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AUTHOR Wolfson, Ron TITLE Curriculum on Women in Contemporary : A Multidisciplinary and Historical Approach. Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminars Abroad 1966 (India). SPONS AGENCY United States Educational Foundation in India. PUB DATE 1997-00-00 NOTE 126p.; Some photocopied pages will not reproduce clearly. For related items, see SO 027 999- SO 028 007. PUB TYPE Guides Non-Classroom (055) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC06 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Asian Studies; *Females; Foreign Countries; Global Education; High Schools; *Indians; Instructional Materials; *Interdisciplinary Approach; Literature; *Multicultural Education; Non Western Civilization; Social Studies; *Womens Studies IDENTIFIERS *India

ABSTRACT This curriculum guide was developed to assist high school students in understanding the role of women in modern India. The one semester elective course uses historical texts, biographies, scholarly works, novels, short stories, poems, and film as a means of exploring the subject matter. The course looks at the traditional role of women in modern India over the millennium as well as the place of women in the major religions of India. Sections of the guide include: (1) "Historical India: Empire and Religion"; (2) "Contemporary India: The Raj to the Present"; (3) "Women in Contemporary Indian Literature"; and (4)"Women in Contemporary India." Reading materials include, "Careless Daughters" from "Dharma's Daughters: Contemporary Indian Women and Hindu Culture" (Sara S. Mitter); "Wedding First, Love Later: Arranged Marriage among the Educated Classes," from "May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons: A Journey Among the Women of India" (Elisabeth Bumiller); readings from "India" (Richard Waterstone); "Great Mughal Glory (1605-1707)" from "A New of India, 4th ed.(Stanley Wolpert); and "Great Women in " from "Great Women of India" (Swami Madhavananda, Ramesh Majumdar, eds.). (EH)

******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** Women in Contemporary India: A Multidisciplinary and Historical Approach

by

Ron Wolfson

A Curriculum Project Developed During the 1996 Fulbright-Hays Seminar Abroad Program: India Seminar

Submitted to Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), USDE

by United States Educational Foundation in India

PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) his document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Rosalie Gendimenico Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction Quality.

TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Points of view or opinions stated in this docu- INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) ment do not necessarily represent official 1 OERI position or policy. 2 Cuggiculum on Women in Contempogagy India: rl multidiciplinary and historical approach in fulfilment of the project requirement of the Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program

Ron Wolfson The Chapin School New York City

Ron Wolfson 1642 York Ave. Apt. 4F New York, N.Y. 10028 (212) 744-4431 Internet: [email protected]

3 Women in Contemporary India

The purpose of this one semester course is to take a mulitidisciplinary approachto the study of women in contemporary India. The course will use historical texts, biographies, scholarly works, novels, short stories, poems, and film as a means of exploring the subject matter. In order to properly understand the role of women in modern India the course will look at the traditional role of women over the millennium as wellas the place of women in the major religions of India. There will be two tests and two papers for this course. The first test willcover the historical and religious background which is discussed during the first month of the course. The second test will cover the time period between the and the rule of Rajiv Gandhi. The first paper will be the analysis of a piece of literature written byan Indian woman or about Indian women. There will also be an oral presentation. The other paper will be a research paper dealing with an issue concerning women in contemporary India. The reading assignments which are listed on the syllabusare a guide to how a teacher might wish to cover the course. The assigned reading listedon this syllabus, including the assigned novels, comes to nearly 1,000 pages. Obviouslya teacher would need to select which reading assignments he or she feels would best suit hisor her class. Copies of chapters from the main texts and literature are provided to give teachersan idea of the level and depth of some of the suggested readings. This course is designed as an elective at an academically demanding private school. The schedule which follows is designed to follow the calendar ofmost schools of this type with the first semester ending prior to winter break. The schedule,as well as topics, tests, papers, and reading assignments will need to be adapted to the needs of many different types of schools, though the level of reading will necessarily be demanding.

