The Position of Women in Hindu Civilisation, from Prehistoric Times to the Present Day c13.88

c13.88

This history of Strīdhana is undoubtedly a proud and glorious chapter in the story of Hindu civilisation. It discloses a constant and continuous tendency in Hindu society to increase the scope of Strīdhana, ususally at the expense of men's rights. Women were also invested with the right of its independent disposal; even the husband could not touch it save under exceptional circumstances. This state of affairs compares very favourably with that in England, where down to 1870 A. D., marriage suspended the very legal existence of the wife, whose entire property, whether inherited or self-acquired, automatically passed under the husband's control at the very moment of her marriage, unless secured by a previous settlement.