Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c20.s2.1

v2.c20.s2.1

Whether the clause relating to the participation of women "in the functions of the males" need necessarily be interpreted to mean agriculture and industry, as Prof. B. K. Sarkar seems to think, is indeed questionable, especially in view of the fact that Śukrāchārya himself, as we have said, has inflicted on women an infinite variety of household duties which, while no doubt assigning to them the premier position in the province of domestic economy, lower them in the world of activity related to the general well-being of the State. Śukrāchārya does not seem to have out-grown, as regards this question, the conservative attitude of the classical canonists. Nevertheless one may be permitted to repeat that, both according to law and custom, the lot of women, was not one of fundamental servitude. Manu's injunction that the king should employ women for royal service dispels the idea of an unqualified serfdom for women. When we examine, in a most cursory manner, no doubt, the status which women occupied in historical times, we may be better able to understand how practice had transgressed precept as regards the position of women in Hindu society.