Roongta1

SalonyRoongta BarisTasyakan MMW12,SectionA13 March10th2013 WomenInAncientIndia:EqualsorSlaves Fromtimeimmemorial,thestatusofwomeninallthesocietieshavebeendelicate.Somehave acceptedwomentobeequal,ifnotsuperior,butelsewheretheproblemremainsofwomenbeing treatedinappropriatelybyfamily,relatives,friendsandsocietyonthewhole.Onesuchsocietywhere thisdilemmahasnotbeenclearedistheIndiansociety.Therootsofdiscriminationhavebeenstrong rightfromtheancienttimesinthissociety.Womenwerealwaysconsideredtobeinferiortothemale populationintheIndiansocietyonthewhole.Exceptionsdidexistinafewtribalsocietieswherethe birthofagirlwasconsideredauspicious.Thebeginningofthisproblemisunknown,buteventoday,the headsofIndiansarehelddowninshamewhenitcomestothesecurityandrightsofwomen.Eveninthe 21stcentury,rapecases,honourkillings,femaleinfanticideandfemalefoeticidesareextremely common.InancientIndia,womenweremorelikewhatsubjectsaretokingsorwhatservantsareto owners.Theywerenotallowedtoinvolvethemselvesinanysocialeventsotherthanthoserelatedto religion.Womenwerebarelygivenanyfreedomtoleadtheirownlives.Infacttheyhadtoleadtheir livesaccordingtotheirhusbandandhisfamily.Theyhadnofinancialindependencewhatsoever.They werenotallowedtogainformaleducationinthefieldofscienceormathematics,andwereonlytaught toreadandinterpretthereligioustexts.Beforemarriage,theyweretrainedtobegoodwives, daughterinlawsandmothersandwerealwaysdominatedbytheirfather,unclesandbrothers.The

Roongta2

brothersweredominatingeveniftheywereadecadeortwoyoungertothegirl.Evenasyounggirls, theywerentallowedtoplayinpublicordancesociallyforthatwasconsideredthejobofharlots.After marriage,thewomanwasdominatedbyherhusbandandhisfamily.Also,bearingaboychildwas consideredtobehermainmottoaftermarriage.Therefore,theancientIndiansocietywasamale chauvinistoneandwaspatriarchalinnature.Mentionedaboveareonlyafewofthemanyexamplesas tohowtheywereconsideredinferiortomenandhowthesocietyexpectedaladytoleadherlife.A detaileddiscussionabouthowwomenweredominatedandwhattheywereexpectedtodointheirlife willgiveusabetterviewintotheancientIndiansociety. AncientIndiansocietyisknownforitseducationandprogressinscience,mathematicsand architectureliketheGreekandtheRomansocieties.AccordingtoKamasutra,thesteppingstone towardsthejourneyoflifeformenstartedwithacquiringeducationbothinthefieldofscienceaswell as,religiouseducation(TheKamaSutraofVatsyayana,5).However,forwomen,theruleswere different.Womenwereconsideredtoonlygaineducationregardingreligiouspracticesandhousehold dutiesastopleaseherhusbandandtakegoodcareofherchildren.AccordingtoKamaSutra,a womanwassupposedtoreadKamaShastratolearnthesixtyfourartsofgoodhousekeepingsuchas adorningidolswithriceandflowers,makingbeds,spreadingoutcarpets,etc(KamaSutraof Vatsyayana,10,11).Therefore,weseethataccordingtoancientIndiantextmanualstoo,themain purposeofawomanslifewastokeepherfamilyhappyandthinkverylittleaboutherself. Menhadthefreedomtoenjoymultiplewomenatthesametime,butawomanoncemarriedto amanwasinnowayallowedtoremarryanotherman(KamaSutraofVatsyayana,20).A twicemarriedwomanwasconsideredaNayikaandwasconsideredunfittobeenjoyedbymen.In

