When history empowers: recovering the life stories of the Begums of Bhopal for women’s learning and gender equality

Bhopal in central India has a unique history as a city ruled by a dynasty of four successive Muslim women rulers (1819-1926). And yet, in Bhopal city today, they are rarely commemorated or even remembered. This article documents an initial study undertaken by an interdisciplinary academic team, including a historian, a sociologist and an applied education researcher, in collaboration with local women’s organisation, Mahashakti Seva Kendra. Could the inspirational life stories of the Begums of Bhopal be recovered to empower contemporary women? Revealed is the immediate impact and future potential of a local history for women’s learning and gender empowerment.