Feminism
"Sultana's Dream" is a radical depiction of a matriarchal society, where female rule leads to peace, equality, and prosperity. When the male influence and male power structures are eliminated, society is able to evolve into a utopia. Progress flourishes and technological advancements becomes immense, with the creation of hover cars, self-irrigating land, air travel, and a wealth of resources. By portraying an ideal female society, the story forces the reader to consider the oppressive nature of patriarchal society and criticizes male-dominated society. The female society experiences no violence and has no need to turn to oppression; instead, the women exist as equals, without power hierarchies, and are able to cohabitate with both each other and the land in peace.
Science and innovation
Ladyland is propelled by progressive scientific innovation, which is only possible with the removal of the oppressive male power structures that the women eliminate by restricting the men to the mardanas. They engineer flying cars, install plumbing in homes, and even control the weather with a large water balloon that can dispense water when necessary. Because of the scientific and technological advancements of Ladyland, there are no deaths from car accidents or natural disasters. The women are able to create a total utopia using science. The women's use of science is also a criticism of the male-dominated scientific field of the time, which primarily used science in ways that harmed the natural world or strengthened modes of enacting violence upon others.
Female Education
Ladyland's feminist utopia emerges as a direct result of accessible female education; when the Queen passes an order that all women should be educated, women are able to receive a proper scientific education and begin to turn their attention towards innovation. After the order is passed, universities for women are built, where women like the Lady Principal who invents the sun-heat harnessing machine and the Lady Principal who creates the water balloon are able to fully rise to their intellectual potential. The story's emphasis on education reflects Rokeya's own devotion to female education and empowerment.
Critique of Patriarchal Society
"Sultana's Dream," in portraying an idyllic all-female society, criticizes male power structures, including political, religious, and social institutions that were all male-dominated at the time of the story's composition. Religion in Ladyland, for example, is focused on love and truth, which implies that religion in "regular"—patriarchal—society is the opposite, and fails to embody these values. The explicit mention of certain items, such as the Koh-i-Noor and the Peacock Throne, make the story's criticism even more explicit, as they overtly reference the Mughal dynasty and condemn the Mughal empire's focus on extravagant riches and military warfare.