Main Texts Bumiller, Elisabeth May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons: A Journey Among the Women of India, New York, Penguin Books, 1990. Madhavananda, Swami and Majumdar, Ramesh Chandra, editors, Great Women ofIndia, Calcutta, Ashram Advaita Publishers, 1993. Mitter, Sara S., Dharma's Daughters, India, Penguin Books, 1992. Wolpert, Stanley, A New , 4th ed,Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1993.

Main Works of Literature Deshpande, Shashi, The Intrusion and Other Stories., India, Penguin Books, 1993. Jhabvala, Ruth Prawar, The Householder, New York, W.W. Norton, 1960. Markandaya, Kamala, Nectar in a Seive, New York, Penguin Books, 1982.

4 Women in Comtemporary India 2

Supplemental Texts Ajgaonkar, Sri. Meghshyam T., editor, Mahatama: A Golden Treasuryof Wisdom- - Thoughts and Glimpses of a Life, Hripra Publication, Mumbai, 1995. Altekar, A.S., The Position of Women in Hindu Civilization, , Motilal Banarsidass, 1983 Bader, Clarisse, WomeniaAncientindia, Dehli, Anmol Pub., 1987. Batliwala, Srilantha, "Empowerment and Women's Autonomy" from theCo-ordination Unit, Bangalore, World Conference on Women, Beijing 1995, the Centerfor Reproductive and Policy Burton, Sir Richard F., ThtKamaSutranfiatasyana, London, PenguinBooks, 1962. Chattopadhyay, Kamladevi, Indian Women's Battle for Freedom, Dehli, AbhinavPub., 1983. Fishlock, Trevor, India File, New Delhi, Rupa & Co., 1983. Jain, Devaki, editor, Indian Women, Delhi, Publications Division, NewDelhi, 1975. Women's Quest for Power, Vikas Pub., New Delhi, 1980. Jensen, Anne Furgeson, India: It's Culture and People, Longman PublishingGroup, New York, 1991. Johnson, Donald J., Johnson, Jean E., and Clark, Leon E., ThEnughindianly&s, t. Edition, New York, CITE Books, Apex Press, 1992. Nagaraja, Bhargavi, "Reproductive Rights: Women Against the Politics ofCoercion" from the Co-ordination Unit, Bangalore, World Conference on Women, Beijing 1995, the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy Phadnis, and Malani, Indira, editors, Women of the World, New Delhi,Vikas Pub., 1978. Rastogi, Veera, "Strengths and Limitations of the as Pertaining to Women: Amiocentesis and other Laws" from the Co-ordination Unit, Bangalore, World Conference on Women, Beijing 1995, the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy Sen, Gita, "Population Policies and Women's Health- -The Shifting Boundaries"from the Co-ordination Unit, Bangalore, World Conference on Women, Beijing 1995, the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy Smith, Huston, The Religions of Man, New York, Harper and Row, 1958. Waterstone, Richard, India, Little, Brown and Company, London, 1995.

SupplemcntaLWarklnfliteraturt Desai, Anita, Clear Light of Day, New York, Penguin Books, 1980. Jhabvala, Ruth Prawer, Esmondininclia, London, Penguin Books, 1958. Jhabvala, Ruth Prawer, Heat and Dust, New York, Simon and Schuster, 1975.

5 Women in Comtemporary India 3

Unit I:Historical India: Empire and Religion

September Week 1: The Harrapan and Aryans Reading: Wolpert, "Indus Culture" (pps. 14-23) "The Aryan Age" (pps. 24-36) Week 2: and Buddhism Reading: Wolpert, "North Indian Conquest and Unification" (pps. 37-54) Waterstone, "Renunciation" (pps. 26-39) "The Forms of " (pps. 46-62) Nihshreyasananda, "Great Women in the " from Great (pps. 140-168) Week 3: Buddhism and the Mauryan Empire Reading: Dutt, "Great Women in Buddhism" from Great Women in India (pps. 253-274) Wolpert, "India's First Imperial Unification" (pps. 55-69) Week 4: Islam and the Muslim Invasion Reading: Wolpert, "The Impact of Islam" (pps. 104-125) "Great Moghul Glory" (pps. 149-167) Mirza, "Great Muslim Women of Inda" from Great Women in India (pps.378- 394) Test: Indian Empires and Religions Unit II: Contemporary India:The Raj to the Present

