Nawab Faizunnessa, Rupjalal

Fayeza Hasanat (University of Central Florida)

Ed. by Niaz Zaman, Independent University Bangladesh
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 10.3.2: Pakistani and Bangladeshi Writing and Culture.
Vol. editors: Claire Gallien (Université Paul Valéry Montpellier 3), Sarker Hasan Al Zayed (Independent University Bangladesh), Pavan Kumar Malreddy (J W Goethe University of Frankfurt), Delphine Munos (Université de Liège), Muneeza Shamsie (Independent Scholar - Asia), Niaz Zaman (Independent University Bangladesh)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1876

Places

Bangladesh (Country of Origin; Publication/ performance)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

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Published in 1876,

Rupjalal,

is the first known full-length creative text written by a Bengali Muslim woman. Its author, Nawab Faizunnesa (1834-1903) was a provincial ruler in colonial Bengal, a philanthropist, a social reformer, and a pioneer Muslim feminist. Influenced by popular romance narratives (known as

mangalkabya

) of the early seventeenth to the late eighteenth century and the epic tales of the

Ramayana,

the

Mahabharata

, and the

Arabian Nights,

Faizunnesa wrote a romantic tale about a distressed damsel named Rup and a valiant hero named Jalal. In a mixed genre of prose and poetry, she narrates the story of Jalal who undertakes a perilous journey to rescue Rup from a giant named Fortas. On his dangerous journey, Jalal fights demons, suffers imprisonment, marries a princess to earn…

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1242 words

Citation: Hasanat, Fayeza. "Rupjalal". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 12 April 2021 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=39261, accessed 28 November 2024.]

Nawab Faizunnessa, Rupjalal

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