History of Sati Tradition - Research Paper Example

History of Sati Tradition Sati had been part of Indian traditions for hundreds of years. It is a practice among the Hindu community where a widow sacrificed herself as a sign of devotion to her husband. The widow would throw herself into the flames of her dead husband’s funeral pyre; hence, the title “widow burning” (Packer 161). According to Indian mythology, a story of Sati is told by the granddaughter to Brahma, the creator of universe. One day, Sati’s father held a large sacrificial ceremony but refused to invite Sati’s husband. Infuriated by the act of humiliation, Sati started a yogic fire and burned herself to ashes. This act was over the years interpreted as a divine act to show wifely devotion. Sati’s act invoked a belief suggesting that any woman who followed in the steps of Sati, sacrificing her own body for her husband’s honor, would be venerated (Packer 161). Hinduism contains a collection of scriptures written for over four thousand years. Among these writing, discrepancies on widow burning led many to exalt the act while others condemned it in the name of religion. During Vishnusmriti, widows were provided with two options: celibacy or immolation. The Ninayasindu later declared sati as a widow’s essential duty; so did the Purans of the 6th century. These texts went further to elaborate how the act was to be performed. In the years that followed, religious leaders and followers deified women who sacrificed themselves and became satis (Packer 162). Regardless of the religious interpretation of the act, the practice became deeply imbedded in Indian culture. This presented new challenges to people trying to eradicate it. In addition, the social value accorded to widows who sacrificed themselves presented more barriers. Widows were perceived as worthless, with very low social status making life for them unbearable. Widows who did not want to go ahead with the practice were coerced, physically forced or threatened onto the pyre. In many cases, the male relatives played a significant role in a widow’s decision to pursue sati (Packer 162). The demise of sati is attributed to British ruling during the 19th century. The British colonialist had refrained from interfering with Indian tradition, culture and practices. The British rarely tried to enforce change in Muslim or Hindu practices. The governor general to India, however, in the 19th century wondered whether the British government should take measures to eliminate sati. At first, the cleric tasked with coming up with a solution said the practice was too ingrained in the society for any measures to work. In 1812, however, the government introduced a new law, which sought to differentiate between women that voluntarily sought sati and those that did not (Packer 163). This legislation did not work because there was no way of enforcing the law. The police who were themselves Indian did not report any coercion with many of them supporting the tradition. According to the courts, the number of women had increased under the new legislation. This is because people understood the presence of the police as sign of government endorsement. As a result, the general Governor Lord Bentinck enacted a legislation labeling sati as illegal. This was in line with the public movement at the time that called for the abolishment of the practice (Packer 163). Although the practice was labeled as illegal, sati experienced resurgence in the late 20th century. This is particularly the case in rural India. One case that attracted much attention is the story of Roop Kanwar who was widowed at only 19. She was later forced to commit sati by relatives on September 1, 1987. This case prompted women rights group to rally in court to have the perpetrators charged. However, it has ruled that the victim committed suicide willingly and 35 of those arrested were released. What was shocking, however, was thousands of people who showed up to celebrate Kanwar on her first anniversary and a temple built in her honor. Many of those who visited were women. Despite the fact that the practice is almost completely eradicated, evidence such as the case above indicate that the practice still has a strong cultural grip among the people of India (Packer 164). Effects of sati on Indian women Women who committed sati were glorified and earned a new status in the society. While previously they were placed in the lower levels, only belonging to the men in their lives, women who committed sati were accorded saintly status (Adinarayana 23). Apart from the religious aspect of sati, it was used to control the society as far as economic terms were concerned. A widow was a burden to the society. These are some of the reason for the existence of sati. As a result, women who did not accept it were subjected to humiliation and sadness (Adinarayana 23). When a widow refused to undergo sati, she was expected to pursue a life of self-mortification and asceticism. Her hair was shaved off, all her fine jewelry taken away and she was denied of any comfort or pleasure. Since the widow is considered as the bearer of impurity and misfortune, she is not allowed to attend domestic festivities including her own children’s wedding. Her life is characterized by religious observances, fasts and devotional practices (Adinarayana 24). The widows’ in-laws may sometimes hold resentment and hatred towards her as she has “eaten” their son. Many are subjected to insults, humiliation, and abuse with some thrown into the streets if her own family does not accept her back. At such points, many are forced to join widow’s ashram or pursue a career as prostitutes as the society labels them. This is in contrast to the prospects that await a widow who decides to commit sati. Committing sati ensured cleansing for members of her family and her family in law for seven generations making the practice more appealing compared to remaining alive as a widow in a society where remarriage is not fully embraced. In addition, sati has led to dowry deaths. The dowry system in the society has led families to insist on sati so that they could obtain the wealth of the bride and that of her family (Adinarayana 22). Probable solution The probable solution lay in Christian education, in that by making the Christian schools universal, the suttee problem would naturally diminish instead of using authority. The Christian missionaries fought against India and Britain. The missionaries were greatly concerned about the number of widows that were burnt on the funeral pyres of their husbands during the sati rite. The major concern of the missionaries was to renew the lives of the Indians through introduction of Christianity in India. The