October Week 1: The British in India Reading: Wolpert, "The New Moghals" (pps.201-225) "Indian Nationalism--The First Movement" (pps. 250-264) Mukerjee, Satswarupananda, Pillai, and Rao "Great Indian Woman of the 19th Century" from Great Women in India (pps.395-413) Week 2: The Age of Gandhi Reading: Wolpert, "Toward Independence" (pps. 310-328) "The Impact of World War Two" (pps. 329-350) Ajgaonkar, Mahatama: A Golden Treasury of Wisdom--Thoughts and Glimpses of a Life (selected readings) Week 3: The Age of Indira Gandhi Reading: Wolpert, "From Collective Leadership to Indira Gandhi" (pps. 371-406) "From Janata Rav to Rajiv Gandhi" (pps. 407-433) Bumiller, "'Indira is India, and India is Indira': Mrs. Gandhi and Her Legacy for Indian Women in Politics" (pps. 147-178) Test: The British Empire and the Gandhi Raj

6 4 Women in ComtemporaryIndia Indian Literature Unit III:Women inContemporary

Week 4: Indian shortstories 34-42) Reading: Deshpande,"The Intrusion"(pps. "An Antidote ToBoredom" (pps. 61-69) "The Stone Woman"(pps. 141-146) "The Cruelty Game"(pps. 122-132) "The First Lady" (pps.1-8) Paper assignmentgiven on Monday Week 5: Indiannovels Reading: Jhabvala,The Householder November Week 1: Indian novels Reading: Markandaya,Necter in the Sieve Week 2: OralPresentation of paperassignments Reading: None Paper due: Monday India Unit IV:Women inContemporary

Week 3: Dharma'sDaughters 71-80) Reading: Mitter, "FemaleProwess: " (pps. "The Epic Wife" (pps.91-98) "Only a Female"(pps.109-122) "To Change YourOwn Life" (pps.123-136) "A Four-Thousand-Year-OldHistory" (pps.165-176) Life Week 4: Village Woman of the Villageof Khajuron" (pps.75- Reading: Bumiller,"Beyond the Veil: The 100) Fishlock, "Girl for ardentboy" (pps. 20-43) Film: To be announced December Week 1: ModemWomen in India (pps. 13-24) Reading: Mitter, "TheWoman's Compartment" "The Hazards ofHomemaking" (pps.25-36) "Ingredients of EverydayLife" (pps. 55-70) Professional Womanand a Housewife" Bumiller, "Her OwnPlace in the Sun: A (pps. 230-256) Calcutta" (pps.201-229) "Poets and Revolutionaries:Three Women in Week 2: Major Issuesfor Women in India Later: ArrangedMarriage Among the Reading: Bumiller,"Wedding First, Love Educated Class" (pps.24-43) "Flames: A Bride Burningand " (pps.44-74) (pps. 101-124) "No More Little Girls:Female Infanticide" Movement" (pps.125-146) "Towards Equality: TheIndian's Women

7 Women in Comtemporary India 5

Week 3: Major Issues for Women in India Paper due on Friday Reading: Mitter, "Careless Daughter" (pps. 153-165) "The Collective Venture" (pps. 137-152) Sen, "Population Policies and Women's Health- -The Shifting Boundaries"

