The British Stance on the Sati Ritual in India (1828-1832)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32792/tqartj.v6i46.626Keywords:
AlSati, Britain, William Bentinck, ban listAbstract
The practice of a widow burning herself after her husband’s death, known as Sati, was an ancient Hindu ritual in India. Indian widows suffered from these social customs and traditions that degraded their status. Family upbringing and low educational levels contributed to women’s acceptance of this view and their bearing of responsibility for their husband’s death, according to some Hindu religious leaders’ interpretations of sacred texts. This led to their submission to the Sati ritual, which imposed self-immolation to atone for the sin of their husband’s death due to their failure to follow religious teachings that would keep him alive. Although these rituals initially began among the upper classes, they quickly spread to other social classes due to the endorsement of religious leaders.
Many powers that controlled India, including Muslims, Mughals, Portuguese, Dutch, and French, tried to oppose and prevent these customs but eventually retreated due to fears of provoking the native population. After the British East India Company took over the administration of India, British officials focused on collecting reports on Sati and sending them to the London government. However, these reports remained unacted upon for a long time until Lord Bentinck became the Governor-General of India, which enabled him to move against these rituals and issue the prohibition order in 1829.
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