The Position of Women in Hindu Civilisation, from Prehistoric Times to the Present Day c9.5

c9.5

In prehistoric times there prevailed a belief in several societies that the life and needs of the dead in the next world are more or less similar to those in this existence. It therefore became a pious duty of surviving relations to provide a dead person with all the things that he usually needed when alive. Especially when an important personage like a chief, a nobleman or a warrior died, it was felt that his usual paraphernalia should be 'sent' with him. He would of course require his wives, horses and servants in the next world, and it would therefore be necessary and desirable to kill these all, and burn or bury them with him. Such a belief should have given rise to the custom of burning or burying the husband also along with the wife. Man, however, wielded supreme power in society almost everywhere and was not prepared to sanction a custom adverse to his own interest and comfort. It may, however, be pointed out that in Ashanti, kings' sisters were allowed to marry handsome youths among commoners, but they were compelled to commit suicide on the death of their royal consorts.