“ Status of Women in India” Status of Ancient, Mediaeval and Modern

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-2 , 2016 ISSN : 2454-1362 , http://www.onlinejournal.in “ Status Of Women In India” Status Of Ancient, Mediaeval And Modern. Chandrakala. S. Halli. Dr. S hridhar. M . M ullal . Ph.d Research scholar, M.A Ph.d, Dept of Sociology, Dept of History and Archaeology, Karnatak university, Dharwad. Karnatak university, Dharwad. Abstract : Most of the social reformers tried and reform the patriarchal family for to uplift and restore the women’s glory repairing the dilapidated component of through preaching ,press and platform . Indian society , namely, the women. Among them a few notable reformists are raja ram mohan roy, iswarachandra vidya Introduction : sagar, swami dayanad, kandukuri veersalingam, duragabai deshmukh, jyotiba Social structure can phule and ramaswami. Raja ram mohan roy stimulate certain trends of change, but at the succeeded in making viceroy lord wiliam same time, it can also prove to be an bentick, to declare the sati system illegal.In impediment in their path. In India, there is the patriarchal family and society of our diversity of culture, tradition, and norms, country for centuries, the law of manu in castes religion that influence situating regardto the role and behavior of women gender in the society. have been rigidly adhered. The state never set out to restructure rectious of authority Women In India : within the family or other resources .for many political and academic resons the The Constitution of the specificity of women’s oppression and Republic of india ecsures equality for exploititation and role of the state remained women and men in every sphere of life and substantially unexamined to bring an end to activity. Women in indi have been given the oppression of women in our country , equality of opportunity in all matters relating several reformers tried their best to influence to education, employment, and legal status, the state . nevertheless, it was ambedkar and they can aspire to grace the highest who had been successful to influence the offices of the state.However,this is state to come the rescue of the women of our indicative of the existion of women in the country.The purpose of the present chapter country.Though legally and constitutionally is to examine Dr. ambedkar’s efforts in all women have equal access to and right to understanding the complete reality about the venture in every walk of life, a vast majority status of women in india through a of them are still illiterate and uneducated. comprehensive hindu code bill was on his This is a paradoxical situation which must pragmatic approach to recognize, restructure be understood and seen in its historical Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 297 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-2 , 2016 ISSN : 2454-1362 , http://www.onlinejournal.in perspective. The status of women and their With the coming of Muslim activities can be divided into three main rule, medieval India witnessed enhanced historical period, the ancient, the medieval dependency of women on men. The Islamic and modern.1 custom of Purdah (veiling of women) forced 1) Mishra.sham.kartik. ‘ Women status and the public world to be separated from the empowerment in India,’ July 2012, New private world, with women confined to the Delhi. p.p 14. latter. Following its subjugation by the Muslims, and fearing adverse outcomes for Women In India Ancient Period : its women, a large part of the Hindu India From the available accepted the practice of veiling. Through documentation, it is revealed that women this privatization, Indian women were forced enjoyed a fair amount of freedom and to trade their mobility for safety. Repeated equality with men in the fields of education invasions by the Muslims further pushed the and religion during the Vedic period. In the 2) Ibid, p.p.15 Vedic period, women from higher sections Indian women towards of society were given equal rights in the inhuman “traditions” such as child marriage, field of religion, aand they attained the dowry system, purdah and sati (the distinction in the realm of theological immolation of the widow on the dead studies and philosophy. Distinguished husband’s pyre). The challenge of Islamic women such as Gargi and Maitrayee are aggression also made Hindu India defensive well-known names of this period who and introverted causing a desperate return to excelled as scholars in their own right. orthodox Hindu beliefs and practices and During the ancient period, there were icons further constraining the status of Indian such as Sita, Damayanti, Draupadi and three women. Thus, during the medieval period, of the Panchkanyas, Indian women lost their earlier status and Ahilya,Tara,Mandodari,who are still were at the lowest ebb. remembered with great reverence in Indian society it was in the later period, However, women like Razia approximately 500 BC, the status of women Begum rose to become a ruler, Chand Bibi, gradually declined