Interview with Anis Zaidi and Rais Sultana, May 20, 2010

Partial Transcript: --ay is May twentieth, I am in Defence, in Karachi, on May twentieth and I am here with, um, two sisters, Mrs. Anis Zaidi and Mrs. N--R--Rais Sultana Zaidi.

Segment Synopsis: Zaidi discusses her biographical information, including details about her father’s profession, her mother who was president of the women’s branch of the All-India Muslim League, and her hometown of Meerut (India). Sultana also discusses her family background, including her father, who was an author. The two also briefly discuss the lack of formal education for girls and women.

Keywords: Agra (India); Ahmad, Mustafa; Aligarh Muslim University; All-India Muslim League; Authors; Burkas; Delhi (India); Education; English language; Families; Fathers; Girls; Grandmothers; Jinnah, Mahomed Ali; Lahore (Pakistan); Lawyers; Meerut (India); Moradabad (India); Muslims; Niqabs; Pakistan movement; Purdah; Quaid-e-Azam; Sharif, Begum Muhammad; Sharif, Muhammad; Shoes; Uncles; Urdu language; Utensils; Uttar Pradesh (India); Women

Subjects: Agra (India); Aḥmad, Muṣṭafá; Aligarh Muslim University; All-India Muslim League; Authors; Delhi (India); Education; English language; Families; Fathers; Girls; Grandmothers; India--History.; Islamic clothing and dress.; Jinnah, Mahomed Ali, 1876-1948.; Lahore (Pakistan); Lawyers; Meerut (India); Moradabad (India : District); Moradabad (India); Muslims; Pakistan movement; Pakistan--History; Purdah; Sharīf, Muḥammad; Shoes.; Uncles; Urdu language; Uttar Pradesh (India); Women

Partial Transcript: And what kind of primary school education did you have? Did you have religious education at all?

Segment Synopsis: Zaidi and Sultana discuss their education and the education of girls in general in Meerut (India). The two also talk about their marriages, which for Sultana occurred at the age of seventeen. Zaidi then talks about attending a Hindu school before being educated at home.

Keywords: Aligarh Girls College; All-India Muslim League; Education; Girls; Hindu schools; Hindus; Marriages; Meerut (India); Moradabad (India); Muslims; Purdah; Qur’an, the (Book); Religious education; Uttar Pradesh (India); Women

Subjects: All-India Muslim League; Education; Girls; Hindus; India--History.; Marriage; Meerut (India); Moradabad (India); Muslims; Pakistan--History; Purdah; Qur'an; Religious education; Uttar Pradesh (India); Women

Partial Transcript: And what do you remember about when you arrived in Aligarh?

Segment Synopsis: Zaidi and Sultana talk about attending Aligarh Girls College.

Keywords: Aligarh Girls College; Aligarh Muslim University; Brothers; Food; Hostels; Meerut (India); Partition of India

Subjects: Aligarh Muslim University; Education; Women in education

Partial Transcript: And, and then so you, you were studying, um, there in Meerut, during the, the time when things were really leading up the partition.

Segment Synopsis: Zaidi talks about her parents’ involvement in the Pakistan movement. She then discusses why her family chose not to migrate to Pakistan immediately after its establishment and had to wait to migrate. She then talks about her family’s migration to Pakistan.

Keywords: Aligarh (India); All-India Muslim League; Arrests; Bari Basti (India); Bhutto, Zulfikar Ali; Brothers; Burkas; Fairies of Bari Basti; Fathers; Hindus; Jinnah, Mahomed Ali; Karachi (Pakistan); Lahore (Pakistan); Lawyers; Meerut (India); Migration; Mothers; Municipal Boards; Muslims; Pakistan; Pakistan movement; Partition of India; Quaid-e-Azam; Rangpur (India); Sharif, Begum; Social work; Uttar Pradesh (India); Women

Subjects: Aligarh (India); All-India Muslim League; Arrest; Bhutto, Zulfikar Ali, 1928-1979.; Brothers; Fathers; Hindus; Islamic clothing and dress; Jinnah, Mahomed Ali, 1876-1948.; Karachi (Pakistan); Lahore (Pakistan); Lawyers; Meerut (India); Mothers; Muslims; Pakistan; Pakistan movement; Partition of India; Rangpur (India); Social work & counseling; Uttar Pradesh (India); Women

Partial Transcript: And what did you as young, as young women, what did you expect for--from Pakistan?

Segment Synopsis: Zaidi talks about her expectations of Pakistan as a young woman. She then talks about what she thinks Muslims lost by coming to Pakistan. Zaidi also talks about her mother’s continued work on behalf of the All-India Muslim League, such as establishing Urdu as the official language of Pakistan. Next, she talks about the advantages that her education brought her.