Roongta3

fact,aftermarriage,ifawidowsurvivedherhusband,shewasliterallytreatedlikeapublicwomanand wasenjoyedbyeveryonewhereas,inKamaSutraitsaysthatonlyawomanpreviouslyenjoyedbyfive menwasfittobeenjoyed(KamaSutraofVatsyayana,18,20).DraupadithewifeofPandavas,in MahabharatawasinfactusedasamaterialisticcommodityandwaslosttotheKauravasasabetin thedicegame(MMW11,Lecturenotes).SitatoointheepicRamayana,wassenttoliveintheforest aloneagainonlybecauseshewasabductedbyRavanawhowasamale.JustbecauseSitawaskeptin imprisonmentbyamale,morallyshewaschallengedbythesocietyandKingRama,withoutevena singlehesitation,gaveuponhiswifeandleftherintheforesttoliveanasceticlifealone.Character assassinationonwomenwasverycommonandnottoomanypeoplebelievedwomenonsuchissues. Moralvalues,whenitcametowomen,werestrictlyfollowedbutformenwerehighlyflexibleandinfact weremadediscriminatoryinnature.Mencouldtreatwomeninwhicheverwaytheywantedtoand couldevensellthemfortheirownbenefit,butawomencouldnotevenraisehervoiceandspeaktoany ofthemalemembersofthefamily. Womenweregiventherighttoliveonlyifherhusbandsurvivedduringherlifetime,otherwise, shewassubjectedtoSati.TheSatisystemcamedowntoIndiawiththeAryanmigrationandwas widelypracticedintheancienttimelawfully(TraditionsandEncounters,78,80).Satiwasapractice wherethewomen,ifthehusbanddiedbeforeher,wasexpectedtothrowherselfonthefuneralpyreof herdeceasedhusband(TraditionsandEncounters,80).Although,itissaidthatSatiwasnot practicedwidelyintheIndiancustomandwaslimitedonlytotheeliteclasssothatthemaledominance wasfurtherreinforced,realitysaysotherwise.Evenafterthelawwasmadeinthe19thcenturybarring thepracticeofsati,itsimplementationwasverypooranditcontinuedeveninthe20thcenturyafterthe

Roongta4

freedomofIndiaaftertheBritishrule.Therefore,onlyinthepastfewdecadeshasthetortuouspractice endedagainstthewomen.Thisdramaticpracticewasyetanotherwaytomakeitcleartothesociety thatwomenshouldliveundertheinfluenceofmenfirsttheirfathers,ifthefatherdiedtheirbrothers, laterundertheirhusbandsandifthewidowsurvivedherhusbandthenunderhersons(Traditionsand Encounters,80). Intheearlierdays,inIndia,girlswereexpectedtogetmarriedataverytenderage.Infactagirl whohadarrivedpubertyfullywasconsideredunfitformarriage.Also,agirlwhopollutedbyanother orinotherwords,wasntavirgin,wasalsoconsideredunfitforamarriage(KamaSutraof Vatsyayana,62).Also,duringmarriage,itwasalwaysthegirlsfamilywhowassubjectedto welcomingthefamilyofthegroom.Thefamilyofthebridewasconsideredinferiortothatofthegroom (KamaSutraofVatsyayana,63).Everywhereweseethatthefemaleissubjectedtotakingcareof herselfandthefamilyoffemalehastoputupwithallthecustomsandrituals.Morallythefemalehasto bestrongandhastothinkaboutthesocietybutthemalecandoalmosteverything,aslongasheis acquiringArthaandDharmawhichwereconsideredtobesuperiortoKama. Womenweresubjectedtodoeverythingwhichherhusbandwantedhertodoaftermarriage. Shewassupposedtodonothingthatherhusbanddidnotwanthertodo.Shewasntsupposedto acceptmarriageinvitationsorattendevenfuneralswithoutherhusbandsconsent(KamaSutraof Vatsyayana,80).ThewomansArtha,DharmaandKamaonlyincludedinkeepingthehusbandhappy anddevotedtoherselfalongsidekeepinghisfamilysatisfied(KamaSutraofVatsyayana,82).Women wereevenexpectedtowashthefeetofherhusbandwhenhecamefromworkandwerealsosupposed togetupimmediatelyassoonasthehusbandarrivedinordertofulfillhiswishesanddemands(Kama

Roongta5

SutraofVatsyayana,79).Therefore,alltheaboveexamplesshowthedelicatepositionofthewomen ineverydaylife. Iftheawomandidnotabidebytheabovestatedlawsorifshecouldntpleaseherhusband, thenshewasforcedtoacceptayoungerwifeforherhusband.Also,ifthewifecouldntbearchildrenor wasonlybearingdaughters,thehusbandwithoutanysocialormoralissues,couldmarryandgethomea newwife(KamaSutraofVatsyayana,83).Therefore,themoralvalueofrestrictingthemarriageofa womantoonlyonemanwasprevalentbutitwasnttruetheotherwayround.Amancouldmarryas manywiveshewanted. Afterthehusbandsremarriage,theelderwifewasexpectedtolookaftertheyoungerwifeand makesureshewaspleasingtheirhusband(KamaSutraofVatsyayana,83).Theyoungerwifetoo wasforcedtoacceptbittertruthofacceptingtheelderwifeasherrivalandwasnotexpectedtotellso toherhusband.Shewasexpectedtoregardtheelderwifetobehermotherandshareeverythingwith her.Shewasalsomadetolookafterthechildrenoftheelderwifeasherownorratherevenmore (KamaSutraofVatsyayana,84).Theelderwifewasexpectedtoplayaroleofamaliciouswoman whenaquarrelbetweentheyoungerwifeandherhusbandtookplace.Ifthequarrelwassmall,shewas expectedtomakeabigissueoutofit,butifthehusbandslovefortheyoungerwifewasntaffectedina negativeway,thensheshouldtrytoreconcilethemagain(KamaSutraofVatsyayana,84).Therefore, weseethatpoliticsinbetweenthewivesofahusbandwasencouragedbytheancienttraditionand moralvaluesofthewomentoowereofverylittleimportanceduringthisphase.Theinherentjealousy factorofahumanbythevirtueofbirthtoowasexpectedtobecontrolledandusedforonesbenefit. However,womenintheancientsocietydidcommandrespectdespiteofthearistocracies

