Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c7.s1.116

c7.s1.116

The act of burning or *Suttee* was performed both with the dead body of the husband and without it. If the corpse of the deceased husband was available, the wife was burnt with it. This was called *Saha-marana* or ‘dying in company with’. If the husband died at a distance from his wife or in certain cases, as for instance when the wife was pregnant, she was burnt late with some article that belonged to her husband or some other objects that symbolized the deceased person. This was called *Anumarana* or ‘dying in accordance with’. These terms are sometimes also called *Sahagamana*, ‘going along with’ and *Anugamana* ‘going in accordance with’ respectively.⁵ In case of more wives than one, the privilege of being burnt with the corpse of the husband was exercised by the chief favourite and others were burnt in separate fires.⁶ In exceptional cases co-wives reconciled their life-long differences and ill-will and arranged to be burnt together with their husband in the same fire.¹