Were Muslim women oppressed in Mughal era? Raza Elahi sheds light on subject in his new book
When discussing historical attitudes toward women in Medieval India, a common stereotype often emerges: That of a rigidly conservative and restrictive culture where women were confined behind the veil and largely secluded from public life. But, the reality of women’s lives under the Mughal Empire dramatically challenges this narrow perception.
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This as well as topics like — The historical Aurangzeb & the recently created Aurangzeb; and how Muslim scholars played great role in shaping up modern society and how religion and trade walk hand in hand in Islamic culture — are part of a new book, Between Eras & Expressions, written by Raza Elahi, a senior journalist with The Economic Times.
In an age where attention is fragmented by screens and scrolling, Raza Elahi has come up with this book with an aim to make reading enjoyable and meaningful, even for those who seldom pick up a book, and busting many myths.
The second section of this book explores some interesting facets of various national and international places he has travelled to. These are not mere travelogues or diaries, but thoughtful narratives enriched with unique observations and anecdotes. Each write-up is crafted in a distinctive style to give readers a sense of being right there in the moment.
Write-ups on film and theatre bring out some stories of Bollywood like — ‘The Tragic Luminaries Of Bollywood: Struggles Of Meena Kumari & Madhubala’ in the third section of this book. The fourth part lightens the mood with writings on diverse and light-hearted topics, all imbued with a poetic flavour. Urdu couplets naturally find their place here, adding charm and rhythm to the prose.
The fifth section brings to the fore his Urdu poetry — written after the publication of his second poetry collection Aayie Dil Se Shayaraana Ho Jayen. The verses are presented in both Nastaliq and Roman scripts to retain their original essence and to appeal to connoisseurs and casual readers alike.
Raza has made a conscious effort to keep, ‘Between Eras & Expressions’ concise yet rich with content. At under 200 pages, it offers write-ups on history, culture, travel, films and Urdu as well as his new collection of Urdu poetry — all without demanding too much of readers’ time.
‘The book is a journey across times, terrains, and tongues — woven together through my pen, passion, and perspective. Between Eras & Expressions is not just a compilation of my write-ups; it is, in fact, a reflection of my enduring love for history, travel, cinema, art, and above all, Urdu,’ he said.
The book (Price: Rs 450) was released on November 15 in Noida.
The launch function was attended by Dr Rohma Javed (assistant professor, dept of history, Jamia Millia Islamia); Dr Syed Aijazuddin (Ex-Consultant, Jamia Hamdard’s Civil Services Coaching Centre), Najm Ahsan Saifi (Ex-SAIL official), Rashid Nayeem (Ex-Railways official), Khaja Hashmi (project manager, GE and poet), Zille Elahi (COO, Trade India), Fazal Elahi (Diagonastic consultant), Samin Chishti (National Manager, SG), businesspersons Paasha Qadry, Dr Syed Misbahuddin, Shah Amir and Asad Elahi, besides many history and poetry lovers. The book was launched by the author’s mother Sarwat Usmani.
Ghazal singing by Qausain Hashmi enlightened the audience after the book launch. To buy Between Eras & Expressions, WhatsApp at 9870477658
(Price: Rs 450+courier charge; payment can be done at 9870477658@upi)