Keywords: All-India Muslim League; Bangladesh; Delhi (India); East Bengal (India); Education; Hindus; Hyderabad (India); Jinnah, Mahomed Ali; Lahore (Pakistan); Leaders; Meerut (India); Muslims; Pakistan; Pakistan movement; Punjab (India); Quaid-e-Azam; Rangpur (India); Religion; Sharif, Begum; Trains; University of Mumbai; Urdu language; Uttar Pradesh (India); Women

Subjects: All-India Muslim League; Bangladesh; Delhi (India); Education; Hindus; Hyderabad (India); India--History.; Jinnah, Mahomed Ali, 1876-1948.; Lahore (Pakistan); Leaders; Meerut (India); Muslims; Pakistan; Pakistan movement; Pakistan--History; Punjab (India); Rangpur (India); Religion; University of Mumbai; Urdu language; Uttar Pradesh (India); Women

Partial Transcript: In the, in the early years after your family shifted here, were most of the people that your family knew and associated with, were they other Muhajirs or did you also, um, have some relations with people who were already settled in Karachi?

Segment Synopsis: Zaidi discusses the individuals she knew who migrated to Pakistan. She then talks about the establishment of the Urdu language as the official language of Pakistan. Zaidi also talks about the death of Mahomed Ali Jinnah.

Keywords: All-India Muslim League; Bombay (India); Death; English language; Haroon family; Jinnah, Mahomed Ali; Karachi (Pakistan); Muhajir people; Mumbai (India); Partition of India; Quaid-e-Azam; Sharif, Begum; Sri Lanka; Urdu language

Subjects: All-India Muslim League; Death; English language; India--History--Partition, 1947; India--History.; Jinnah, Mahomed Ali, 1876-1948.; Karachi (Pakistan); Mumbai (India); Pakistan--History; Sri Lanka; Urdu language

Partial Transcript: What do you think, if you were, if you were writing a history book of--

Segment Synopsis: Zaidi talks about what she would include in a history of Pakistan, as well as the most significant Muslim leaders. She then talks about the most significant issues facing Muslims before Pakistan was created.

Keywords: Aligarh Muslim University; All-India Muslim League; Hindus; History; India; Jinnah, Mahomed Ali; Leaders; Muslims; Mutiny of 1914; Pakistan; Quaid-e-Azam; Religion; Uttar Pradesh (India); War of Freedom; War of Independence; Ziauddin, Ahmed

Subjects: Aligarh Muslim University; All-India Muslim League; Hindus; History; India; India--History.; Jinnah, Mahomed Ali, 1876-1948.; Leaders; Muslims; Pakistan; Pakistan--History; Religion; Uttar Pradesh (India); Ziauddin, Ahmed

Partial Transcript: Well, on that note, let me switch gears--

Segment Synopsis: Sultana discusses her educational background, as well as her marriage at the age of seventeen to a man who was pro-India. She also discusses migrating to Pakistan, as well as her time in the United States.

Keywords: Children; Death; Education; Houston (Texas); Islamia College; Karachi (Pakistan); Lahore (Pakistan); Marriages; Meerut (India); Pakistan; Political science; Torture; Turkey; United States of America; Visvesvaraya Institute of Advanced Technology

Subjects: Children; Death; Education; Houston (Texas); India--History.; Islamia College, Peshawar (Pakistan); Karachi (Pakistan); Lahore (Pakistan); Marriage; Meerut (India); Pakistan; Pakistan--History; Political science; Torture; Turkey; United States; Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (Nāgpur, India)

Partial Transcript: So, when you came to Pakistan, um, what do you think was the biggest difference between Pakistan and India that you experienced as a young woman?

Segment Synopsis: Sultana talks about the differences between Pakistan and India, such as being an Islamic state and having Urdu as the official language. She also talks about when she thinks the history of Pakistan begins, as well as what she felt Pakistan would be like as a young woman.

Keywords: English; Freedom; German; Great Britain; Hindus; India; Islam; Jinnah, Mahomed Ali; Muslims; Pakistan; Quaid-e-Azam; Sisters-in-law; Urdu language; Women

Subjects: English; Freedom; Germans; Great Britain; Hindus; India; India--History--Partition, 1947 ; India--History.; Islam; Jinnah, Mahomed Ali, 1876-1948.; Muslims; Pakistan; Pakistan--History; Urdu language; Women

Partial Transcript: I have, um, one question about um, I don't know anything about the Kavateam Muslim League.

Segment Synopsis: Sultana discusses her feelings regarding women’s involvement in the establishment of Pakistan.

Keywords: All-India Muslim League; India; Islam; Jinnah, Mahomed Ali; Pakistan; Pakistan movement; Quaid-e-Azam; Sharif, Begum; Women

Subjects: All-India Muslim League; India; India--History.; Islam; Jinnah, Mahomed Ali, 1876-1948.; Pakistan; Pakistan movement; Pakistan--History; Women

Partial Transcript: Is there anything else that--I'm a student of history. From your own experience with your childhood in India, your adult life in Pakistan, your married life in Pakistan and some little bit in India, what are, what are the--what do you think is the most important thing that I should understand about your experience?

Segment Synopsis: Zaidi and Sultana talk about their disappointment in modern Pakistan. Zaidi also talks about her educational background.

Keywords: Degrees, masters; Education; Fulbright Program; Girls; Islam; Muslims; Pakistan; Persian language; United States of America; University Rawalpindi; Urdu language; Women

Subjects: Education; Fulbright scholars.; Girls; India--History.; Islam; Muslims; Pakistan; Pakistan--History; Persian language; United States; Urdu language; Women