The untold story of the Indian suffragettes

Research conducted by historian Dr Sumita Mukherjee at the University of Bristol has shattered received ideas on the British suffrage movement, introducing the histories of minority ethnic women into a predominantly white and anglocentric public narrative.

Research highlights

By diversifying, decentring, and globalising narratives about suffrage, Dr Mukherjee’s research on ‘Indian Suffragettes’ has achieved profound cultural, educational and political impacts:

  • Challenged preconceptions: leading to the inclusion of Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities in both histories of national commemoration, such as the inclusion of Indian women into plinths at Parliament Square, and public discourse.
  • Instigated new learning, thinking and action about race, empire and global approaches to suffrage histories, in cultural institutions campaign groups and the media
  • Inspired policymakers, parliamentarians and activists, as well as members of the public, especially BAME groups.

The Millicent Fawcett Statue

In 2018, a statue of suffragist leader Millicent Fawcett was unveiled in Parliament Square as part of the celebrations marking 100 years since some women in the UK won the right to vote. 

It is both the first statue of a woman, and the first statue designed by a woman (Gillian Wearing), in this public space. 

Additionally, the statue's plinth features the names and images of 59 supporters of the suffrage movement.

A major impact of Dr Mukherjee’s research and campaigning is the inclusion of the only non-white figures on the plinth: Indian suffragettes Sophia Duleep Singh and Lolita Roy.

“Dr Mukherjee's ground-breaking research and paradigm-shifting re-conceptualisation of Indian women and suffrage is now represented on a national monument in Britain's premier civic space," The lead historical consultant for the Millicent Fawcett statue said. 

Who were the Indian Suffragettes?

Sophia Duleep Singh

Born in London in 1876 to the last Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, Princess Sophia Alexandrovna Duleep Singh (known as "Sophia Duleep Singh") was perhaps the most prominent minority ethnic woman involved in the British suffrage movement. She lived in an apartment in Hampton Court given to her by her godmother, Queen Victoria.

Despite her privileged position, following a visit to India in 1907, Singh became increasingly engaged in activism. She was a prominent member of the Women’s Tax Resistance League and the Women’s Social and Political Union. She refused to pay taxes and was repeatedly fined for unpaid licence fees.

"No taxation without representation" - a slogan of the Women's Tax Resistance League

Singh led one of the major suffrage demonstrations in 1910, known as Black Friday, along with Emmeline Pankhurst. She also used her title as Princess to promote similar activities in the British colonies.

Lolita Roy

Lolita Roy (also known as Mrs P. L. Roy) moved to England from Calcutta in 1900. She became president of the London Indian Union and a founding member of the Indian Women’s Education Association. In these roles, she raised money for scholarships to bring Indian women to Britain for teacher training courses, and petitioned the British government on giving women the vote in India. 

In 1911, Roy participated in the Women's Coronation Procession organised by the Women's Social and Political Union shortly before the coronation of King George V. Indian women were invited to follow behind women from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa as part of an "empire pageant".

However, while it is important to recognise that the British suffrage movement was more diverse than is typically portrayed, Dr Mukherjee points out that events like the Coronation Procession did not reflect a broader inclusion of minority ethnic women by the British suffragettes. 

"These women were objectified by British women who wanted to throw in a bit of colour to the campaign and draw attention to tokenistic attempts of being diverse," Dr Sumita Mukherjee said.

Influencing policymakers

During the centenary year, Dr Mukherjee held a workshop in parliament for policymakers, parliamentarians, academics and activists to consider ways of using suffrage histories from the Global South to inform policymaking on inclusion and representation.

Attendees of the workshop said it encouraged them to think about the policy implications of the suffrage movement and methods for campaigning for greater racial and gender diversity in the UK parliament. They indicated that they would plan follow-up activities, implement conversations into policy in their own organisations, and would take more account of race in future events.

“Events like Sumita's helped to develop my thinking about how we listen to voices that so often get sidelined,” a workshop attendee from the Government Equalities Office said. 

Unfinished Business

The British Library’s current exhibition on Unfinished Business: The Fight for Women’s Rights features an entire thematic strand of objects and stories that would otherwise have been omitted. With Mukherjee’s intervention, the exhibition includes a whole section about Indian suffragettes.

"In particular, Dr Mukherjee has pointed us towards and helped illuminate content about Indian women's activism and the complicated relationship between Indian women activists and white British women activists in the early part of the twentieth century," British Library's Lead Curator said. 

The exhibition curator also credits Dr Mukherjee for assisting them in their efforts to attract a large percentage of visitors from the 15-25 year old age bracket and from diverse backgrounds; audiences that do not traditionally attend British Library exhibitions.

Looking forward

Collaborating with Dr Mukherjee has allowed the media, museums and charities to diversify the stories they tell to include Black and Asian history and to connect the British suffrage movement with global histories.

"Why not draw inspiration from women in India campaigning for the right to vote? From women in South Africa? We don’t necessarily have to always be Anglocentric. Whatever our backgrounds are, we can find role models and inspiring figures in other parts of the world," Dr Sumita Mukherjee said. 

Britain's leading charity for gender equality and women’s rights, The Fawcett Society, has particularly benefited from collaborating with Dr Mukherjee. She has helped the Society reach out to young people through educational packs and a major national social media campaign.

“Her work has made us more conscious of the racial diversity within the suffrage movement, the ways in which a forward-looking campaigning charity can use history to inspire young people of all backgrounds, especially by looking beyond Britain and working with women around the world,” The Fawcett Society's CEO said. 

"Whatever our backgrounds are, we can find role models and inspiring figures in other parts of the world."