This week we aim to provide a voice for the Indian suffragettes. Examining the small amount of evidence that remains on the Indian suffragettes will hopefully reveal how style provided a language for all races, classes, and genders to speak. Fashion activism challenged prejudices. By using style and fashion as the language of the suffragette fight, the WSPU was building a modern and approachable cause that did not discriminate, as long as your purpose was for the rights of women. Inspired by the Stylist suffragette issue and the Museum of London‘s Votes For Women display, the House of Gharats 5-week mini-series explores the concept of style and how dressing to empower has remained a prominent component in history.
The top left photo is of Indian suffragettes at the Women’s Coronation Procession of 17th June 1911 where Indian suffragettes were part of the ‘Imperial Contingent’. The elephant on the banner is a visual demonstartion of the support the suffragettes had across the British Empire. The House of Gharats elephant motif jacket is also used to present Indian heritage. If one is to picture modern day Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, who was proud of her Indian heritage and excited to see what winning the vote could mean for her home country, one can feasibly see her wearing the HOG jacket in this photo. The brocade is the fabric of royalty and a key colour of the suffragettes.
Indian Suffragettes
While our common understanding of the suffragette fight is predominantly taken up by British white citizens other races’ suffragette story has been left largely untold. The current story fails to acknowledge those suffragettes who were of foreign origin. Although only a small majority of the force, the Indian suffragettes in their unique appearance, their unique upbringing, their unique understanding of what made a woman, were just as crucial, powerful and respected voices of the cause. Taking Princess Sophia Duleep Singh as our example, this week’s article explores how those of alternative origin, and their unique style and perspective, served to bring the movement to new heights.
Princess Sophia Duleep Singh
Sophia, Queen Victoria’s treasured goddaughter, was the daughter of Maharajah Duleep Singh – the last Indian prince in the Sikh Empire. Protected by her heritage and royal association Sophia spent her youth in an air of luxury. When she was introduced to the suffragette movement, she knew very little about the meaning of struggle. Sophia, as a royal celebrity and an Indian activist, meant more to the cause, and women’s rights, than she’d ever know. Her adoption of British fashion as an Indian citizen in an era of inherent racism and colonialism raised many necessary questions about what made the 20th-century woman. Sophia dressed in the most fashionable and expensive attire and became a style icon of her time. Consequentially her every move was noted and she amassed many fans. As well as being of royal origin, Sophia’s Indian heritage makes her an interesting example of the diversity of the suffragette movement in Britain.
Black Friday
On the 18th November 1910, otherwise known as Black Friday, Sophia led 400 women in a WSPU demonstration alongside Emmeline Pankhurst. Because of her royal identity, she was forced to watch 150 women be brutally mishandled by police whilst she left unscathed. Her celebrity status meant police refused to imprison her. Appearance, especially that of the celebrity Princess Sophia, helped the suffragettes reveal the inherent contradictions within law enforcement and therefore gain more support. At a time when British imperialism in India was being questioned, any bad publicity regarding British parliamentary figures and Indian citizens would lead to even more uproar in the Indian continent. Sophia went on to dare the authorities to arrest her again and again. She brandished Asquith’s car, dodged the tax census and refused to stop promoting the suffragettes outside Hampton court. Sophia was the Suffragette royal recruit and her wealth and celebrity status meant she was hard to ignore in public.
Publicity
The suffragettes wanted publicity; parliamentary laws forbid any newspapers from publishing updates or news on the suffragette cause in the hope that this would dampen their determination. After the Emily Davidson incident at the races, Sophia began selling the WSPU newspaper The Suffragette outside the gates of Hampton court palace, a residence bestowed to her by Queen Victoria. ‘The sight of the Indian princess in her expensive furs with a satchel strapped across her body, sandwich board by either side, waving around a paper and shouting ‘Votes for Women’ caused a scandal at the very highest levels’ notes Anita Anand. The king wanted to evict her but knew the bad press would be damaging. The loss of visitors to Hampton court place crippled local businesses. Sophia was a constant reminder of the money they were losing and therefore a constant reminder that the suffragette cause would not give up.