Roongta6

againsther.Inthefieldofsex,awomanssatisfactioninthebedwasconsideredtobeofequalorrather moreimportancethanthatofamans.Thiswasbecausetheawomanssexualdesireswereexpected tobearousedbyaman.Hewasexpectedtoembraceawomanuntilandunlessshewasreadyfor coitionandoncehersemenstartedtofall,heshouldgiveherwhatevershewantsinbed.Vatsyayana saysthatthemanissatisfiedimmediatelyafterhissemenfalls,butitisnotthecasewithwomen.A womanstartstodesiremoreasthesexualintercourseproceeds.Also,afterthesexualunionisover,the manshouldjustnotleavehiswifeinbedalone,butinsteadshouldengageinafterplaybykissingand embracingbywaysthataredescribedintheKamaShastra(KamaSutraofVatsyayana,2629). Therefore,intheroom,thewomansdesirewasmoreimportantthanthatofthemansinancientIndian culture. Also,anotherpositiveattitude,differentfromtherestofthebrutalattitudesseentowards women,isthatintheancientIndiansocietywasthatthevirginwidowswereacceptedforremarriage bythesocietywithouttoomanyproblems.Infact,avirginwidowwasnotevenexpectedto compromiseonherlikesandcouldmarryanyonesheliked.Shedidnthavetofeelobligedinanyway withthismarriage.Shecouldevenaskherhusbandtogivehermoneytobuygiftsforherfriendsand familyduringthemarriageperiod.Shecouldacceptornamentsgiventoheroutofmutualcareandlove byherhusbandbuthadtoreturneverythingifshewaswillfullyleavingherhusbandexceptthegiftsgiven toheroutoflovepersonally.However,ifshewasbeingdrivenoutofthehousebyforce,thenshehad noobligationtoreturnherornamentsormoneygiventoherearlier(KamaSutraofVatsyayana,85). Althoughaftermarriage,shewasexpectedtoleadherlifeinthesamewayastheothermarriedwomen, theveryideaofacceptingvirginwidowmarriagewasaprogressivethinkingintheancientIndian

Roongta7

society. Therefore,afterdiscussingalltheprosandconsofthestatusofwomenintheancientIndian society,itisapttosaythattheconditionofwomenwasnotveryappealingduringthosetimesandlittle haschangedfromthentilldateintheruralpartsofIndia.Eventodayawidowisconsideredanomen andwidowremarriagesarenotentertained.However,virginwidowmarriageswereandareaccepted bythesociety.Womeninancienttimeswereonlysubjectedtolookafterthefamilyandhouseandwere notfinanciallyindependent.Shehadtodependonthemalepopulationforeverypennyandwasnot allowedtohaveasocialcircleatall.Hermainaiminlifewastopleaseherhusbandandherfamilyand beartheheirtothefamily.Theywerenotgivenanyfreedomofeducation,andinsteadhereducation wasconfinedtothatofhousekeepingandpleasingherhusbandinthebed.Scienceandmathswerenot consideredimportantforawoman.Formen,Artha,DharmaandKamawerenecessaryindividuallyfor Moksha,butforwomen,herArtha,DharmaandKamawereallinpleasingherhusbandandtaking goodcareofherchildren.Therefore,forhertoattainmoksha,shehadtobeherhusbandsslave. Moralsandethicstoowereonlyforwomen.Awomanoncemarried,couldnotgetremarried whatsoever,butamancouldhavemultiplewivespolygamywasacceptedincaseofmen.Women couldnotevenstepoutsidethehousewithoutaskingherhusbandandcouldnotraisehervoiceor abuseherhusbandevenifthehusbandwasdoingthesamewithherorevenifshewasannoyedand angrywithhim.Hence,womeninancientIndiadidnotenjoytoomuchoffreedomandwerekeptunder scrutinyofmenalwaysfirstfathersandbrothers,laterhusbandsandafterthehusbanddied,hersons. Theywereconsideredtobeaweakersexandtheirlifesimplyrevolvedaroundtheirfamily.

Roongta8