8/19/2019 16.Changes in the Position of Women in the Medieval Period

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POSITION OF WOMEN INPOSITION OF WOMEN IN

THE MEDIEVAL PERIODTHE MEDIEVAL PERIOD

BY:TARUN PRATAPBY:TARUN PRATAP

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IN HINDUSIN HINDUS

 AT THE VERY APPROACH OF ISLAM,THE HINDU SOCIETY FELL ON AT THE VERY APPROACH OF ISLAM,THE HINDU SOCIETY FELL ONTHE DEFENCE AND GREATER RESTRICTIONS ON SOCIALTHE DEFENCE AND GREATER RESTRICTIONS ON SOCIALOBSERVANCES CAME TO BE IMPOSED.THE VIOLATIONS OF THESEOBSERVANCES CAME TO BE IMPOSED.THE VIOLATIONS OF THESERESTRICTIONS WERE MET WITH SEVERE PUNISHMENTS.RESTRICTIONS WERE MET WITH SEVERE PUNISHMENTS.

THIS AFFECTED THE STATUS AND POSITION OF WOMEN.THIS AFFECTED THE STATUS AND POSITION OF WOMEN.

THERE WAS FEMALE INFANTICIDE AND THE BIRTH OF A WOMENTHERE WAS FEMALE INFANTICIDE AND THE BIRTH OF A WOMEN

WAS LOOKED DOWN UPON.WAS LOOKED DOWN UPON.EDUCATION WAS DENIED TO THEM AND THE PERCENTAGE OFEDUCATION WAS DENIED TO THEM AND THE PERCENTAGE OFLITERACY AMONG HINDU WOMEN DECLINED WITH GREAT RAPIDITY.LITERACY AMONG HINDU WOMEN DECLINED WITH GREAT RAPIDITY.

THE FEAR AND SECURITY OF HONOUR OF WOMEN LED TO THETHE FEAR AND SECURITY OF HONOUR OF WOMEN LED TO THEPOPULARITY OF EARLY MARRAIGES------THE GIRLS BEING MARRIEDPOPULARITY OF EARLY MARRAIGES------THE GIRLS BEING MARRIED

 AT THE AGE OF SIX OR EVEN LESS. AT THE AGE OF SIX OR EVEN LESS.

THE PROHIBITION OF WIDOW’S REMARRAIGE CAME TO BETHE PROHIBITION OF WIDOW’S REMARRAIGE CAME TO BEEXTENDED TO THE CHILD WIDOWS.EXTENDED TO THE CHILD WIDOWS.

THE MEDIEVAL COMMENTATORS ADVOCATED THE CUSTOM OFTHE MEDIEVAL COMMENTATORS ADVOCATED THE CUSTOM OFSATI.THE RAJPUT WOMENPREFERRED DEATH TO DISHONOUR ANDSATI.THE RAJPUT WOMENPREFERRED DEATH TO DISHONOUR ANDPERFORMED JAUHAR IN LARGE NUMBERSPERFORMED JAUHAR IN LARGE NUMBERS

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WOMEN’S RIGHT TO INHERIT THEWOMEN’S RIGHT TO INHERIT THE

PROPERTY OF HER HUSBAND WASPROPERTY OF HER HUSBAND WAS

RECOGNIZED AND THE WIDOW’S RIGHT TORECOGNIZED AND THE WIDOW’S RIGHT TO

 ALIENATE HER ESTATE WAS CONCEDED. ALIENATE HER ESTATE WAS CONCEDED.

THE SCOPE OF SRIDDHANA WASTHE SCOPE OF SRIDDHANA WAS

EXPANDED TO INCLUDE ALL KINDS OFEXPANDED TO INCLUDE ALL KINDS OF

PROPERTY.THIS WAS INDEED A POSITIVEPROPERTY.THIS WAS INDEED A POSITIVE

TREND IMPROVING THE LOWERE STATUSTREND IMPROVING THE LOWERE STATUS ACCORDED TO THEM BY THE SOCIETY ACCORDED TO THEM BY THE SOCIETY

WHICH IMPOSED ON THEM THE SYSTEM OFWHICH IMPOSED ON THEM THE SYSTEM OF

PURDAH AND PRACTISED POLYGAMY.PURDAH AND PRACTISED POLYGAMY.

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IN MUSLIMSIN MUSLIMS

IN INDIA THE MUSLIMS FAVOURED THE OLDER TRADITIONSIN INDIA THE MUSLIMS FAVOURED THE OLDER TRADITIONSOF ANCIENT PERSIONS,WHICH GAVE WOMEN AN INFERIOROF ANCIENT PERSIONS,WHICH GAVE WOMEN AN INFERIORPOSITION.POSITION.

ISLAM THOUGH A DEMOCRATIC RELIGION, IN PRACTISEISLAM THOUGH A DEMOCRATIC RELIGION, IN PRACTISETREATED WOMEN AS SECOND CLASS CITIZENS WITH THETREATED WOMEN AS SECOND CLASS CITIZENS WITH THE

IMPOSITION OF PURDAH AND SANCTIONING POLYGAMY.IMPOSITION OF PURDAH AND SANCTIONING POLYGAMY.WOMEN COULD HOLD PROPERTY AND OBTAIN DIVORCE ANDWOMEN COULD HOLD PROPERTY AND OBTAIN DIVORCE ANDTHE LATTER.IN PRACTISE, HARDLY GAVE ANY ADVANTAGE TOTHE LATTER.IN PRACTISE, HARDLY GAVE ANY ADVANTAGE TOWOMEN,AS SHE WAS DENIED MAINTENANCEWOMEN,AS SHE WAS DENIED MAINTENANCE ALLOWANCE.THIS VIRTUALLY MEANT SLAVERY TO THEM. ALLOWANCE.THIS VIRTUALLY MEANT SLAVERY TO THEM.

THEY ALSO IDI NOT ENJOY RELIGIOUS EUALITY.WOMENTHEY ALSO IDI NOT ENJOY RELIGIOUS EUALITY.WOMEN

WERE NOT PERMITTED TO TO JOIN MEN IN PUBLIC WORSHIPWERE NOT PERMITTED TO TO JOIN MEN IN PUBLIC WORSHIPNOR COULD THEY TAKE PART IN THE PUBLIC LIFE.NOR COULD THEY TAKE PART IN THE PUBLIC LIFE.

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THERE WERE NO PROPER FACILITIES FORTHERE WERE NO PROPER FACILITIES FOR

WOMEN EDUCATION AND FEW HAD ANYWOMEN EDUCATION AND FEW HAD ANY

EDUCATION.IN CONSEUENCE, MUSLIMEDUCATION.IN CONSEUENCE, MUSLIM

WOMEN WERE UNABLE TO EXERCISEWOMEN WERE UNABLE TO EXERCISE

WHATEVER THE RIGHTS THAT WEREWHATEVER THE RIGHTS THAT WERE

 ALLOWED TO THEM BY MUSLIM LAW. ALLOWED TO THEM BY MUSLIM LAW.

THEREFORE THE STATUS AND POSITION OFTHEREFORE THE STATUS AND POSITION OF

MUSLIM WOMEN WERE AS DEPLORABLE ASMUSLIM WOMEN WERE AS DEPLORABLE ASTHEIR HINDU SISTERS THOUGH THETHEIR HINDU SISTERS THOUGH THE

FORMER ENJOYED BETTER LEGAL RIGHTSFORMER ENJOYED BETTER LEGAL RIGHTS

THAN THE LATTER.THAN THE LATTER.