The period after 300 B.C witnessed a succession of invasions and influx of foreigners such as the Greeks, the Scythians, the Parthian, the Kushans and others. The political misfortunes, the war atrocities followed by long spells of anarchy and lawlessness had a disastrous effect on the society. Fear and insecurity haunted the common people and householders. Sons were valued higher than the daughters because of the need for more fighting males, in order to survive the waves of onslaughts. It was also imperative to protect women from abductors. It therefore became necessary to curtail women’s freedom and movements’ .Early marriage was perhaps employed as a part of those defensive measures. The education of the girl child was no longer a priority. Sastras too compromised by accepting marriage as a substitute for Upanayanam and education. The neglect of education, imposing seclusion and insecurity that gripped their lives, had disastrous consequences upon the esteem and status of women .The society in turn sank into depravity.
The social conditions deteriorated rapidly during the medieval period.
For nearly 2000 years from 300 B.C. to A.D. 1800, truly the dark ages of India, the development of woman steadily stuttered though she was affectionately nurtured by the parents, loved by the husband and cared by her children." *
"If in many households brides are badly treated then this is the fault not of Vedic traditions (which in fact greatly empowered women), but the decay of these traditions caused by our own neglect and attacks by foreign cultures which traditionally treated women as being subservient to men.
Bhishma Pitamaha lay on his bed of arrows and preached the intricacies of Sanatana Dharma to Yuddhisthira for 58 days. He said: “O ruler of the earth (Yuddhisthira) the lineage in which daughters and the daughters-in-law are saddened by ill treatment that lineage is destroyed. When out of their grief these women curse these households such households lose their charm, prosperity and happiness.” Mahabharata, Anushashanparva, Chapter 12, sloka 14. " **
"Now, it is the time of reawakening. Women of India are beginning to get opportunities to establish their identity and be recognized for their potential, talent and capabilities. That is a good rebegining. The process must improve both in terms of its spread and quality. The ancient principles of equal opportunities for learning and development, equitable position in place of work and right to seek out her destiny, with honor; that guided the Vedic society must soon find a place in all segments of the society. It may sound like asking for the moon. But, that is the only option India has if it has to survive as a nation." *
* http://ssubbanna.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/10/rig-veda-position-of-women-2-2.htm
**Raghbendra Jha - Women and the Vedas - http://www.ivarta.com/columns/OL_070503.htm
Women were rather emancipated until the onslaught of islamic armies on Indo-Gangetic plains from 12th century CE.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, it is peculiar characteristic to observe that the women from lower social strata (lower castes) were much more free and liberated than the women from higher castes. Furthermore, one has to understand that the varna OR the caste of a particular individual OR family is never constant; a person moves up or down the social ladder depending upon existing socio-economic and geo-political conditions. Hence, those families OR castes which were elevated to Kshatriya OR brahmana from vaishya OR shudra, they used to confine their women-folk and limit their independence for the sake of status symbol.
You are however, by and large, correct in observing that the independence of women in Indian society went on progressively diminishing after the disintegration of Maurya Dynasty (tishya-rakshita, the young wife of aged Ashoka was one of the last independent and poitically as well as socially assertive woman of Indian history).
Actually what I've been observing according to my researches is that women's freedom were not in men's hand so it was not given or taken away from them according to their position or caste, etc. Women were in equal level, position and thne had as much freedom as man, period. Our nowadays mentality tricks us on putting our "modern" standarts in analyzing these old days. If to certain caste of women it was "given more freedom" then we cn't say women were free, but again they were just in hands of men and society that says how free they can be. According to my research, as I said, it makes no sense.
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