Behind the Veil in Khuldabad, India: 14th Century Sufi Saints, 21st Century Islamic Reformers, and Muslim Women

In January of 2009, I traveled to India to interview women in Khuldabad, a small Muslim town in the state of Maharashtra, about religious customs and rituals. With the help of my multilingual friend and colleague from this area, Surekha Shah, I interviewed twenty-nine women using a blend of Urdu and...

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Main Author: Catherine Benton
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Open Library of Humanities 2009-10-01
Series:The ASIANetwork Exchange: A Journal for Asian Studies in the Liberal Arts
Online Access:http://www.asianetworkexchange.org/articles/213
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spelling doaj-c7e6aa48f9344b82a9b0ed0e5a5ccc132020-11-24T21:27:17ZengOpen Library of HumanitiesThe ASIANetwork Exchange: A Journal for Asian Studies in the Liberal Arts1943-99381943-99462009-10-01171264810.16995/ane.213114Behind the Veil in Khuldabad, India: 14th Century Sufi Saints, 21st Century Islamic Reformers, and Muslim WomenCatherine Benton0Lake Forest CollegeIn January of 2009, I traveled to India to interview women in Khuldabad, a small Muslim town in the state of Maharashtra, about religious customs and rituals. With the help of my multilingual friend and colleague from this area, Surekha Shah, I interviewed twenty-nine women using a blend of Urdu and English. These women, from different economic and social levels, invited me into their homes. Their dwellings ranged from single, earthen floor rooms to family compounds built around ancient courtyards housing several generations. The rough streets and well-worn pathways, bounded by high stone and wooden walls, give the feel of a small medieval town with goats and people and bicycles meandering through, but the autorickshaws and state buses belching blue-purple smoke anchor one in the more nuanced mix of centuries that is Khuldabad. Behind the purdah of walls and veils, women welcomed me with warmth and openness. And each time I left their homes, they graciously invited me to return.http://www.asianetworkexchange.org/articles/213
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Catherine Benton
spellingShingle Catherine Benton
Behind the Veil in Khuldabad, India: 14th Century Sufi Saints, 21st Century Islamic Reformers, and Muslim Women
The ASIANetwork Exchange: A Journal for Asian Studies in the Liberal Arts
author_facet Catherine Benton
author_sort Catherine Benton
title Behind the Veil in Khuldabad, India: 14th Century Sufi Saints, 21st Century Islamic Reformers, and Muslim Women
title_short Behind the Veil in Khuldabad, India: 14th Century Sufi Saints, 21st Century Islamic Reformers, and Muslim Women
title_full Behind the Veil in Khuldabad, India: 14th Century Sufi Saints, 21st Century Islamic Reformers, and Muslim Women
title_fullStr Behind the Veil in Khuldabad, India: 14th Century Sufi Saints, 21st Century Islamic Reformers, and Muslim Women
title_full_unstemmed Behind the Veil in Khuldabad, India: 14th Century Sufi Saints, 21st Century Islamic Reformers, and Muslim Women
title_sort behind the veil in khuldabad, india: 14th century sufi saints, 21st century islamic reformers, and muslim women
publisher Open Library of Humanities
series The ASIANetwork Exchange: A Journal for Asian Studies in the Liberal Arts
issn 1943-9938
1943-9946
publishDate 2009-10-01
description In January of 2009, I traveled to India to interview women in Khuldabad, a small Muslim town in the state of Maharashtra, about religious customs and rituals. With the help of my multilingual friend and colleague from this area, Surekha Shah, I interviewed twenty-nine women using a blend of Urdu and English. These women, from different economic and social levels, invited me into their homes. Their dwellings ranged from single, earthen floor rooms to family compounds built around ancient courtyards housing several generations. The rough streets and well-worn pathways, bounded by high stone and wooden walls, give the feel of a small medieval town with goats and people and bicycles meandering through, but the autorickshaws and state buses belching blue-purple smoke anchor one in the more nuanced mix of centuries that is Khuldabad. Behind the purdah of walls and veils, women welcomed me with warmth and openness. And each time I left their homes, they graciously invited me to return.
url http://www.asianetworkexchange.org/articles/213
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