UAE and GCC Society

(SOC201)

Culture Assignment

The practice of Sati in India

Nadia Urooj (1065459)

Afaq Mansour (1064292)
Introduction

India is known for its bizarre and exotic customs and traditions, its rites and rituals dating
centuries back. Most of these customs are intriguing, yet inconceivable to many. However,
unlike today, tradition was not only about food, clothing and amusement. There existed rituals
that were heinous and inhuman. One such hair-raising and fiendish practice is the act of Sati or
Suttee. Though not practiced widely anymore, Sati continues to be a topic of discussion in the
nation. Despite having graphically horrifying details, Sati is discussed as a part of the Indian
history in schools, so as to instill a sense of awareness of the barbaric nature of this act.

A practice that was common in some Hindu communities of India, Sati involved widows commit
suicide, voluntarily or by force, upon the death of their husbands. The methods of suicide
included burning on the husband’s funeral pyre, being buried alive with the husband’s corpse or
drowning. The most common practice; however, was the act of burning the widow alive along
with the corpse. The widow would don her bridal attire while sacrificing her life in the ritual
(Heaphy, 2017).

Sati in the Ancient and Medieval India

In her book ‘Daily Life in Ancient India’, Auboyer states that the word ‘sati’ is derived from a
Hindu Goddess of the same name. The Goddess, unable to bear the plight of her husband Shiva
being humiliated by her father Daksha, immolated herself. First mentioned in 510 CCE, the
practice was originally condemned by the Brahmins (the highest caste in the Hindu Caste
system). The custom’s popularity grew in the southern India. Over the centuries, the practice
ceased in the south; however, it still prevailed in northern India, particularly in the state of
Rajasthan and Bengal (as cited in Heaphy, 2017).

Moore says, in her book ‘Maharanis: the Extraordinary Tale of Four Indian Queens and Their
Journey from Purdah to Parliament’, that the ritual was in practice due to the fact that the death
of the widow would devolve the deceased husband’s possessions (wealth and property) from his
wife (the widow) to his family. The act of sati was considered as an expression of devotion and
love of a wife for her husband in its ultimate form. Performing this ritual would ensure salvation
for her dead husband and the coming seven generations as well as expiate her own sins. If a
widow still chose to live as an alternative way, she was expected to live like an aesthetic, avoid
all social activities, shave her head and eat boiled rice for the rest of her life. Even her bedding
would just be a thin and coarse mat (as cited in Heaphy, 2017).

Stein states "The widow on her way to the pyre was the object (for once) of all public
attention...Endowed with the gift of prophecy and the power to cure and bless, she was
immolated amid great fanfare, with great veneration" (as cited in Heaphy, 2017).

Abolition of Sati

Over the centuries, sati was condemned by a wide range of people who stated that it was a futile
act. The practice was under great scrutiny in the 18th century when the Europeans came to India.
Eventually, in 1872 sati was outlawed entirely by Lord Bentinck. He claimed that the practice
had no proper religious basis. As a result, there was a decline in the practice of sati in India in the
19th century; however it still prevailed in the state of Rajasthan (Heaphy, 2017).

Although Sati was outlawed by the British Raj and made illegal in India, people continued to
practice it in secrecy in the 19th as well as the 20th century. In the 21st century, people look down
upon the act and consider it shameful. Yet, several cases have been reported of the event taking
place in certain parts if India, particularly in the rural areas, within the first decade of the century
(Heaphy, 2017).

The act of sati reflects the hidden savage nature of blind beliefs. Despite being aware of the
inhumanity of this practice, it is still considered as the ultimate form of devotion by the
vehemently superstitious. By and large, law enforcement merely suppresses the actions of
people. Hence, efforts must be made towards raising awareness and educating the masses to
counter the ignorance, which is the root cause of such practices.

This is one example of the common mistakes people usually make when it comes to culture or
following their ancestors in any aspect of life. Following what has been done blindly without
searching for further explanation or searching for a valid reason to fortify their beliefs or reasons
for enacting what has been done in the past leads to oppression and hardships not only for the
current generation itself, but also for many more to come, unless a voice is made for change.
References

Heaphy, L. (2017, May 2). The Practice Of Sati (Widow Burning). Retrieved from kashgar:
https://kashgar.com.au/blogs/history/the-practice-of-sati-widow-burning

Stein, D. K. (n.d.). Women to Burn: Suttee as a Normative Institution. Retrieved from

journals.uchicago: http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdfplus/10.1086/493605