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| birth_place = [[Lahore]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]], [[British India]] | | birth_place = [[Lahore]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]], [[British India]] | ||
| death_date ={{Death date and age|df=yes|1979|11|27|1896|04|07}} | | death_date ={{Death date and age|df=yes|1979|11|27|1896|04|07}} | ||
| death_place = | | death_place = Pakistan | ||
| nationality = | | nationality = Pakistani | ||
| other_names = | | other_names = | ||
| known_for = [[Pakistan Movement]] | | known_for = [[Pakistan Movement]] | ||
| Line 21: | Line 21: | ||
| father = [[Muhammad Shafi (politician)|Sir Muhammad Shafi]] | | father = [[Muhammad Shafi (politician)|Sir Muhammad Shafi]] | ||
| spouse = [[Mian Shah Nawaz]] | | spouse = [[Mian Shah Nawaz]] | ||
| children = [[Mumtaz Shahnawaz]]<br/>[[Nasim Jahan]] | |||
}} | }} | ||
Begum '''Jahanara Shahnawaz''', also known as ''Jehan Ara Shah Nawaz'' (7 April 1896 – 27 November 1979), was a prominent activist and politician in [[Punjab]], active before and after the [[independence]] of [[Pakistan]]. | |||
==Family background and education== | |||
Jahanara Shahnawaz belonged to the prominent [[Arain]] [[Mian family of Baghbanpura]] in Lahore. Her father [[Sir Muhammad Shafi]] was a prominent lawyer and politician.<ref>{{citation |first=Syed Asif Ali |last=Rizvi |title=Mian Muhammad Shafi: An Analytical Study of his Activities and Achievements (1869—1932) |journal=South Asian Studies |publisher=University of Punjab |volume=10 |number=1 |date=January 1993 |pages=87– |id={{ProQuest|1308976142}}}} | |||
</ref> | |||
She was educated at [[Queen Mary College, Lahore]].<ref name=TFT/><ref name="admin">{{cite web|url=http://storyofpakistan.com/begum-shah-nawaz|title=Profile of Begum Shah Nawaz|website=Storyofpakistan.com website|date=1 June 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705042935/https://storyofpakistan.com/begum-shah-nawaz|archive-date=5 July 2019|access-date=2 March 2023}}</ref> A dedicated member of the [[All India Muslim League]], she was also a leading advocate for women's rights.<ref name="Shamsie2015">{{cite book |author=Muneeza Shamsie |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=82NFCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA5 |title=And the World Changed: Contemporary Stories by Pakistani Women |date=11 July 2015 |publisher=Feminist Press at The City University of New York |isbn=978-1-55861-931-9 |pages=5–}}</ref> She was the daughter of Sir [[Muhammad Shafi (politician)|Muhammad Shafi]] and the wife of [[Mian Shah Nawaz|Mian Muhammad Shahnawaz]] whom she married in 1911.<ref name=TFT/><ref name="admin" /> | |||
==Political career== | ==Political career== | ||
In 1918, Jahanara Shahnawaz successfully moved the All India Muslim Women's Conference to pass a resolution against [[polygamy]].<ref name="admin"/> In 1935, she founded the Punjab Provincial Women's Muslim League.<ref name="admin"/> In the [[Round Table Conferences (India)|Round Table Conference]] of 1930, she and [[Radhabai Subbarayan]] were the only two active members of women's organisations nominated to the conference; they argued unsuccessfully for a 5 per cent reservation for women in the legislatures.<ref name="Ghosh2012">{{cite book|author=Partha S. Ghosh|title=The Politics of Personal Law in South Asia: Identity, Nationalism and the Uniform Civil Code|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lwPgCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA234|date=23 May 2012|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-70512-0|pages=234–}}</ref> | In 1918, Jahanara Shahnawaz successfully moved the All India Muslim Women's Conference to pass a resolution against [[polygamy]].<ref name="admin"/> In 1935, she founded the Punjab Provincial Women's Muslim League.<ref name="admin"/> In the [[Round Table Conferences (India)|Round Table Conference]] of 1930, she and [[Radhabai Subbarayan]] were the only two active members of women's organisations nominated to the conference; they argued unsuccessfully for a 5 per cent reservation for women in the legislatures.<ref name=TFT/><ref name="Ghosh2012">{{cite book|author=Partha S. Ghosh|title=The Politics of Personal Law in South Asia: Identity, Nationalism and the Uniform Civil Code|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lwPgCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA234|date=23 May 2012|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-70512-0|pages=234–}}</ref> | ||