records revealed that in Calcutta, 260 widows were burnt every year (Major, 313). The number increased with time since young women were also subjected to the same brutal treatment. The rite was abolished in 1829 due to the efforts from the Christian missionaries with support from the government. The government was reluctant to stop the missionaries from interfering with the Hindu religion and traditions. The support from the government enabled the missionaries to work towards abolition of all the inhuman practices. The missionaries did thorough research that enabled them to gather vast information about the victims. They used the information when preaching (Sharma, 60). They published books and pamphlets against the rite. This led to the formation of the anti-sati public opinion that finally became a British government issue. The Missionaries greatly criticized Hinduism due to the bad religious practices. There were two outcomes of the criticism of Hinduism; first, Hindus had conservatism that could not accept the fact that there was something wrong with the religious rites and rituals. Secondly, the rationality of the fundamentals of the religious rites and rituals was to be reexamination (Sharma, 63). The conservative Hindus reacted to the first outcome through “Dharma Sabha” who insisted on practicing the old tradition of the country, while the second outcome, there was a group of Hindus who were against the rite and were ready for change. The second reaction facilitated the abolition of the rite, but due to the differences in the opinions, the natives split into two groups; one group was for reform, while the other was against reform that hardened the work of the missionaries. The missionaries had an impact on the history of the Indian social and religious reforms. They were able to expose the issue of sati, pointed out the inhumanity and insensibility of the entire society. The missionaries made appeals to end the practice since it was based on stagnant and misleading ideas and fake hopes (Sharma, 64). Currently, the Hindus no longer practice the sati rituals during funerals, although the problem of oppression of women still exists. Alternative solution An alternative solution to the problem is setting up modern women movements against sati. In the nineteenth century, a campaign on social reforms was held in British India to empower women about social practices like widow’s immolation (sati), female infanticide, child marriage, and purdah (Major, 318). The movements emphasized on the provision of suitable education; whereby in the nineteenth century, they executed the education project. The key leaders on women’s education considered offering education services about the importance of the family and the role of women to the family. The education has enabled women to consider themselves as part of the entire family. Initially, women could not participate in politics since they were regarded as mothers and their joy was in serving others. Most of the women enrolled in service oriented education like medicine and teaching, but due to the changes that are taking place, women are participating in all educational matters (Major, 319). Women are being educated on how to improve their health, by learning better health practices and use of appropriate facilities that deal with women. Education could change the women’s lifestyle of confinement in their homes. Education has enabled the women to participate in political matters. There are various women associations that were formed, for instance, the Women’s Indian Association was started in 1917. In 1926, Indian Women held several conferences that empowered women to participate in all the all-societal matters such as birth control, abolition of the Devadasi system of devoting girls to the temples, prostitution, and industrial employment for women. The woman agencies are demanding equal civil legislation. The women want the Hindu Court Committee change its name to Indian Code Committee. The committee should also deal with all the communities (Major, 314). They were demanding a comprehensive act. Through education, women have acquired the necessary education and are working towards bringing cultural and political change that has enabled the society to recognize women. In 1953, the Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB) was formed to offer financial support to the existing welfare programs, but there was a decline in addressing the issues of women. In the 1960s, the Women conferences lost their vigor in bring elementary legal transformations in marriage and women’s property right. The decline made them assume their initial status of powerlessness. During the 1960s, India was experiencing a very huge decline in the economy that resulted in escalation of corruption. In 1970s, women faced serious economic hardships (Major, 323). The rate of illiteracy among women increased and women yielded to the fact that they were not equal to men. Few women participated in societal issues. Women were having survival hardships, there was increasing levels of illiteracy among women, and the hold of sophisticated social practices has made numerous women helpless and often lazy in the fight against gender bias and patriarchal cruelty. In order to improve the status of women among the Indians, there is the need for formation of strong women movements that will address all the issues affecting women, since the society still oppresses the women. Prediction of outcome If the problem of oppression and discrimination of women persists, the likely outcome will be societal backwardness, since more women will not acquire education. Lack of education among women will lead to an increase in dependence ratio due to high birth rates and unemployment. The societal stagnation might result in the reoccurrence of the outdated cultural practices, like the sati rites, that will further frustrate the women. In order to curb the issue of oppression of women, the Indian government must work hard to boost their economy while embracing equality and education for women that will enable them to fight for their rights. Work Cited Adinarayana, Reddy P. Problems of Widows in India. New Delhi: Sarup & Sons, 2004. Print. Major, Andrea. Self‐determined Sacrifices? Victimhood and Volition in British Constructions of Sati in the Rajput States, 1830–60. History & Anthropology. 2006, Vol. 17 Issue 4, p313-325. Print. Packer, Corinne A. A. Using Human Rights to Change Tradition: Traditional Pratices Harmful to Women's Reproductive Health in Sub-Saharan Africa. Antwerpen: Intersentia, 2002. Print. Sharma, Arvind. Sati: Historical and Phenomenological Essays. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1988. Print. Read More