8 It" Penguin Books Ltd.,India Hannondsworth,(P) Ltd., B4/246 SafdarjungMiddlesex. EnglandEnclave, Ncw Delhi 110029, India Penguin BooksBooks Canada(NZ)USAAustralia Ltd..Inc.. Ltd.. Ltd..1821.90375 10 HudsonRingwood. Alcorn Wairau Avenue.Street, Victoria.Road. New Suite Auckland AustraliaYork, 300.Toronto, New 10. York New Ontario 10014,Zealand M4 USA V 3B2. Canada CopyrightFirst published in Penguinthe US by Books Rutgers 1992 University Press 1991 1991 by Sara S. Mitter Dharma'sDaughters . quote fromThePublishers, linesA.L.Basham's from the Inc. poem translations Acknowledgementcollection 'Stings* of byArid, the Sylvia Rig copyright is made- Plath,Veda, to (c)quoted Sidgwick 1963 as by the & Ted Jackson, epigraph Hughes. Publishers,to reprintedchapter 6, for by are permissionpermission from her to of Harper & Row the Anklet in The Wonder That was India (1959). , Laws of Manu, and Lay of Contemporary Indian Women and HinduMITTERSARA Culture S. includingTheformresold, book of thisis hiredbinding sold condition out,subject or orcover being otherwise to theother imposed condition than circulated onthat that the in withoutitsubsequentwhich shall itnot, the is published bypublisher's purchaser way of andtrade priorand without or withoutwritten otherwise, a similarlimitingconsent be condition the lent,in any 9 PENGUIN BOOKS EST Copy AVAllIABLE bothmechanical,orrights introduced the under copyright copyrightphotocopying, into aowner retrieval reserved and recording system, the above, above or orno transmitted mentionedotherwise), part of this inpublisher withoutpublication any form the of or thismayprior by book. be anywritten reproduced, means permission (electronic, stored of in 10 5.4 viii PART THREEContents 14.13.12. TheTo Collective Change Your Venture Own Life 137123 PrefaceContents ix 15. A Four-Thousand-Year-Old CodaCareless Daughters History 177153165 Introduction PART ONE IndexBibliographyNotes rpr187181 3.2.1. The HazardsWomen'sDance of of MayuriCompartment Homemaking 2513 7 6.5.4. IngredientsFetchersCleaners and of CarriersHandicrafters Everyday Life 553747 8.7. FemaleFemale Propriety: Prowess: Streedharma Shakti PART TWO 71 11.10. 9. OnlyPowerThe a EpicandFemale ContainmentWife 11 109 9991 12 CARELESS DAUGHTERS Hear my voice, ye carelessRise daughters! up, ye women that are at ease! Isaiah 32:9 teaSheela'sTara's in someone's new driver cousin home, by marriage.in the tea with my friend Sheela and her came for us at four-thirty p.m. I company of an august elderly Because it would be highgreat-aunt to meet Tara, was going to tered"Whystoutlows,lady, Indianto she Iherself.squeezed wore didn't automobile a sari. sendinto The the thedesigned threeback for Mercedes," the great-aunt mut-seatof us, of all the starched Ambassador, cotton bil-the durability, not comfort. withsteppedsivevator carved framed attendantalong mahogany and a plant-lined, toilluminated the door Weuniformed ofwere handed smoothly from marble-pavedthe tenth-floor entryMoghul hall apartment. hung miniatures. Wemaid Reggae who opened thedriver to doorman to ele- mas- cowl-necksculpture.herrock dark music She shirthair was was andpiled coming wearingcotton"Lovely to see you!" A in a high topknot likeout of the walls. statuesque woman cametrousers, forward, export manufacturers'a rumpled, impeccably white a Bodhisattva 14 154thanseum.seconds two She'd thatdollars); gothawkers it, she'd she sell told on me the later, sidewalk for Dharma's Daughters hard-bargained him down. For acces- thirty rupees (lessoutside the- mu- justhusband, a year ago, but wascertainly not quite a safer as fabulously investment rich than as theher romanticformer CARELESS DAUGHTERS 155 Withweddingandchoker,sories, a two pearl-polished ringshe broad similarly worewas bangles four half bands aand pound ear of smallof solid matched diamonds. patterned rings on her right hand.fingernail Her she switched off the stereo. clips of fretted two-tone gold, gold jewelry: heavy Taraownfinishedpolo won friendsplayer hands off herwithwho down. first walkwhom marriage.The a fineshe glossy hadline I thought enjoyedand Bombay thrive of the one magazineson escapade provocation.or two of callthat my them the glitterati selferymaid,Her boys,next other andto Tara her armnanny didhusband's held not and her