with the Smritis and Tara Bai and Ahaliya Bai Holker, left their other religious texts giving diktats which great imprints for their ruling capabilities. In adversely affected women’s freedom and Bhopal also, Begums or princesses ruled. rights. With the rise of Brahaminism and With the advent of Islam, once again, due to confliiting religious and social women like Jahanara, Begum Mumtaz and thoughts, the place of women remained Noor Jahan enjoyed respectable positions in subordinate and unsatisfactory. buddhism the country. These remarkable ladies though and Jainism, however, contied to give a strict Muslims, publicly administered justice place of honour to women. Women were with their faces covered by veils or burkas.3 eligible for admission to the religious order in both Buddhism and Jainism . Bhikshuni Women In India Modern Period : sanghamitra was one of the main proponents of Buddhism of her time. 2 In the modem period, the status of Indian women can be divided into Women In India Medieval Period : two distinct periods, the British rule, i.e., Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 298 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-2 , 2016 ISSN : 2454-1362 , http://www.onlinejournal.in Pre-Independent India and the Post- Chandra Bose to set up the Rani of Jhansi Independent India.4 Regiment of the Indian National Army. Women’s participation in the freedom Pre-Independence Period : movement was very extensive. Smt. Kasturba Gandhi, Madam Bhikaji Cama, The British Rule in the 18th Sarla Devi, Muthu Lakshmi Reddy, Aruna century brought in some degree of political Asaf Ali, Sucheta Kriplani, Durga Bai orderliness, but the social structure, customs Deshmukh, Priti Lata Waddedar, Captain and practices remained unchanged. It was Lakshmi and Janaki Davar of INA, mainly during the 19th century that the Jahanara Shahnawaz, Randhabai reform movement undertaken by Subbarayan, etc., are only a few to have out enlightened thinkers and leaders of Indian of the many.5 society like Raja Post-Independence Period : 3) Status of women in india (internet) 4) Jayaprakash Devavrinda (Internet) In 1947, India won freedom from Rammohan Roy who understood the foreign rule. In 1949 a Constitution was importance of women’s participation that drafted which gave equal rights and status o the status of Indian women started changing all Indian citizens. Independent India has for the better. Though initially all the leaders seen various and programmes for the uplift were men, women gradually came into the of women of all scene and played their role not only in 5.Jayaprakash Devacrinda (internet). changing history but also the society as a communities.Indian women have played an whole, through their efforts in different important role from the very beginning of areas of work such as education, politics and Independence in different walks of life. freedom movement. Mrs. Annie Besant, Dr. Women have taken bold steps in all nation Sarojini Naidu, Kamladevi Chattopadhyay, building activities, which started with Mrs. Nellie Sengupta, Durgabai Deshmukh education and have now blossomed into and many others gave a change and women’s involvement in every activity of betterment. Indian women actively india.They have participated in all activities participated in the freedom movement to such as education, politics, media, art and highlight the importance of the elevation of culture, services sector, and technology.6 the status of the Indian women which also had different thrusts. The founding of the Conclusion Indian National Congress in 1885 and Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent movement Through this research we not only led to the political emancipation but have finded that as the time changes also was a step in the direction for social womens rights also have undergone reconstruction. Women took equal initiative undergone a wide changes. Indian women and participated in all types of struggle for have mastered anything and everything national freedom, i.e., non-violent which a woman can dream of. But she still movement advocated by Mahatma Gandhi has to go a long way to achieve equal status and the Indian National Congress, as well. in the minds of Indian men.With the changes Women’s enthusiasm in participating in the in policies womens have become more armed revolution helped Netaji Subash Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 299 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-2 , 2016 ISSN : 2454-1362 , http://www.onlinejournal.in powerful in various fields but crimes against womens have grown much with the increase in various rights of womens. Women are still treated , in some respects, in the same old way, yet the perception that Women are second to men has not been erased, Mushroom growth of crimes against Women have been seen , and also Women’s own perception is responsible for changing but not respectful status of Women in INDIA still lots of new policies, and awareness is needed.

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