In 1911 the capital of India was transferred from Calcutta to Delhi. King George V declared this transfer at the end of 1911 Imperial Dunbar. Behind the motivation for moving the capital to Delhi, was the civil unrest created by the partition of Bengal in 1905, which separated Muslim eastern areas from the Hindu western areas. Additionally, Britain wished to rule from a more central located capital and Calcutta was too far East. Delhi gave Britain a more central location to rule from.
Sen lived near Calcutta during this time, so it is likely she was affected by the unrest. Throughout her narrative, Sen shows an awareness of the conflict between Hindus and Muslims. When her friend is shocked at Sen for taking food from a Muslim, Sen asks “are the Muslims not human beings?” (120). Sen shows herself to be very sympathetic towards people who are different from her and the transfer of the capital likely presented her with more opportunities to show this kind of compassion to people who were different from her.
Sources:
Llewellyn-Jones, Rosie. “Delhi : Short-Lived Capital of the Raj.” History Today 61, no. 12(December 2011): 21–27.
“Partition of Bengal -- Britannica Academic.” Accessed February 13, 2021. https://academic-eb-com.proxy.uchicago.edu/levels/collegiate/article/partition-of-Bengal/78599.
Sen, Haimabati. Because I am a Woman. Edited by Geraldine Forbes and Tapan Raychauduri. New Delhi, 2011.