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HISTORY Ancient India Some kingdoms in the ancient India had traditions such as '' Nagarvadhu '' ("bride of the city"). Women competed to win the coveted title of the ''nagarvadhu''. Amrapali is the most famous example of a nagarvadhu. Medieval period feet]] The Indian woman's position in the society further deteriorated during the medieval period. Sati , Child Marriages and ban on widow remarriages became part of social life in India. The Muslim Conquest In The Indian Subcontinent brought the Purdah practice in the Indian society. Among the Rajput s of Rajasthan, the Jauhar was practised. In some parts of India, the Devadasi s or the temple women were sexually exploited. Polygamy was widely practised esp. among Hindu Kshatriya rulers. In many Muslim families, women were secluded to Zenana . In spite of these conditions, some women execeled in the fields of politics, literature, education and religion. Razia Sultana became the only woman monarch to have ever ruled Delhi . The Gond queen Durgavati ruled for fifteen years, before she lost her life in a battle with Mughal emperor Akbar 's general Asaf Khan in 1564. Chand Bibi defended Ahmednagar against the mighty Mughal forces of Akbar in 1590s. Jehangir 's wife Nur Jehan effectively wielded imperial power and was recognized as the real force behind the Mughal throne. Shivaji 's mother, Jijabai was deputed as queen regent, because of her ability as a warrior and administrator. In South India, many women administered villages, towns, divisions and heralded social and religious institutions. The Bhakti cults tried to restore women's status and questioned some of the forms of oppression. Mirabai , a female saint-poet, was one of the most important Bhakti movement figures. Some other female saint-poets from this period include Akkamadevi, Rami Janabai and Lal Ded. Rani Padmini Jahanara Begum and Princess Zebunnissa were well-known poetesses and they also influenced the ruling administration. Buddhist Nuns Guru Nanak , the first guru of Sikh s preached the message of equality between men and women. He advocated that women are allowed to lead religious assemblies; to perform and lead congregational hymn singing called Kirtan or Bhajan ; become members of religious management committees; to lead armies on the battlefield; have equality in marriage, and equality in Amrit (Baptism). Other Sikh Gurus also preached against the discrimination against women. See Also: Women in Sikhism Historical practices Traditions such as Sati , Jauhar , child marriage, and Devadasi have been banned and are largely defunct. However, some cases of these practices are still found in remote parts of India. The Purdah is still practised by many Indian women. ; Sati ; Jauhar :Jauhar refers to the practice of the voluntary immolation of all the wives and daughters of defeated warriors, in order to avoid capture and consequent molestation by the enemy. The practice was followed by the Rajput s of Rajasthan , who are known to place a high premium on honour. ; Child Marriage s ; Purdah :Purdah is the practice of requiring women to cover their bodies so as to cover their skin and conceal their form. It does not, contrary to common beliefs, impose restrictions on mobility of women, curtailment of their right to interact freely and it is not a symbol of subordination of women. Now, it is a declining tradition in India, practiced mostly by Muslims. ; Devadasi s British rule European scholars observed in the 19th century Hindu women are "naturally chaste" and "more virtuous" than other women.Dubois,Jean Antoine and Beauchamp, Henry King, Hindu manners, customs, and ceremonies, Clarendon press, 1897During the British Raj , many reformers such as Ram Mohan Roy , Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar , Jyotirao Phule etc. fought for the upliftment of women. Raja Rammohun Roy's efforts led to the abolition of the Sati practice in 1829. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's crusade for the improvement in condition of widows led to the Widow Remarriage Act of 1856. Many women reformers such as Pandita Ramabai also helped the cause of women upliftment. Rani Lakshmi Bai , the Queen of Jhansi , led the Indian Rebellion Of 1857 against the British. She is now widely considered as a nationalist hero. Begum Hazrat Mahal , the co-ruler of Awadh , was another ruler who led the revolt of 1857. She refused the deals with the British and later retreated to Nepal. The Begums Of Bhopal were also few of the notable female rulers during this period. They did not observe Purdah and were trained in Martial Art s. Chandramukhi Basu , Kadambini Ganguly and Anandi Gopal Joshi were few of the earliest Indian women to obtain educational degrees. In 1917, the first women's delegation met the Secretary of State to demand women's political rights, supported by the Indian National Congress. The All India Women's Education Conference was held in Pune in 1927. In 1929, the Child Marriage Restraint Act was passed, stipulating fourteen as the minimum age of marriage for a girl through the efforts of Mahomed Ali Jinnah .Ambassador of Hindu Muslim Unity, Ian Bryant Wells Though Mahatma Gandhi himself married at the age of thirteen, he later urged people to boycott child marriages and called upon the young men to marry the child widows Women played an important part in India's independence struggle. Some of the famous freedom fighters include Bhikaji Cama , Dr. Annie Besant , Pritilata Waddedar , Vijayalakshmi Pandit , Rajkumari Amrit Kaur , Anjali Ammal , Aruna Asaf Ali , Sucheta Kriplani and Kasturba Gandhi . Other notable names include Muthulakshmi Reddy , Durgabai Deshmukh etc. The Rani of Jhansi Regiment of Subhash Chandra Bose 's Indian National Army consisted entirely of women including Captain Lakshmi Sahgal . Sarojini Naidu , a poet and a Freedom Fighter , was the first Indian woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress and the first woman to become the governor of a state in India. INDEPENDENT INDIA Women in India now participate in all activities such as education, politics, media, art and culture, service sectors, science and technology, etc. The Feminist Activism In India picked up momentum during later 1970s . One of the first national level issues that brought the women's groups together was the Mathura Rape Case . The acquittal of policemen accused of raping a young girl Mathura in a police station, led to a wide-scale protests in 1979-1980. The protests were widely covered in the national media, and forced the Government to amend the Evidence Act, the Criminal Procedure Code and the Indian Penal Code and introduce the category of custodial rape. Female activists united over issues such as female infanticide, gender bias, women health, and female literacy. In 1990s , grants from foreign donor agencies enabled the formation of new women-oriented NGOs. Self-help groups and NGOs such as Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) have played a major role in women's rights in India. Many women have emerged as leaders of local movements. For example, Medha Patkar of the Narmada Bachao Andolan . Timeline The steady change in their position can be highlighted by looking at what has been achieved by women in the country: |
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