In 1937, she was elected to the [[Punjab Legislative Assembly]] and was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Medical Relief and Public Health.<ref name="admin"/> In 1938 she became a member of the Women's Central Subcommittee of the All India Muslim League.<ref name="admin"/> In 1942 India's government appointed her as a member of the National Defense Council, but the Muslim League asked League members to resign from the Defense Council.<ref name="admin"/> She refused and was thus removed from the Muslim League.<ref name="admin"/> However, she rejoined the League in 1946, and in that same year was elected to the Central Constituent Assembly.<ref name="admin"/> That year she also went along with [[M. A. Ispahani]] on a goodwill mission to America, to explain the point of view of the Muslim League.<ref name="admin"/> She was arrested along with other Muslim League leaders during the [[Civil disobedience movement]] in Punjab in 1947.<ref name="admin"/> | In 1937, she was elected to the [[Punjab Legislative Assembly]] and was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Medical Relief and Public Health.<ref name="admin"/> In 1938 she became a member of the Women's Central Subcommittee of the All India Muslim League.<ref name="admin"/> In 1942 India's government appointed her as a member of the National Defense Council, but the Muslim League asked League members to resign from the Defense Council.<ref name="admin"/> She refused and was thus removed from the Muslim League.<ref name="admin"/> However, she rejoined the League in 1946, and in that same year was elected to the Central Constituent Assembly.<ref name="admin"/> That year she also went along with [[M. A. Ispahani]] on a goodwill mission to America, to explain the point of view of the Muslim League.<ref name="admin"/> She was arrested along with other Muslim League leaders during the [[Civil disobedience movement]] in Punjab in 1947.<ref name=TFT/><ref name="admin"/> | ||
In 1948, she led a protest of thousands of women in the streets of [[Lahore]], protesting against the fact that a bill encouraging better economic opportunities for women had been removed from the agenda.<ref name="Burki2013">{{cite book|author=Shireen Burki|title=The Politics of State Intervention: Gender Politics in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6ZqaAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA22|date=22 August 2013|publisher=Lexington Books|isbn=978-0-7391-8433-2|pages=22–}}</ref> Prime minister [[Liaquat Ali Khan]] intervened, and the Muslim Personal Law of Shariat of 1948 was passed; it legally recognized a woman's right to inherit property, including agricultural land, which had not been recognized during British | In 1948, she led a protest of thousands of women in the streets of [[Lahore]], protesting against the fact that a bill encouraging better economic opportunities for women had been removed from the agenda.<ref name="Burki2013">{{cite book|author=Shireen Burki|title=The Politics of State Intervention: Gender Politics in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6ZqaAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA22|date=22 August 2013|publisher=Lexington Books|isbn=978-0-7391-8433-2|pages=22–}}</ref> Prime minister [[Liaquat Ali Khan]] intervened, and the Muslim Personal Law of Shariat of 1948 was passed; it legally recognized a woman's right to inherit property, including agricultural land, which had not been recognized during the [[British Raj]].<ref name="Burki2013"/> | ||
She was president of the provincial branch of the All India Muslim Women's Conference for seven years, and also served as vice-president of the Central Committee of the All India Muslim Women's Conference.<ref name="admin"/> | She was president of the provincial branch of the All India Muslim Women's Conference for seven years, and also served as vice-president of the Central Committee of the All India Muslim Women's Conference.<ref name="admin"/> | ||
| Line 38: | Line 44: | ||
==Books== | ==Books== | ||
Jahanara Shahnawaz wrote a novel titled ''Husn Ara Begum'' and her memoirs titled ''Father and Daughter: a political autobiography''.<ref name= | Jahanara Shahnawaz wrote a novel titled ''Husn Ara Begum'' and her memoirs titled ''Father and Daughter: a political autobiography''.<ref name=TFT>{{cite news|url=http://www.thefridaytimes.com/tft/leading-from-the-front-march-1947/|title=Leading from the front (March, 1947)|newspaper=The Friday Times newspaper|date=1 June 2018|access-date=23 March 2025|archive-date=17 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617023226/http://www.thefridaytimes.com/tft/leading-from-the-front-march-1947/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>''Father and Daughter: a political autobiography''. Lahore: Nigarishat, 1971. Also: Karachi: Oxford University Press, 2002 0195796462</ref><ref name="NelsonRouse2000">{{cite book|author1=Cynthia Nelson|author2=Shahnaz J. Rouse|title=Situating Globalization: Views from Egypt|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DO7sAAAAMAAJ&q=Begum+Jahanara+Shahnawaz|page=133 and 156|year=2000|publisher=Transcript|isbn=978-3-933127-61-7}}</ref> She also wrote for women's and literary magazines.<ref name=TFT/> | ||