put punctuated four-month-old Forthe babythe whole down. length She installed of the visit,her- hovered Aunty and attended assiduously to by arrivals of various deliv- daughter. over by cook, towaddlingfeatured,no moneyed, looklimits. at. downheavilyEvidently, Her arrogant abdomen the made-up, steps one women hasofand the obese aflabby sense andTaj woman Mahalmen ofsides outrage. for Hotelhang in whom a chiffoninTheis dewlaps:repulsive therecoarse- sari are andstructionwide-screenvastthe theliving eldest workers' room. guest,view Theof shanties,while other triple Sheela a washermen's and I took open sea. The room was furnished with antiques and luxury apartment buildings,picture window con- commanded a a stroll around the colony, the bay, isrichallsionthe too around sari morefollows squalid; was reprehensible.makes notclosely the meant the bitter on contemptuous theto toil The wrap physical. of view the so many,muchfrom indifference The their abjectmeat.omnipresent. protected Moral wretchednessof the revul-super- eyrie t k ,: ; dianbronzes, art. the walls a galleryAfter aof few ancient minutes, and we were called into the dining room contemporary In- hourT-shirts at 2,500 painted rupees in one-of-a-kind each.A magazineRock-and-roll designs, reports fashion sold an exhibition-sale outshows in one are of arty original to,sauce,platefulstheand using baby seatedchutneys, theof on mini-kebabs, heavyat her one fruit lap sterlingend pudding, and of vegetable the silver milk service. sweets,fritters, Tara cakes. fed We fell supervised the serving of tea andformally laid table. Tara settled chickpeas in herself is-beautifulatjammed; tionWestern of beforeslines designernaughtiness"Ménage form and at meals,afters." glamorousMost composed Bombay-based restaurantsa Trois" of an featuresintriguing thatmagazines, coyly "small- selec- hint even those aimed at the materialismherInwith swimmingher stepchildren the cultured fingers of and the British of tennis.wereother her notchildren She at spoke in their feelingly exclusive of the rightaccent, hand, in she the expressed traditional her manner. regret that homegone to the dub for school, theunhealthy anyaboutpublicationtionsswinging token affecting what piecehedonist, goes launched the on on vastdreary carryin theinmajority. topics1987 amegacity, somber likeand But slums,articlepurporting thefrankly inaugural pollution,or dispensed two to on issue"tell or condi- civicwith ofall" a digestWecanstravelsloss got are forof not traditions,toa while.Paris aware and Tara ofthe Newanything remarkeddecline York ofoutside and that values. in theirthis up from the table to resettle in the living room and assured us that "Ameri- She alluded to her own suburb." whowhattoughirresponsibility. joinedto charm do? aOne thathunger is Thatadds not strike isspiceaSnide socialall of simplyto slumarticles livingworker. dwellerspart here.and of letters Terrible,the whose folklore, lampooned hutsyes, hadthebut the celebrated actress knewapartment:weather that she Viraj, fortunately the business Notdid noteven in the air-conditioned magnate whomever haveshe married to step out of the Mercedes, I thought. I unbearably hot beenfelt,missedsuburbernment. razed if the ofthe and "Let theactress topic. nostars]," her alternative Thehad settle thenotproblem themupper turned site in middlewouldproposed ither into compound have classa publicityby gonesniffedthe localat away, stunt.Juhu and gov- theydis-[the 1G 156 For the outsider, the inevitable sense of outrage is like Dharma's Daughters a CARELESS DAUGHTERS 157 whatsibletheintoshot native aof would toself-protective adrenalin keep aptitude you from do?at first.forbeing irony. denial It overwhelmed.can The and go problems staledissociation and Ifare eventually makes resolveit you livedenormous, here, and pos- growththefeelerswomen's late for 197osand hostels. commensurate professional examined Meanwhile,A thesemates. developmentsurvey their women's of families postgraduate motivationand begin their putting science views for self- out ofdegree holders made in dimensions.Thenot onlyTimes full-time, ofA India:Bombay but readerForit has some, alsowrote takenthe to work a onwomen's newof mother, and column surprising wife, in and home manager is whenchildren.werepercenttheir role