Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c7.s1.127

c7.s1.127

Attempts have been made to look upon this relic of a primitive age and of a barbarous past as ‘the last proof of perfect unity’ in body and soul between a Hindu wife and her husband. Apart from the glaring defect that the burning was not mutual but only rested upon the wife, other considerations show the unhistoric character of such *a posteriori* moralizings. The custom of widow-burning as is shown by all the details of its observance and other animistic practices which we have referred to in this chapter, descended to the people of our age from earlier and more primitive times when spirit-worship and animistic cults were probably prevalent in the land. There were certain other social factors which made its continuance possible. One of the factors which encouraged the practice of Suttee was the degraded position of a widow in Hindu society. There are facts on record which show that the burning of a widow was on the whole better for her than the life of bitterness and shame which awaited her refusal to submit to this ordeal.¹ Allied to this was the question of status of a family. Public opinion and carefully cultivated religious beliefs had succeeded in inculcating in the minds of people that Suttee was the highest and the most praiseworthy female virtue. The failure of a widow to burn herself with her deceased husband was a sure index of want of fidelity and truthfulness on her part.² In some cases financial pressure was also brought to bear on the women when she was offered in marriage. Nicolo Conti tells us of cases where a bride was offered to choose between Suttee or the surrender of her dowry. In the latter case, the dowry went to the male relations of her husband to the exclusion of her own children.³