Beyond the Zenana: Unearthing the Hidden Archive of Dr. Miss Jamini Sen—Patriarchy, Colonial Racism, and Humanitarian Feminism in Early Twentieth-Century Bengal

Abstract

The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in colonial Bengal witnessed the gradual opening of professional avenues for educated middle-class women, among which the identity of the ‘lady doctor’ emerged as a highly complex amalgamation of empowerment and vulnerability. While traditional Bengali society hesitated to accept women as medical practitioners, British colonial authorities subjected them to systemic racial discrimination, and male colleagues often subjected them to professional harassment. Against this intricate backdrop, Dr. Miss Jamini Sen (1871–1932) emerged as a pioneering yet remarkably introverted figure. During her lifetime, Sen strictly guarded her personal diaries and memoirs, explicitly forbidding their posthumous publication in her will. It was only after her death that her elder sister, the poet Kamini Roy, defied this wish to preserve her legacy, publishing a serialized biography, "Daktar Kumini Jamini Sen," in the periodical Bangalakshmi in 1339 BS (1932 CE). Furthermore, a profound lecture delivered by Sen was published in Suprabhat in 1320 BS (1914 CE), and her historic academic achievements were covered by The Modern Review in 1912. Drawing heavily upon these contemporary periodicals and recent research by scholars like Pritha Kundu, Indranil Sanyal, and Sharmita Ray, this seminar paper provides a detailed feminist historiographical evaluation of Sen’s life. It examines her transition from a private individual to a public intellectual, her intellectual resistance against patriarchal and colonial hegemonic structures, and her enduring contribution to the intellectual legacy of women medics in colonial India.