voluntarilythere of asThey the scientificwere womenplaced notdomestic workers employeda were high helpers unmarried.value in relation were on or staying marriedgrandparents toMost other atof withroles.'home, those youngin Forty who the even themteachers,tomyMy beand creaturemother a their friend, take hadpapa,aboutcomforts them guideto be for justand and longswimming "mother."worry critic hair andabout to lessons; Shemyfaded my waschildrenmeet jeans.well-being. mediate .there I must to between tend I theirbehave to ingilyworkhousehold. needsencouraged only money if Oneher critical for husband topher awarenessAllmarriagegraduate doesthose not whoexpenses." feltand earn were thatclaimed enough "anot workingthey or if kept her agreed fam- that scientific train- woman should up friessuccumbaforgame movie an after toarmy goon toa on video;hardofentreaties picnics,my day's son'sstand towork.struggling friends inbe at a rehearsalsdarling who into decide mymom oftoo jamandto tight stay sessions,make jeans; and French watch cook and powerScience,tinywith (karma).their of theydestiny field. felt,Many Yet beyond may without observedThe explain human women exception, fasts, natural comprehension surveyed vows, theyevents, orhadbelieved ritual but receivedand there control. taboos.in des- ismaster's a fessionsone'sballs to roles may juggle asmask andmother theirthe addedand enthusiasmAdd homemaker. guilta salaried about and givingjob takeWomen or profession with to the programmore short shrift to care not to pro- byeducatedsionalatgrees the least andwomen's in and a thepersonal decade supportivelate movement. 196os later, development. orfamilies.place early higher 1970s. ManyMost priority Younger ofhave them been women, affected born on both profes-or doctoral de- come from uniformscouragedmiumare,manifest after on aoriginalthatall,docility strong theare productstillthinking commitmentand worn, performance of and regulatedan personal toeducation their and down "outside"initiative. systematically that has work.The put school dis- to the very color a pre- They did"women'sandwoman thedissociate same.may problems." lean Indira, over as backwardsNoYet, the less storyto survivea modelto goes, emulate in thantook a profession male Indirait colleagues Gandhi where men make the rules, herself from anything that smacks of as a compli- a tudesgrams,withformityof theall prevail. and elasticthe sought. regurgitatedLatin The binding Great nomenclature"home one's chunks in science" frequent braids, of and biology teacher exams. perfectly cautions Victorian copied atti- are emblematic of the uni- are learned by rote, young dia- thonswhowomanment runto with canbe sterilization dubbed bequotas brutal "the to in meetwork"camps"all-day onlyOnceher way man established of in with exercising her cabinet." cut-and-tie in a it. position Physicians of relative authority, a chilling disregard mara- a 7 scienceworkinfood.ladies unison facultiesThe faithfullynot "The poetryto touch where boy and teacher anystood earnthey part marks onhighkeep ofthe marks;theiratthe bur-ning it, beat living then deck." in person while preparing as the class belts out are admitted to single cells in Bright girls beenprocedurepellednewlyfor imposedtheir illegallyrecruited used,patients by the toa young woman asundergomost individuals. painfulhospital doctor.' virginity and nursesIn tests,invasive who it emerged hadmethod, been that had the a court case brought by 1 8 com- 158 Dharma's Daughters CARELESS DAUGHTERS 159 ismaintainingwomen the case colleagues for the many status or of quowomen's theSuch andwomen theirindividuals causes. who own hold Theirprivileges are political interests not in apt it.office. lie Thisto inally themselves with women'ssues.tudeof ranking was No contribution superficial, onewomen was in paying the patronizingas to politicalthe attention basic parties economic if tothese was the weretotal. unitmagnitude ofcharityTheir society, atti- ofis- women'sfewwidows,male-dominatedThose women whoprotest or daughters-in-law havepoliticians and been actively tappedon the campaign, of left topowerful run identify for rather maleparliament themselves than politicians. simply by with the A political parties are very often wives, aboutshakyNilouferthe household." state.going