Sultana's Dream

Lore & Background

Begum Rokeya was born into a rich family who owned property and land. Though she knew how to read and write in Urdu, she was prevented from learning Bengali and English, as English was seen as a language that would expose girls to new ideas considered unsuitable by society. She learned to read and write English and Bangla with the help of her elder sister and elder brother. She wrote Sultana's Dream when she was merely 25 years old. In 1909, she founded the Sakhawat Memorial Girls' School in Bhagalpur, moving it to Kolkata in 1911, where it remains in operation to this day.

Reader's Guide

Sultana's Dream depicts a science fiction feminist utopia called Ladyland, where women run everything and men are secluded, reversing the traditional practice of purdah. Women are aided by technology enabling labourless farming and flying cars, and women scientists have discovered how to trap solar power and control the weather. The story counters traditional stereotypes such as 'Men have bigger brains' and women are 'naturally weak' with logic like 'an elephant also has a bigger and heavier brain' and 'a lion is stronger than a man.' In Ladyland, crime is eliminated, the workday is only two hours long, and the religion is one of love and truth. The story was inscribed in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register in Asia and the Pacific in 2024. It has inspired various artistic works, including a 2018 series of linocuts by Chitra Ganesh, a 2021 short film in Pakistan, a 2023 animated movie by Isabel Herguera, and a 2025 pop-up book exhibit by Kruthika N.S.

Did You Know?

• Sultana's Dream was written in 1905 by Begum Rokeya when she was 25 years old.
• The story was first published in the Madras-based English periodical The Indian Ladies Magazine.
• In Ladyland, the workday is only two hours long because men used to waste six hours each day in smoking.
• In 2024, Sultana's Dream was inscribed in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register in Asia and the Pacific.