative works as well as social and political activism.

- Smriti Choudhary