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INDIAN WOMEN : ROOTS AND LEGACIES

    1 Author(s):  PROF(DR)VEENUS JAIN

Vol -  8, Issue- 7 ,         Page(s) : 247 - 262  (2017 ) DOI : https://doi.org/10.32804/CASIRJ

Abstract

Roots and legacies are like strands of social fabric that make personal identities and enduring sense of self in a society. Ancient attitudes may change, but they do not die. They live on and continue exerting influence on personal lives and cultures in the form of traditions, customs and beliefs. Historical circumstances too, influence their modern descendants. Challenge is how to reconcile the above factors in the context of growing multiculturalism and cosmopolitanism. In this context, the prospect of finding out how legacies and traditions have shaped the personality of modern Indian woman , can be an interesting enterprise.

  1.   “Indian women”  for purpose of this article would  comprise women belonging to Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jains,  and women of myriad other minor communities  having very distinct identities, beliefs, traditions but sharing one unbreakable common history and ancestry  going down to nearly five  thousand years in this very subcontinent. Tribal women of India would, however, fall out of the ambit of this study due to their physical  isolation and insulation from the influence of mainstream historical events and social movements analyzed here.
  2.   The Second Sex, 1949, translated by H M Parshley, Penguin 1972
  3.  Ministry of Statistics and Program implementation, http://www.mospi.nic.in
  4.  GOI, Web Directory, http://goidirectory.nic.in/state.php
  5.   Except that of ‘urban’ ruins of Indus Valley civilization that remains distinct, rather mysteriously from the subsequent ‘agrarian’ society depicted in early Vedas.
  6.   1500 to 1000 BCE
  7.   1000 -500 BCE
  8.   D.N. Jha, Ancient India: An Introductory Outline (New Delhi: People's Publishing House, 1981), p. 1 1.
  9.  Altekar, Position of Women in Hindu Civilization (1938; New Delhi:MotilalBanarasidass, 1959), p. 10
  10.   Rig.I. 91.20; III. 1.23; V.85.25; VI 31.1.
  11.  “An unmarried learned daughter should be married to a bridegroom who like her is learned”. (Rig Veda III 55:16)“A young daughter who has observed Brahmacharya (i.e. finished her studies) should be married to a bridegroom who like her is learned”. (Yajur-Veda VIII. 1)
  12.   A.S. Altekar, Position ofwornen in Hindu Civilization (1938; New Delhi: MotilalBanarassidass, 1959), p. 11.
  13.  R.C. Majumdar, Ancient India mew Delhi: MotilalBanarassidass, 1964), p. 44.
  14.   P.S. Joshi, Cultural History ofAncient India (New Delhi: S. Chand; 1978), p. 7.
  15.   “Never think of giving in marriage a daughter of very young age”.Rig Veda III 55:16
  16.   P.S. Joshi,Cultural History ofAncient India (New Delhi: S.Chand, 1978), p. 6.
  17.   Description of a “samana” in the Rig-Veda – “Wives and maidens attire themselves in gay robes and set forth to the joyous feast; youths and maidens hasten to the meadow when forest and field are clothed in fresh verdure to take part in dance. Cymbals sound and seizing each other lads and damsels whirl about until the ground vibrates and clouds of dust envelop the gaily moving throng”.
  18.   “Over thy husband’s father and thy husbands mother bear full sway. Over the sister of thy lord, over his brothers rule supreme.” (Rig VedaX.85.46)
  19. “Happy be thou and prosper with thy children here; be vigilant to rule thy household, in this home.”(Rig-Veda X.85.27)
  20. “Come, O desired of the gods, beautiful one with tender heart, with the charming look, good towards your husband, kind towards animals, destined to bring forth heroes. May you bring happiness for both our quadrupeds and bipeds.” (Rig Veda X.85.44)
  21.   How much a maiden is pleasing to the suitor who would marry for her splendid riches. (Rig-Veda X 27.12)
  22.   Rise up woman thou art lying by one whose life is gone, come to the world of the living, away from thy husband, and become the wife of him who holds thy hand and is willing to marry thee. Rig Veda (X, 18.8)
