Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c7.s1.120

c7.s1.120

The accounts of a wife burning herself with the corpse of her husband are somewhat prosaic and may be imagined. She followed the bier and was burnt with it. Sometimes it was more elaborate and picturesque, and greater courage and coolness were required. Ibn Batuta has given a description of both varieties. We will summarize his account of the Suttee of three women whose husbands had fallen in a battle far away. The Sati in this case, on hearing the news of her husband's death, first took a bath and put on her best clothes and jewels. A procession was soon formed to conduct her to the place of cremation. The Brahmans and other relations joined the procession and showered their profuse greetings on the widow on the glorious fortune that attended her. The woman took a cocoanut in her right hand and a mirror in her left and rode on a horse. The procession started with music and drums towards a shady grove. There was a pool of water in this grove and a stone idol (probably the idol of Siva, although the Moorish traveller does not specify it). Near the pool was a huge fire, constantly fed with sesamum oil and screened from public view; 'the whole surrounding wearing an appearance of hell, God save us from it'. Approaching the shady grove, the Sati first washed herself in this pool of water and then began making a gift of her fine clothes and jewels one by one. At the end of it she borrowed a coarse unsewn cloth and put it over her body. Then, with calm boldness she advanced to the enclosure, until now screened from her sight; she joined her hands in salutations and prayers to the goddess of fire, Agni; she meditated for a while; then suddenly, with a firm resolution, she cast herself into the flames. Just at this moment, from another quarter, a clamorous noise was raised with trumpets, drums and other vessels—obviously to distract the attention of the people from the horror of the scene. Others who were closely watching the movements of the Sati, immediately pushed heavy logs of wood over the body of the burning woman to prevent her escaping or struggling. Ibn Batuta, our informant, swooned at the sight and was carried away from the scene. So his description does not give us further details.¹ This account is more or less a complete and faithful description of what happened in Suttee.