Hidden History by Eesha

  • The First Muslim Woman in Tudor England

    The First Muslim Woman in Tudor England

    Aura Soltana/Ippolyta is believed to have been the first Muslim woman in Tudor England. She is believed to have been an enslaved Tartar (a Turkic ethnic group) from Russia who was brought to England in the mid-late 1500s where she possibly became a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth I.  Although the circumstances of why she was…

  • Merle Oberon: The 1930s South Asian Hollywood Icon

    Merle Oberon: The 1930s South Asian Hollywood Icon

    After watching Wuthering Heights (1939), I came across the profile of Merle Oberon, who played Cathy in the film. Looking at the images of her, I thought she resembled some Bollywood actresses from the ’60s/’70s, so I began reading more into Merle, who she was and her heritage. What I found was shocking! Born in…

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