Sultana’s Dream as a Utopian Imagination of Feminist Resistance in Twentieth-Century India

Author(s) : Adeeba Akram, Irfan Waheed Usmani

Abstract:

This article revisits Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain’s Sultana’s Dream (1905) as a pioneering feminist utopian text that articulates resistance to both colonial modernity and indigenous patriarchy in early twentieth-century India. Situating the novella within the socio-historical context of colonial educational reform, gendered domesticity, and emerging feminist thought, the study examines how Rokeya deploys the utopian genre and dream narrative as deliberate literary strategies. Drawing on feminist theories of utopia, the article argues that Sultana’s Dream moves beyond simple gender role reversal to construct a political metaphor grounded in intellect, education, ethical governance, and non-violent transformation. Through the imaginative space of ‘Ladyland,’ Rokeya exposes the social construction of gender hierarchies, challenges patriarchal claims of masculine superiority, and redefines power as collective rationality rather than domination. The dream framework functions as both a narrative safeguard and a symbolic act of awakening, enabling Rokeya to envision women’s emancipation without reproducing violence or coercion. By reading Sultana’s Dream as a conscious act of feminist resistance rather than an escapist fantasy, this article extends existing scholarship on utopian literature and foregrounds Rokeya’s contribution to South Asian feminist thought as a writer who transformed imagination into a political tool for social critique and change.