feels, She to but a has court a womanno Accesseconomicof law who againstto seeks security.legal divorceheraid Sheownin Bombay is husband. interrified a very has greatly improved, Politicsicaldescendantsupper-castepropagating program is just land-owning ofor an thetheperspective, extension partyold princelyAnd orline. of industrialist andthen,family But houses.their there thebusiness. allegiances rest families;areFew arethe have largelymaverickslucid, some arefrom principled, in- are clear. a polit- piness.ing,knowbeginspression,"Many if what youandof Your andthe haveendsit women is noexistence towithnot wonder. step known whomarriage. out iscomeThe of evenmeant your whole Itto twenty-fourdoesn't mehome for ethosare your andmattersuffering is attend husbandhoursthat if you yourfrom aof meet- don't hap- and lifede- anotherTara,workclass.dependent, though and Theyis in the the aregenerally relative verytruepassionate originals,antithesis simplicity issuing conviction whose of fromin a whichbourgeoise only the each eachresemblance brings onemaharani lives. to toher like same privileged one achildrenyou womanonlyher own your to life. see husbandhave "I how tell no a whomyright branch client, Nilouferis to a ofexistproduct 'You the viewsas state and anof thisItheindividual."functions are courtsociety, confronting proceedings vis-à-vis but also not as an opportunity for socialStronglyfounder"I'm reform,a and mule,opposed editor Madhuborn to of tostate thebefeels Oneapath-breakingintervention mule that who thein has a purpose human aeven redoubtablejournal in body,"of the Manushi. reputation is Madhu Kishwar. any social namesays the of client.histhisairthe our biases?state,institution Anwoes.' which attorney This The represent? thinks must woman should bethat Whoanmustnever we educational shouldappointsbe take led the tonot thequestion:attitude experiencebe judge? coming that What What thisherefor does istheare to a labels,humanticulatewithaction people is includingandrights to create quickin activistgeneral, thattospace speak of since and forfeminist. her morewomen hermind, humane studentShe inMadhu, particular.is normsdays, who forrefuses hasHighly dealing been all ar- a bandment,ofcharitable a Parsi be that divided exercise." womanthe apartment in whotwo, asked,Awith where senior separate as shewoman part had entries. of colleaguelived her divorceOtherwise with had her settle- recently hus- she appeared on behalf day."tencestruggle,sheerand areromanticizing drudgery a but challengewe it has and to about berepeated done.are a struggle living Our setbacks. existence, that that challenge proceeds "It's Manushi's through exis- wary of theorizing an epochal every profession,isthewould what precedent be we on are isthe for tohere street. this?"create for. The she Our"Wethe olderasked. partconcepts,are tolawyerof evolvethe establishstruggle, hesitated. the precedents," inthe "Where the prece- legal is Niloufer replied. "That 19 mid-198oschildDelhi.practice stays This thrives havewith makes eachwomen'sin Bombay.for parent. aAnother commutingissues Niloufer Her come is husband Niloufer marriage;tofeels the that isfore. Bhagwat, posted only "The in failure aNew firebrand attorney whose one teenage since the eredisdence.dents." exhausting. curtailing Her additional After this activitya periodcaseloadNiloufer's for of illaas while. healtha doctoralwomen's Butin 2987, adegree rights letter she advocatefromis consid- in administrativeher jurispru- 71- 11.40 -415- 16osixteen-year-old son rallied her. Dharma's Daughters "Ma," he wrote, "don't be a "Sometimes I think this is making them schizophrenic," CARELESS DAUGHTERS 161 I workdormant on five-star volcano." construction"My husband is an executive who sites."works in five-star hotels. Induspeakselves.'Now says weup Here ruefully. understand.like we that, talk, "Awe argue,You groupareMany told,forced take of staff'Who crechedecisions. us toworkers do learn workersyou But to think share thinkat hometold you theirfor me, are?"if our- wehomes with dominating year-olds"Videobrickhave justcabin culture,here stepped roofed are alcohol, old out with hands of Soeverything. speaks Indu Balagopal, a teemingmetal creche,sheeting. a slapped "The five- together and at Bombay life,"with Indu her remarks. eloquent