First translation of this memoir of Anis Kidwai, detailing her
political life as a Muslim woman dealing with the aftermath of
Partition.
Dust of the Caravan is a selection of writings by Anis Kidwai
sketching the personal and political journey of a Muslim woman through
the first eight decades of the twentieth century. A rich tapestry of
tales lies in Kidwai's often humorous and always incisive telling of the
travels that took her from an upbringing in rural Awadh into the
maelstrom of Partition.
Simultaneously a social history of life in rural Awadh in the early
twentieth century and the birth of the national movement in the region
Dust of the Caravan is an account of the traditions of mutual respect
and understanding between different faiths in a shared culture and the
rupture of those very traditions during Partition. It is also the story
of a woman's journey from the home into the world and from "family
values" towards autonomous beliefs, friendships, and activism. In
addition to its value as a literary work, Dust of the Caravan is an
important resource in the fields of history, sociology, and gender
studies.
