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READ: Azizun of Lucknow (Graphic Biography)

Azizun was a nineteenth-century courtesan (Tawa’if) turned anti-colonial fighter in northern India. She became a leader in the Indian Uprising of 1857.
The Graphic Biography below uses “Three Close Reads”. If you want to learn more about this strategy, click here.

First read: skimming for gist

This will be your quickest read. It should help you get the general idea of what the graphic biography will be about. Pay attention to the title, headings, images, and layout. Ask yourself: what is this graphic biography going to be about?

Second read: understanding content

For this reading, you should be looking for unfamiliar vocabulary words, the major claim and key supporting details, and analysis and evidence. You should also spend some time looking at the images and the way in which the page is designed.
By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:
  1. Where did Azizun live, and what was its status in 1856?
  2. What was a Tawa’if? What did the British believe they were?
  3. How did Azizun react to the occupation of Awadh in 1856 and the rebellion that broke out in 1857?
  4. How does the artist use the image in the last panel to demonstrate that Azizun was breaking the rules, both of Awadh and British ideas, about how women should act?

Third read: evaluating and corroborating

In this read, you should use the graphic biography as evidence to support, extend, or challenge claims made in the course.
At the end of the third read, you should be able to respond to these questions:
  1. How does this biography of Azizun support, extend, or challenge what you have learned about the “civilizing mission” and about resistance to colonial rule in this period?
Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to read! Remember to return to these questions once you’ve finished reading.

Azizun of Lucknow (Graphic Biography)

Writer: Lindsay Ehrisman
Artist: Liz Clarke
Azizun was a nineteenth-century courtesan (Tawa’if) turned anti-colonial fighter in northern India. She became a leader in the Indian Uprising of 1857.
Download the Graphic Biography PDF here or click on the image above.

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