A woman of substance : the memoirs of Begum Khurshid Mirza, 1918-1989

This is the memoir of a remarkable woman, Begum Khurshid Mirza, the daughter of Sheikh Abdullah and Waheed Jahan Begum, the founders of Aligarh Women s College. An intimate portrait of an upper class Muslim family in India and Pakistan from the early part of the twentieth century until the recent past, this narrative is much more than an account of Khurshid Mirza s personal life. It spans the years from 1857 to 1983 and provides an insight into the social conditions of Indian Muslims, the state of Muslim women s education, and the transition to Pakistan, while illuminating Khurshid Mirza s rich and varied life as an actor, activist, radio and TV artist, a writer, a devoted daughter, wife and mother.