Tag Archives: Qudsia Aizaz Rasul – Author – ‘From Purah to Parliament : A Muslim Woman in Indian Politics’

Begum Qudsia Aizaz Rasul: The Only Muslim Woman In India’s Constituent Assembly | #IndianWomenInHistory

September 26, 2025Amazing Feats, Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri Award (since January 01st, 2024), Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Community Involvement / Social Issues, Events, Exhibitions, Conferences (wef. Nov 18th, 2021), Freedom Fighters (under research project), Leaders, Royal Families, PreIndependence -Descendants (wef. Jan 02nd,2022), Sports, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), World OpinionBegum Qudsia Aizaz Rasul, Begum Qudsia Aizaz Rasul - The Only Muslim Woman in India's Constituent Assembly, Qudsia Aizaz Rasul - Author - 'From Purah to Parliament : A Muslim Woman in Indian Politics'mpositiveone@gmail.com

Lucknow, UTTAR PRADESH :

Begum Qudsia Aizaz Rasul was one of the 28 Muslim League members to join the Constituent Assembly of undivided India, and she was the only Muslim woman to be a part of the assembly.

Begum Qudsia Aizaz Rasul was born to the royal family of Malerkotla (situated in erstwhile united Punjab) on 4th April, 1908. Her father was Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Khan. Qudsia had a progressive upbringing and was encouraged from a very early age to lead a modern life, as opposed to several stringent restrictions imposed upon other contemporary Muslim women, such as that of the purdah.

She got married at quite an early age to Nawaab Aizaz Rasul from the erstwhile province of Awadh. Her husband held the position of a taluqdar, or a landowner. Qudsia had political exposure both before and after marriage, and her formal political participation took place after she got married.

Image Source: Wikivividly

Political Career

Qudsia, along with her husband, joined the Muslim League in mid-1930s, soon after the passing of the Government of India Act in 1935. This was also her official entry into electoral politics, as she contested in the elections of 1937 from the U.P. legislative assembly, where she successfully held her seat till 1952. Aizaz was one of the very few female candidates to have contested and won from a non-reserved constituency during the pre-independent times.

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She was the first Indian woman to achieve such feats, and this was truly commendable and noteworthy at a time when most formal political positions were almost implicitly reserved for men.

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As an MLA, she also held several important posts, such as the Leader of Opposition (1950 to 1952) and the Deputy President of the Council (1937 to 1940). She was the first Indian woman to achieve such feats, and this was truly commendable and noteworthy at a time when most formal political positions were almost implicitly reserved for men. Moreover, to rise to prominence at a politically significant province such as the U.P. indeed made Qudsia Aizaz Rasul a trailblazer.

Image Source: Indian Express

She is well known for her progressive, anti-feudal stances, such as the abolition of the zamindari system. Qudsia was a strong advocate for the abolition of communal electorates as well, as she believed it divided the society more than it united – which was counterproductive for the Indian electoral candidates at a time when there was an urgent need of a united Indian front to oppose the colonial rulers. She went on to create a strong and convincing case for the abolition of electoral reservations for religious minorities during her tenure as a member of the Constituent Assembly.

Qudsia was one of the 28 Muslim League members to join the Constituent Assembly of undivided India, and she was the only Muslim woman to be a part of the assembly. Her contributions in the assembly debates remain monumental till date and have been recorded in many official sources.

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Her contributions in the assembly debates remain monumental till date, and have been recorded in many official sources.

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After the dissolution of the League, she joined the Indian National Congress, and served as a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1952 to 1958. Later, she became a member of the legislative assembly of Uttar Pradesh from 1969 to 1989.

Other Achievements

Begum Qudsia Aizaz Rasul is also well known for her autobiography, titled From Purdah to Parliament: A Muslim Woman in Indian Politics. It provides excellent insights into the intersectional aspects of organised politics as it functions in our country. Other than this, she also wrote a travelogue titled Three Weeks in Japan.

Besides her literary prowess, Qudsia had also served as the President of the Indian Women Hockey Federation for over fifteen years, and went on to become the President of the Asian Women’s Hockey Federation.

Begum Qudsia Aizaz Rasul was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2000 for immense, invaluable contributions to the field of social work.