  23.   K.M. Kapadia, Marriage andFamily in India(1955; London: Oxford Univ. Press, 1966), p. 59.
  24.   Ray Choudhiri, Social Cyultural and Economic History of Ancient India (New Delhi: Surjeet Publications, 1978), p. 37.
  25.   Works of Visvavara, Apala, Ghosha and Lopamudra
  26.  Majumdar, Ancient India (New Delhi: Motilal Banarassidass, 1964), p. 47.
  27.   Jain, Labour in Ancient India(New Delhi: Sterling Publishers, 1971), p. 83.
  28.  Indra, Status of Women in Ancient India (Banaras: MotilalBanarassidass, 1955), p. 69.
  29.  lbid., p. 2. &  Book 5 hymn 6 verse 8 of Rig Veda
  30.   Will Durant – Story of Civilization: Our Oriental Heritage
  31.   Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Wilson, Horace Hayman". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
  32.   Genre of Sanskrit texts refers to the treatises on Hindu Dharma. There are estimated to be 18 to about 100 Dharma Shastras  with different and conflicting points of view. Each of these texts exist in many different versions, and each is rooted in Dharmasutras texts dated to 1st millennium BCE that emerged from Kalpa Vedanga studies in the Vedic era
  33.    Indra, Status of Women in Ancient India ( Banaras: Motilal Banarassidass, 1955), p. 73.
  34.   Patrick Olivelle (2005). Manu's Code of Law. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-517146-4  
  35.    Yájnavalkya Smriti with Vijnanesvara commentary, Book 1 of 3 SC Vidyarnava (1918), English translation
  36.   Romila Thapar, Ancient Indian History: Some Interpretations (New Delhi: Orient Longrnan,1966), p. 27.
  37.   Patrick Olivelle (2005). Manu's Code of Law. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-517146-4.
  38.   K. M. Kapadia, Marriage & Family in India(1955; London: Oxford Univ. Press,1966), p. 28.
  39.   Indra, The Status of Woman in Ancient India (Banaras: Motilal Banarassidass, 1958), p. 74.
  40.   Swami Madhavananda and Ramesh Chandra Majumdar, eds., Great Women of lndia (Almora: Advaita Ashrama, 1955), p. 18.
  41.   The Laws of Manu – Penguin Clsassic translated by Wendy Doniger, Emile Zola (1991) Penguin Books
  42.   Romila Thapar, Ancient Indian Social History (New Delhi: Orient Longman, 1966), p. 32.
  43.   Shakunthala Rao Shastri, Women inSacredLaws (1953; Bombay: Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan, 1959), p. 84.
  44.   Swami Madhavananda and Ramesh Chandra Majumdar, eds., Great Women oflndia (Almora: Advaita Ashrama, 1955), p. 18.
  45.   Romila Thapar
  46.   The Therigatha contains  passages reaffirming the view that women are the equal to men in terms of spiritual attainment and contain verses that address issues of particular interest to women in ancient  society. It includes verses of a mother whose child had died (Thig VI.1 and VI.2), a former prostitute who became a nun (Thig V.2), a wealthy heiress who abandoned her life of pleasure (Thig VI.5) and even verses by the Buddha's own aunt and stepmother,Mahapajapati(Thig VI.6).
  47.   Romila Thapar, Ancient Indian Social History: Some Interpretations (New Delhi: Orient Longman, 1978), p. 33.
  48.   Swami Madhavananda, Great Women of India (Almora: Advaita Ashrama, 1955), p. 254.
  49.   The Therigatha contains  passages of a former prostitute who had became a nun (Thig V.2)
  50.   Indra, Stam of Women in Ancient India (Banaras: Motilal Banarassidass, 1956), p. 222.
  51.   Humayun Kabir, The Indian Heritage, (1946; Bombay: Ashish Publishing House, 1955), p. 62.
  52.   Patricia Jeffrey, Frogs in the Well : Indian Women in Purdah (New Delhi: Vikas, 1979), p. 43.
  53.   Patricia Jeffrey, Frogs in a Well: Indian Women in Purdah (New Delhi: Vikas, 1979), p. 174.
  54.   Article 14, Constitution of India
  55.   Article 15(1), Constitution of India
  56.   Article 16, Constitution of India
  57.   Article 39(d), Constitution of India
  58.   Article 15(3), Constitution of India
  59.   Article 51(A) (e), Constitution of India
  60.   Article 42, Constitution of India

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