Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c7.s4.78

c7.s4.78

2. Prostitution.—In some ways, prostitution was known in India from ancient times. We are now becoming familiar with the institution of *Deva-dasis* in the Deccan. During our period, this tradition of offering girls to the sacred temples was quite strong. Ancient Hindu literature is familiar with public prostitutes who seem to be very popular and respectable in many cases. Treatises on sexual science, especially the *kama-sutra* which is supposed to be the best exposition on the science of erotics, were written long before the Muslims arrived on the scene.⁴ We have already described the *harams* of the Sultan and the nobility and the vast numbers of inmates that were sometimes found there.