==Death and legacy== | ==Death and legacy== | ||
Jahanara Shahnawaz died on 27 November 1979 at age 83.<ref name="admin"/> She had three children: Ahmad Shahnawaz, a chemical engineer and the first Indian to attend [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT), Nasim Shahnawaz (Nasim Jahan), who married General [[Akbar Khan (Pakistani general)|Akbar Khan]] and later became a politician of the [[Pakistan Peoples Party]], and [[Mumtaz Shahnawaz]], who died in a plane crash in 1948 while on her way to the [[United Nations General Assembly]] to represent Pakistan there.<ref name=Dawn/><ref> | Jahanara Shahnawaz died on 27 November 1979 at age 83.<ref name="admin"/> She had three children: Ahmad Shahnawaz Sr., a chemical engineer and the first Indian to attend [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT), [[Nasim Shahnawaz]] (Nasim Jahan), who married General [[Akbar Khan (Pakistani general)|Akbar Khan]] and later became a politician of the [[Pakistan Peoples Party]], and [[Mumtaz Shahnawaz]], who died in a plane crash in 1948 while on her way to the [[United Nations General Assembly]] to represent Pakistan there.<ref name=Dawn/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.begumshahnawaz.com/life.html|title= Life & Times of Begum Shahnawaz| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191023114540/http://www.begumshahnawaz.com/life.html |archive-date=23 October 2019|access-date=2 March 2023}}</ref> | ||
Jahanara Shahnawaz worked for the economic independence of Pakistan. She was of the view that the foreign policy of Pakistan should be based on trade among nations and not aid.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.dawn.com/news/771342/economic-freedom-for-pakistan-vital | title=Economic freedom for Pakistan vital | newspaper=Dawn | location=Pakistan | date=14 December 2012 | access-date=30 November 2020}}</ref> | Jahanara Shahnawaz worked for the economic independence of Pakistan. She was of the view that the foreign policy of Pakistan should be based on trade among nations and not aid.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.dawn.com/news/771342/economic-freedom-for-pakistan-vital | title=Economic freedom for Pakistan vital | newspaper=Dawn | location=Pakistan | date=14 December 2012 | access-date=30 November 2020}}</ref> | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| Line 53: | Line 59: | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
* [http://www.begumshahnawaz.com/index.html Begumshahnawaz.com] | * [http://www.begumshahnawaz.com/index.html Begumshahnawaz.com] | ||
Hasan, Md. Mahmudul (2025) "Jahanara Shahnawaz: South Asian politician, feminist and writer." Prothom Alo English, 13 Dec 2025. https://en.prothomalo.com/opinion/1rtvo7sv8j | |||
{{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191128222043/http://www.begumshahnawaz.com/index.html |date=28 November 2019 }} | |||
{{Pakistan Movement}} | {{Pakistan Movement}} | ||
{{Authority control}} | {{Authority control}} | ||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shahnawaz, Jahanara, Begum}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Shahnawaz, Jahanara, Begum}} | ||
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[[Category:Mian family]] | [[Category:Mian family]] | ||
[[Category:Queen Mary College, Lahore alumni]] | [[Category:Queen Mary College, Lahore alumni]] | ||
[[Category:Members of the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan]] | |||
[[Category:Politicians from Lahore]] | |||
[[Category:Activists from Lahore]] | |||
[[Category:People from Punjab Province (British India)]] | |||
[[Category:Arain]] | |||
Latest revision as of 14:57, 16 December 2025
Jahanara Shahnawaz | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan | |
| In office 10 August 1947 – 24 October 1954 | |
| Constituency | Lahore District |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 April 1896 Lahore, Punjab, British India |
| Died | 27 November 1979 (aged 83) Pakistan |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Spouse(s) | Mian Shah Nawaz |
| Children | Mumtaz Shahnawaz Nasim Jahan |
| Parent(s) |
|
| Occupation | Politician |
| Known for | Pakistan Movement |
Begum Jahanara Shahnawaz, also known as Jehan Ara Shah Nawaz (7 April 1896 – 27 November 1979), was a prominent activist and politician in Punjab, active before and after the independence of Pakistan.
