2 SOCIAL SCIENTIST
Maharashtra as well as the household politics that determined her existence.
Ratnabali examines prostitution in 19th Century Bengal:
'Construction of Class and Gender' with a special emphasis on popular narratives representing her while Kokila Dang looks at the practice in Awadh of the same period with a special emphasis on the role of the state.
I want to thank the contributors especially those with whom it was logistically possible to engage in enthusiastic discussion and patient revision. I also want to thank Rajendra Prasad for his indefatigable encouragement without which these issues would never have come into being.
KUMKUM SANGARI