The Position of Women in Hindu Civilisation, from Prehistoric Times to the Present Day c14.s2.11

c14.s2.11

At about the beginning of the Christian era, both the Niyoga and the widow remarriage fell into disrepute as shown in Chapter V (*ante*, p. 174; p. 179). It was deemed to be more honorable for a widow to spend her remaining life in penances of religion than in pleasures of the family life. Leaders of society began to feel that if the widow was not to marry or get a son by Niyoga, she ought to be assigned a definite share in the family property. Early Dharmasūtra writers, however, were inclined to assign only a maintenance to the widow. This is the case with Kauṭilya also, who makes the widow's maintenance a charge upon the husband's estate, when it was resumed by the state¹.