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Social Awakening
in India 8
q Condition of women q The evils women suffered from
q Notable reformers and their contribution q Maharashtra
q Caste and social reforms q Implication of the work progress of social reformers
Introduction custom was that of sati. Women were required to
burn themselves on the funeral pyre of their
In the 18th century, a number of social evils existed
husbands. Women who did it willingly were
in India. The miserable conditions of women, caste
considered sacred and were revered as sati . Those
hierarchy and malpractices like untouchability were who objected, were forcibly pushed on to the
some of the worst practices prevalent in the Indian
burning pyre. This inhuman practice was tried to
society.
be glorified.
CONDITION OF WOMEN The practice of sati was more precedent in Bengal.
In 1828, more than 450 incidents of sati were
During the medieval period and the early modern recorded. The British did not interfere in this
period, the status of women was very low. Several matter as they considered it as a religious matter.
evil practices like child marriage, sati, female
infanticide, purdah system and polygamy were Child Marriage
practiced largely. Women were denied In order to protect girls from invaders, it was often
opportunities to acquire knowledge, property and preferred to marry girls at a very young age. The
social status. These issues needed to be addressed. custom of child marriage denied girl children to
The 19th century was in very many ways also the have pleasures of childhood. Often, girls who
age of women as efforts were made for the were married to much older men were widowed
upliftment of the status of women. Educational at an early age. Thus, they could not get the
institutions for women were specially opened. opportunity for mental development. Secondly,
polygamy was looked down in the society. Sati they would become mothers at a very tender age
and child marriage were banned. Widow which was very harmful for their health and
remarriage was legalized. Female infanticide was physical development as well as for the child.
also prohibited by law. It was because of these Many social reformers advocated the abolition of
reforms that later on women participated in the child marriage. Due to their immense efforts, the
Civil Disobedience Movement, Non-cooperation British government passed an act of Age of
Movement and various other activities of the Consent Act in 1891. It determined the age of
freedom struggle. marriage as 12 years. The orthodox Indians and
some Indian political leaders protested, as they
THE EVILS WOMEN SUFFERED FROM considered this as a deliberate British attempt to
interfere with Indian religious and social customs.
There were many evils women suffered from.
Some of them are as follows : In 1929, an another act the Sharda Act or Child
Marriage Restraint Act was passed that raised the
Sati marriageable age of girls to 14 and that of boy to
In 19th century, very common and most inhuman 18.
Contemporary Social Science-8
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