In the philosophical treatise Akhlaq-I Nasiri , the 13th century theologian Nasir al-Din Tusi prescribes methods for boys and girls to become ideal ladies and gentlemen. At a time when there was no universal education for women, Tusi advocated the need for women to pick up virtues from everyday living to conduct themselves well.
This dogmatic child-rearing manual continued to be the self-help book in most Muslim households till it lost relevance with changing times. This created the need for some inspiring non-religious literature to guide young women in their married lives.
Nazir Ahmad had felt such a need among his own daughters. It inspired him to create a fictional narrative that acquired a cult following when it was published in 1869. The award-winning book was translated as The Bride’s Mirror in 1903. It is a story of two sisters married to two brothers: Akbari, the spoilt elder sibling, mean-tempered and uneducated, and the younger, Asghari, a competent youngster who succeeds at everything she turns her hand to.
Asghari wades through disappointments to rebuild the family and its fortunes while Akbari separates from the household to live with her husband. Isn’t it a familiar story that continues to play out even today?
Oscillating between joint and nuclear families, The Bride’s Mirror reflects the rapid transformation in society in general and in many households in particular. Its context may have changed but the basic philosophy is still relevant — women continue to have considerable influence over household affairs and personal morality remains a key player in maintaining harmonious inter-personal relationships.
Even if one doesn’t agree with the author’s positions, The Bride’s Mirror is still important as a historical document that brings alive the humming markets and seething streets of old Delhi.
The Bride’s Mirror; Nazir Ahmad, trs G.E. Ward, Aleph, ₹399
The book critic has a special interest in development literature.
