The Status of Women in Ancient India

The status of women in ancient India has been a topic of great interest since the nineteenth century struggle for women’s rights reformation, when reformers such as Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Raja Ram Mohun Roy relied on ancient hindu scriptures to fight for upliftment of women, and widows in particular who had to deal with many social evils in the form of sati, isolation, restriction on lifestyle and prohibition against remarriage. However, with the pioneering works in the field by eminent scholars such as Anant Sadashiv Altekar and others, there is a general picture in the minds of people about the status of women in the ancient Indian society. It can be perceived as a very advanced and liberal society as interpreted by Altekar based on the Rig Veda and the eminent women therein who have left indelible marks on the the scripture by composing numerous hymns present in it. But others would refer to the Manusmriti, which is at times associated with promoting sexism in the society till the modern times in Indian history. Both are part of the ancient Indian society, but at different points in time, hence a closer look with focus on specific time periods and demographic would reveal the changes in women’s status over the millennia that constitute the ancient period of Indian history.