Deepa Agarwal - 28 Jan

The Begum is a rare, unusual and riveting biography of Begum Raana Liaquat Ali Khan. The co-authors, Deepa Agarwal in India and Tahmina Aziz Ayub in Pakistan, have drawn on unique resources in their respective countries to create a narrativethe first everto provide an informed account of the two different aspects of a remarkable life. Agarwal explores unusual family documents to provide insights into Begum Liaquat Ali Khans early life and the social, cultural, historical and political influences which forged her: born into a Christian family of Brahmin origin in Almora, she was a strong, intelligent and determined young woman who became a professor of economics in Delhi and converted to Islam to marry Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan. He became the first prime minister of Pakistan. Aziz provides vivid insights into Begum Liaquat Ali Khans legendary work in the newly created Pakistan, as a great humanitarian, a womens rights activist and nationalist, and her astonishing courage when her husband was assassinated in 1951. She continued to work tirelessly for the empowerment of women in Pakistan. She also became the countrys first woman diplomat and later the first and only woman governor of Sindh. The book is framed by an excellent Introduction by Namita Gokhale and an Afterword by Laila Haroon SarfrazMuneeza Shamsie, critic and author of Hybrid Tapestries: The Development of Pakistani Literature in English

A sensitive and perceptive collaborative biography of Begum Raana Liaquat Ali Khan that brings out the rich texture of her life and times. A wonderful read about one of the most fascinating figures of modern South Asia that captures the intertwined histories of the subcontinentT.C.A. Raghavan, former Indian high commissioner to Pakistan and author of The People Next Door: The Curious History of Indias Relation with Pakistan

[About] a visionary and an intrepid patriot, The Begum weaves the personal and public lives of one of Pakistans and South Asias most alluring personalities, Begum Raana Liaquat Ali Khan. Her selflessness, dignity and fight for progressive values are sublimely chronicled in this compelling biographyRazi Ahmed, director, Lahore Literary Festival

This fascinating and adventurous book crosses borders in the best possible way. Seventy years after the event that created two countries, India and Pakistan, out of one, this joint telling of a life subverts, expands and stretches borders that seek to divide; it shows how the real-life stories of people confound the decades-old attempt to limit our histories within the boundaries of nation states. That the story is told by two women, one from India and one from Pakistan; andas Namita Gokhales Introduction highlightsthat it rescues from history the story of a woman who belonged to both countries, makes it both unusual and importantUrvashi Butalia, publisher, Zubaan and author of The Other Side of Silence

A captivating, timely and masterfully coherent portrait of a sprightly and remarkable woman that will strike a chord with women across South Asia. This page-turner is a revelation as it shines light on the little-known, myriad influences of her upbringing and stellar academic career that shaped her personality and thinking. The annexures, interviews and anecdotes are riveting, as is the moving panorama of undivided India and Pakistan in the twentieth century. A gem not to be missedAmeena Saiyid OBE, S.I. (Sitara-e-Imtiaz), founder and director, Adab Festival Pakistan