Style and Celebrity Status
Sophia’s unique identity as a celebrity of Indian origin allowed the suffragettes to exploit the police force at their core, the power to imprison. Her adoption of British fashion trends and her celebrity status meant people aspired to be like her and therefore listened to the suffragette cause and adopted their style more. Style was a universal language that was adopted by Indians just as much as Britons in the fight for the vote. The fact the Royal Mail is now honouring Sophia’s contribution in the form of an exclusive stamp is proof that the story of the suffragettes is rightfully being retold. But there is still a long way to go. Princess Sophia Duleep Singh’s upbringing in royal luxury makes her experience unique and other Indian suffragettes’ story may be drastically different. Despite this, the fact still remains that in the suffragette cause style and activism were intrinsically linked and Princess Sophia is a prime example of this.
Sajeela Kershi pictured here for her Fights Like A Girl series. The top left photograph is taken at the Women’s March in 2017 where she was inspired to take a stand at Edinburgh (see bottom left) and wear her House of Gharats orange jacket whilst supporting the British Red Cross Young Tiffany Circle “fashion runway” show.
Sajeela Kershi
In order to gain an alternative perspective on this week’s theme, we chose to speak to Sajeela Kershi, who as a comedian and female rights activist is a great example of how far suffragette style has influenced the successful modern day woman. Her stand up show Fights Like A Girl touches upon arguments the suffragettes had over 100 years ago.
What inspired you to start Fights Like A Girl?
The Women’s March in January 2017 was in part the inspiration for my stand-up show Fights Like a Girl it took its title from a banner that was behind me in a photo which ended up on the front pages of the press and online in the UK and all over the world. I was on the front line of the London Women’s march and one of the key speakers that day. The numbers of men and women who came out to march and fight against not just Trumps Tyranny but injustices against women across the globe blew me away. Fights Like a Girl was also my own personal story on what I have fought for and fought against the backdrop of the socio-political environment of the World. I also love that on the march we reclaimed negative slogans like ‘fights like a girl’ and used them to empower us.
Like the suffragettes, you have fought against misogyny and imbalance in society, how far has style helped you communicate and strengthen your fight?
Women are constantly judged on the way we look, what we wear, how we wear it, dare we get old and lose our looks. Dare we dress too provocatively, too conservative etc. I always thought comedy was the one medium where the only requirement was to just be funny, to entertain. Sadly even in Comedy what we look like on stage can sometimes evoke a response from a critic over our jokes – style over substance? or just downright imbalance in the way male and female comics are pitted against each other. At least once a year a lazy journalist will ask the question we all hate, ‘what it feels like to be a female comedian’. Just the same as being a male comic, it’s just that they won’t be asked the same question.
I want my words to be the only thing the audience focus on. Now I’ve found my voice, I’m looking at marrying that with more smoke and mirrors and showing my personality through what I wear. My comedy style, however, is very warm on stage, I tackle quite heavy subjects in a satirical but playful way, I’m unashamedly full on in your face with everything that I want to challenge in society, I want my style to reflect that pure unapologetic performance.
Indian women remain largely outside the historiography of British suffragettes despite their commitment and influence to the cause. Do you think we, in the 21st century, have overcome this issue regarding diversity in feminism?
Sadly we haven’t overcome it but I think South Asian women have started to get their voices heard. Intersectional feminism has really come into its own and hopefully, Asian women no longer feel they are simply waiting to catch the crumbs of equality from their white feminist sisters.
In what way do you think Indian suffragettes helped combat racial prejudices as well as fight for the vote?
One fight at a time – historically Indian suffragettes contribution is barely recognised, I doubt very much if they helped combat racial prejudice in their day, as they have almost been airbrushed out of the movement. However, those fore-sisters that fought for us are absolutely the role models for Asian women today, we need more strong Asian female role models today for the next generations to aspire to.
How do you think we can change conventions in society with our style like the suffragettes?
I believe style and panache are as much about our inner confidence and self-belief and love of the core of who we are as it is about the outer garments we wear. So just like a comedian/satirists attempts to challenge conventions so can a woman from any walk of life challenge, lampoon and change societies perceptions of her of women. Clothing can be a very powerful calling card and can make a political statement.
by Lily Rimmer
Click here to read the first week of our Suffragette style series.
Click here to read the second week of our Suffragette style series.
For more information on Princess Sophia read Sophia: Princess, Suffragette, Revolutionary by Anita Anand.
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