The Position of Women in Hindu Civilisation, from Prehistoric Times to the Present Day c17.s1.8

c17.s1.8

The exigencies of the political situation in the Vedic period were responsible for the abolition of the prehistoric Satī custom and the sanctioning of Niyoga and remarriage. Like Hitler and Mussolini, Vedic chiefs were anxious for heroes, more heroes, and still more heroes. The gospel they preached to the householder was not of eight sons of the later days, but of ten. The non-Aryans were probably outnumbering the Aryans, and they were anxious to have as strong and numerous an army as possible. Under these circumstances it would have been a suicidical policy to encourage the revival of the nearly dead custom of Satī or to prohibit widow remarriages. Society came to the definite conclusion that its vital interests demanded that the custom of Satī should be interdicted, and that widows should be allowed and encouraged to marry and mutliply the stock.