References

1. From Purdah to Parliament: Begum Aizaz Rasul (A Review) by Radhika Bordia
2. Begum Aizaz Rasul: The only Muslim woman to oppose minority reservations in the Constituent Assembly by Christina George

source: http://www.feminisminindia.com / Feminism in India – FII / Home / by Ekata Lahiri / February 15th, 2019

Tales from 20th century ‘path-breaking’ Muslim women on view

December 4, 2018Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, LeadersAnis Kidwai, Atiya Fyzee, Attia Hosain - member 'Progressive Writers Movement ', Attia Hosain - Writer, Attia Hossain, Aziza Fatima Imam, Aziza Imam, Begum Hamida Habibullah, Begum Qudsia Aizaz Rasul, Exhibition - 'Pathbreakers : The Twentieth Century Muslim Women of India', Fatima Ismael, Fatima Ismail, Hajira Begum, Hajrah Begum, Hajrah Begum - Founder - National Federation of Indian Women, Hamida Abdullah, Masuma Begum, Masuma Hosain Ali Khan, Mofida Ahmed, Mofida Ahmed - First Woman MP of Assam, Mumtaz Jahan Haider, Mumtaz Jahan Haider - Pricipal - Aligarh Women's College, Muslim Women's Forum India, Muslim Womens' Forum, Qudisa Aizaz Rasul - The Only Woman Member of the Constituent Assembly, Qudisia Zaidi, Qudsia Aizaz Rasul, Qudsia Aizaz Rasul - Author - 'From Purah to Parliament : A Muslim Woman in Indian Politics', Razia Sajjad Zaheer, Saeeda Khurshid, Saeeda Khurshid - Founder - Muslim Women's Forum, Safiya Abid Hussain, Safiya Jan Nisar Akhtar, Saleha Abid Hussain, Sharifa Hamid Ali, Siddiqua Kidwai, Surraya Tayabji, Syeda Imam, Syeda Imam - Author, Syeda Imam - Film maker, Tyaba Khedive Jung, Tyaba Khedive Jung - Writer - Educator, Zehra Ali Yawar Jung, Zohra Ali Yawar Jungmpositiveone@gmail.com

INDIA :

New Delhi, (IANS) :

Stories of conviction and contribution of Indian Muslim women, who “gave up the purdah” and were at “the forefront of the nationalist and feminist discourse” in the past century are on display here.

The exhibition on 21 “pathbreakers” opened for public view on Saturday.

Organised by Muslim Women’s Forum at the India International Centre (IIC), the show “Pathbreakers: The Twentieth Century Muslim Women of India” features women who remain largely unheard of and unsung in the mainstream narrative.

During and after the freedom movement, a note on the exhibition said, many Muslim women shed the ‘purdah’ and became partners in the project to build a new India.

They went on to become writers, teachers, artists, scientists, lawyers, educators, political workers, trade unions, MPs, and MLAs.

“With a few exceptions, most of them have been forgotten in time.”

The show, inaugurated by author-filmmaker Syeda Imam (granddaughter of early 20th century writer-educator Tyaba Khedive Jung), embodies the spirit of the active contribution of these women, and as Imam said, “were not in the recesses of home and kitchen”.

Far from the commonly-held impression of silenced, cloistered and acquiescent women, ‘Pathbreakers’ narrates the stories of strong, determined and engaged women, the note said.

Some of these women include Qudsia Aizaz Rasul, the only Muslim woman member of the Constituent Assembly and author of “From Purdah to Parliament: A Muslim Woman in Indian Politics”; Assam’s first woman MP Mofida Ahmed, elected from Jorhat in 1957; and Aziza Fatima Imam, who served in the Rajya Sabha for 13 years starting 1973.

Why Muslim women?

The exhibition of photographs, text and video installations, points to their significant contribution towards the building of the nation, along with their sisters of other communities, through its freedom struggle, independence and beyond.

“A multiplicity of stereotypes are constructed by diverse actors regarding Muslim women. But the fact is there is no undifferentiated amass’ of Muslim women. Like women of all socio-cultural groups, they too are a divergent, shifting composition of individuals, often dumped in popular parlance into one single heap. This homogenisation has to be rejected,” the note read.

The show also projects video recordings of readings from writings of some of the featuring women.

The organisers, however, said while the participating women might seem elite, it is only the first step in identifying and recognising pathbreakers from all sections.

Featured are Anis Kidwai, Atiya Fyzee, Atia Hossain, Aziza Imam, Fatima Ishmael, Hamida Habibullah, Hajira Begum, Mofida Ahmed, Masuma Begum, Mumtaz Jahan Haider, Qudsia Aizaz Rasul, Qudsia Zaidi, Razia Sajjad Zaheer, Saleha Abid Hussain, Sharifa Hamid Ali, Saeeda Khurshid, Safia Jan Nisar Akhtar, Siddiqa Kidwai, Surayya Tyabji, Zehra Ali Yavar Jung and Tyaba Khedive Jung.

This exhibition was first held here in May, and was supported by the UN Women. The current show is open till December 8.

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCirlcles.net / Home> Indian News> Indian Muslim / by IANS / December 03rd, 2018