Published in 1876,
Rupjalal,is the first known full-length creative text written by a Bengali Muslim woman. Its author, Nawab Faizunnesa (1834-1903) was a provincial ruler in colonial Bengal, a philanthropist, a social reformer, and a pioneer Muslim feminist. Influenced by popular romance narratives (known as
mangalkabya) of the early seventeenth to the late eighteenth century and the epic tales of the
Ramayana,the
Mahabharata, and the
Arabian Nights,Faizunnesa wrote a romantic tale about a distressed damsel named Rup and a valiant hero named Jalal. In a mixed genre of prose and poetry, she narrates the story of Jalal who undertakes a perilous journey to rescue Rup from a giant named Fortas. On his dangerous journey, Jalal fights demons, suffers imprisonment, marries a princess to earn…
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Citation: Hasanat, Fayeza. "Rupjalal". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 12 April 2021 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=39261, accessed 02 December 2024.]