Sultana's Dream

Sultana's Dream is a feminist utopian story by Rokeya who was a Muslim feminist, writer and social reformer from Bengal. written in 1905, the science fiction story depicts a world in which men are confined and women have taken over the public sphere. They rule Ladyland, restoring peace and beauty to the world.

Rokeya Hussain's witty indictment of colonial society, and the men who ruled it.

 Plot

In a mirror reflection of the custom of purdah, it portrays a feminism utopia named Ladyland in which women rule everything and men live alone. The ladies are helped by "electrical" technology reminiscent of science fiction, which permits labor-free farming and flying cars; the women scientists have figured out how to capture solar power and manipulate the weather. As a result, "the men are imprisoned away in a technologically sophisticated future, creating a sort of gender-based Planet of the Apes"
There, old preconceptions like "Men have greater brains" and "Women are naturally weak" are refuted by reasoning like "An elephant also has a bigger and heavier brain" and "A lion is stronger than a man," yet neither of them rules men."

Since crime was believed to be exclusively the responsibility of men, it is nonexistent in Ladyland. Since males used to waste six hours a day smoking, the workday is now only two hours long. The religion is based on truth and love. Since purity is prioritized, there are many more "holy relations" (mahram) on the list.

Background of the story 

Hossain claims that she created Sultana's Dream to pass the time while her husband, deputy magistrate Khan Bahadur Syed Sakhawat Hossain, was abroad on a tour. Hossain was inspired to read and write in English by her husband, who was a grateful audience member. Sultana's Dream was thus written in English as a means of proving her language skills to her spouse. The narrative made a big impression on Sakhawat, who pushed Hossain to submit it to The Indian Ladies Magazine, which first published it in 1905. Later, the tale was released as a book in 1908.

Hossain (1880–1922) was born into a wealthy, land-owning family. She was unable to learn Bangla and English, despite the fact that she could read and write in Urdu. Back then, English was supposed to expose girls to novel ideas that society deemed inappropriate. Rokeya received instruction from her older sister and brother in reading and writing both English and Bangla. When she was only 25 years old, she authored Sultana's Dream. She founded a girls' school in Kolkata in 1910, and the school is still running today.

Short-Note