Family background and education[edit | edit source]
Jahanara Shahnawaz belonged to the prominent Arain Mian family of Baghbanpura in Lahore. Her father Sir Muhammad Shafi was a prominent lawyer and politician.[1]
She was educated at Queen Mary College, Lahore.[2][3] A dedicated member of the All India Muslim League, she was also a leading advocate for women's rights.[4] She was the daughter of Sir Muhammad Shafi and the wife of Mian Muhammad Shahnawaz whom she married in 1911.[2][3]
Political career[edit | edit source]
In 1918, Jahanara Shahnawaz successfully moved the All India Muslim Women's Conference to pass a resolution against polygamy.[3] In 1935, she founded the Punjab Provincial Women's Muslim League.[3] In the Round Table Conference of 1930, she and Radhabai Subbarayan were the only two active members of women's organisations nominated to the conference; they argued unsuccessfully for a 5 per cent reservation for women in the legislatures.[2][5]
In 1937, she was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly and was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Medical Relief and Public Health.[3] In 1938 she became a member of the Women's Central Subcommittee of the All India Muslim League.[3] In 1942 India's government appointed her as a member of the National Defense Council, but the Muslim League asked League members to resign from the Defense Council.[3] She refused and was thus removed from the Muslim League.[3] However, she rejoined the League in 1946, and in that same year was elected to the Central Constituent Assembly.[3] That year she also went along with M. A. Ispahani on a goodwill mission to America, to explain the point of view of the Muslim League.[3] She was arrested along with other Muslim League leaders during the Civil disobedience movement in Punjab in 1947.[2][3]
In 1948, she led a protest of thousands of women in the streets of Lahore, protesting against the fact that a bill encouraging better economic opportunities for women had been removed from the agenda.[6] Prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan intervened, and the Muslim Personal Law of Shariat of 1948 was passed; it legally recognized a woman's right to inherit property, including agricultural land, which had not been recognized during the British Raj.[6]
She was president of the provincial branch of the All India Muslim Women's Conference for seven years, and also served as vice-president of the Central Committee of the All India Muslim Women's Conference.[3]
She was the first woman in Asia to preside over a legislative session.[7] She was also associated with the education and orphanage committees of the Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam, in Lahore, and with several hospitals, as well as maternity and child welfare committees.[3] She was a member of the All Indian General Committee of the Red Cross Society.[3]
Books[edit | edit source]
Jahanara Shahnawaz wrote a novel titled Husn Ara Begum and her memoirs titled Father and Daughter: a political autobiography.[2][8][9] She also wrote for women's and literary magazines.[2]
Death and legacy[edit | edit source]
Jahanara Shahnawaz died on 27 November 1979 at age 83.[3] She had three children: Ahmad Shahnawaz Sr., a chemical engineer and the first Indian to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Nasim Shahnawaz (Nasim Jahan), who married General Akbar Khan and later became a politician of the Pakistan Peoples Party, and Mumtaz Shahnawaz, who died in a plane crash in 1948 while on her way to the United Nations General Assembly to represent Pakistan there.[7][10]
Jahanara Shahnawaz worked for the economic independence of Pakistan. She was of the view that the foreign policy of Pakistan should be based on trade among nations and not aid.[11]
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Rizvi, Syed Asif Ali (January 1993), "Mian Muhammad Shafi: An Analytical Study of his Activities and Achievements (1869—1932)", South Asian Studies, 10 (1), University of Punjab: 87–, ProQuest 1308976142
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Leading from the front (March, 1947)". The Friday Times newspaper. 1 June 2018. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 "Profile of Begum Shah Nawaz". Storyofpakistan.com website. 1 June 2003. Archived from the original on 5 July 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
- ↑ Muneeza Shamsie (11 July 2015). And the World Changed: Contemporary Stories by Pakistani Women. Feminist Press at The City University of New York. pp. 5–. ISBN 978-1-55861-931-9.
- ↑ Partha S. Ghosh (23 May 2012). The Politics of Personal Law in South Asia: Identity, Nationalism and the Uniform Civil Code. Routledge. pp. 234–. ISBN 978-1-136-70512-0.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Shireen Burki (22 August 2013). The Politics of State Intervention: Gender Politics in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. Lexington Books. pp. 22–. ISBN 978-0-7391-8433-2.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Pakistan Day: Women at the forefront". Dawn (newspaper). 21 March 2010. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
- ↑ Father and Daughter: a political autobiography. Lahore: Nigarishat, 1971. Also: Karachi: Oxford University Press, 2002 0195796462
- ↑ Cynthia Nelson; Shahnaz J. Rouse (2000). Situating Globalization: Views from Egypt. Transcript. p. 133 and 156. ISBN 978-3-933127-61-7.
- ↑ "Life & Times of Begum Shahnawaz". Archived from the original on 23 October 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
- ↑ "Economic freedom for Pakistan vital". Dawn. Pakistan. 14 December 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
External links[edit | edit source]
Hasan, Md. Mahmudul (2025) "Jahanara Shahnawaz: South Asian politician, feminist and writer." Prothom Alo English, 13 Dec 2025. https://en.prothomalo.com/opinion/1rtvo7sv8j
Archived 28 November 2019 at the Wayback Machine
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