Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, or the Central and Western Rajput States of India v2.c27.s6.18

v2.c27.s6.18

The Jewish law with regard to female captives was perfectly analogous to that of Manu ; both declare them “ lawful prize,” and both Moses and Manu establish rules sanctioning the marriage of such captives with the captors. “ When a girl is made captive by her lover, after a victory over her kinsman,” marriage “ is permitted by law.”³ That forcible marriage in the Hindu law termed Rakshasa, namely, “ the seizure of a maiden by force from her house while she weeps and calls for assistance, after her kinsman and friends have been slain in battle,”¹ is the counterpart of the ordinance regarding the usage of a captive in the Pentateuch,² excepting the “ shaving of the head,” which is the sign of complete slavery with the Hindu.³ When Hector, anticipating his fall, predicts the fate which awaits Andromache, he draws a forcible picture of the misery of the Rajput; but the latter, instead of a lachrymose and enervating harangue as he prepared for the battle with the same chance of defeat, would have spared her the pain of plying the “ Argive loom ” by her death. To prevent such degradation, the brave [641] Rajput has recourse to the johar, or immolation of every female of the family: nor can we doubt that, educated as are the females of that country, they gladly embrace such a refuge from pollution. Who would not be a Rajput in such a case? The very term widow (rand) is used in common parlance as one of reproach.⁴