Muslim Women's Resolution on the Sarda Bill and Islamic Law

Sub title : Correspondence to the Viceroy's Private Secretary

Subject: Sarda Bill (Child Marriage Restraint Act) | Islamic Personal Law | Muslim Women's Political Mobilization

Language: English

Page: 3p.

Source: National Archives of Pakistan

Serial no: 27917

Keyword: Sarda Bill -- Child Marriage Restraint Act -- Muslim Women -- Islamic Law -- Personal Law | Viceroy -- Colonial Legislation -- Meerut -- Anjuman -- Religious Sentiments

Abstract: This file contains two related documents: one in Urdu/Persian script (likely a formal resolution or statement) and one in English—a draft telegram to the Private Secretary of the Viceroy. The telegram states that Muslim women in Meerut have resolved that the Sarda Bill affects Islamic marriage law and injures religious sentiments. It requests the Viceroy's approval and notes that Muslim women are already represented in the Assembly and other bodies. The documents reflect the organized opposition from sections of Muslim women against colonial legislation perceived as interfering with religious personal laws.

Description: These documents capture a significant moment in the intersection of gender, religion, and colonial law in British India. The Sarda Bill (1929), which aimed to restrain child marriage, faced opposition from various communities, including some Muslim groups who saw it as an intrusion into Islamic personal law. This telegram draft reveals that Muslim women themselves were actively organizing and voicing their opposition, asserting their existing representation and defending religious law. The accompanying Urdu document likely elaborates on their resolution. This material is valuable for understanding early women's political participation, community identity, and debates over legal reform in pre-Partition India. SCANNED BY: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF PAKISTAN.

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