The Position of Women in Hindu Civilisation, from Prehistoric Times to the Present Day c17.s3.12

c17.s3.12

Rationalism has been at a discount with Hindu thinkers during the last more than one thousand years; this circumstance has been responsible for a very unfortunate change in society's angle of vision in a very important matter vitally affecting the well-being of women. Down to about 800 A. D. Smṛitis were emphatic in declaring that women, who were forcibly taken into captivity or dishonoured, should be admitted back to their families. Pseudo-puritanical notions distorted social vision in this matter soon after *c.* 1000 A. D. Hindu society began to show a surprising callousness to women, who had the misfortune of being carried away into captivity even for a very short time. An outsider like Alberuni could not understand the stupidity of our community in refusing to readmit men and women, who had been captured and converted by force. If one's hand gets soiled, he argues, one should proceed to cleanse and not to cut it. But Hindu society could not understand this very reasonable proposition. From *c.* 1,000 A. D. it refused to follow the lead of Smṛiti writers and declared that once a woman was converted or taken into captivity, nothing would justify her readmission to her old family and religion. This callous and unreasonable attitude has cost Hindu society very dearly. Had the women, who had been forcibly converted or captured, been readmitted into Hindu society, its population would certainly not have dwindled down today to 25 crores.