Reconstructing nineteenth and early twentieth century challenges to women's education in Assam, India.

The British colonial period of Assam (1826–1947) was characterized by efforts to realign societal norms on modern lines without completely disassociating from the main tenets of its tradition. In this context, the nineteenth century in particular and the early twentieth century is important in the history of Assam as elsewhere in India, for it witnessed the entry of girls into the formal system of education. It is self-contradictory that education, which is one of the potent instruments of social change, would also be used to strengthen the prevalent patriarchal societal norms and further deny women opportunities to learn new roles. The present study would basically concern itself in reconstructing the opposition and challenges to women's education in Assam as reflected in the nascent Vernacular Press during the nineteenth and early twentieth century. The work is limited to the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam.