medieval age. The custom of sati was prevalent. Even betrothed girls had to
commit sati on the funeral pyres of their would-be-husbands. Those widows
who would not bum themselves with their husbands were treated harshly by
society.
Economic Position Economically, a Muslim woman was entitled to a share
in the inheritance with absolute right to dispose it off. Unlike her Hindu
sister, she retained the right even after marriage. Mehr, or entente nuptial
settlement, was another safeguard for Muslim women whereas a Hindu
woman had no right to the property of her husband’s parents. A Hindu
woman was only entitled to maintenance and residence expenses besides
movable property like ornaments, jewellery, etc. Thus, from the legal point of
view, women were reduced to a position of dependency in every sphere of
life. The women in the south under the Cholas (8th to 13th century),
however, had the right to inherit property.
CUSTOM OF SATI
Some of the Delhi Sultans did try to discourage the custom of sati which
prevailed among a large section of the Hindu population, particularly the
upper classes and the Rajputs. Though sati was only voluntary in the south
and not enjoined upon widows, it is difficult to account for its wide
popularity in the Vijayanagar Empire, whose rulers do not seem to have
put up any restriction on its observance. Muhammad Tughluq was, in all
probability, the first medieval ruler who placed restrictions on its
observance. Though Akbar did not forbid the sati altogether, he had issued
definite orders to the kotwals that they should not allow a woman to be
burnt against her inclination. Aurangzeb was the only Mughal who issued
definite orders (1664) forbidding sati in his realm altogether.
QUESTIONS
In which language did Babur write his memoirs, called Tuzuk-i-Baburi?
(a) Persian
(b) Arabic