smile. We A foreign visitor doesn't six- mothers-in-law.don'tolderlawown tobaby likewoman. give thewas the way "I'vebeingOne child I raised woman lookfed milk. rice aftermany found "Don'twater. your children that Shebaby,act insmart," on hertake rice absence it water.retorted with youIfher youthe to asked her mother-in- Bombayvillagetheincause the many suburbs,(described' children heads where toinwould turn.ChapterIndu, the Butworkers a physician,if I took is the prime start to cry at the sight of you."5). But she herselfmover attributes of Mobile Crechesare inraw recruits from the you to one of our sites woman,thecrewdisregard creche." in not the socialonly creche. to taboos defyAnd andhierarchical shelet her did. child It was mix awith courageous the motley step for the young authority, but also to educationtraditionallymiddleteachersthe originality dass. andand orientedcrecheThese and workers, families,strength who no work experience. They come from modest, women may have only a primary school of the operation toand its they staff need of an income. A are drawn from the lower haveButfamilycome. the herself was woman praying sterilized informed for after aAnother boyifher the husband notdelivery, worker, this that time, motherwhatever she then was of the going thetwo next. out- girls, to was pregnant. The dotheyrialsvelopsone-year in arrange andthe their crampedinventtraining competencies. the thespaces all-purposecourse, stories, of intheThey the classroom songs, and roomsgames.creche in Ingeniously which as they their have own learned fam-produce the teaching mate- and onsite, de- to teach?'theforwork themchildren Most for at every low ofare them wages, step,"dirty said, Induand "Howin 'No.'abominable unkempt,recalls. they But havenow"At will conditionsnothe blossomedyou start,you see bethem,I asked: ableout, toilets, they and 'Ifto how difficult it was meetings,longinnovativeilies live.habits they andof timidity usedpermissive to andTo deference.transform'women who had open their notebooks and get ready teachers has meant undoing life- been taught by the rule into Indu recalls, "At staff to create.themakeshiftby rain. foot These Some tosheds reachwomen travel with the arethean sites. As hourthesun for strengthin Theyby Indu their bus persevere, herself, faces,ofand Mobile the thatched she rest they Creches." is of engaged adapttheroofs way inand in a perpetual guerilla gottellsomedownwrite. usthere. what suggestions.'andI Nowsaid, to follow. do.' it'I isam It so Youtook notThey decentralized goingthink insisted, 'Didi a lot out of us, but eventually they to aboutsay anything the question you can and write make that I don't initiate dis- [Big Sister], please thoritiesaction.thereforeoftheir laborers Constructionpolished can the look slogging law Mercedes out requires magnates, the through window without provision site the of engineers,seeing mudtheir of a are palatialthatcreche. womenandmunicipal a large offices"Madame," number au- orthat followmorelems.socussions has tolerant.Some it through."come or of take They tothe work decisions staff have late to tendevelop times. She are punitiveat towardmeetings. her, It maysome be that so-and- a consistent policy and has domestic prob- are writingtheyknowher say, wicked tothe "pleaseyou." kind. sense One Thesend of element residents humor. me"I all live that the can inkeepscorrespondence, take one theirofIndu those dogsgoing residential in Iis thewill surely eleva- be towers," she says. "You 2 2 4 .C1- era: 1. 162 Dharma's Daughters CARELESS DAUGHTERS 163 eightcrechebuilding,tor, months' but was not some negotiations.operatingtheir of servants.the others there, Whenever When that were still under construction. A we had establishedwe moved intoafter the first I appeared, I was fol- world."bringfrom me outside. a newspaper, You yourselfTo any be inlittle become the thingcompany so from needylet of thevigorous outsidesomeone and committed women is laughsarms'lowed with length.by swarmsglee. 'What "My of neighborschildren. are you, an ayah?' they asked." Indu The new residents keptdon't understand me at all." me at barrierstheirplaces;awakeninga heady powers, womenofexperience. caste is reachingat atand hand, every Oneclass. green out levelbegins to are shootseach to standing be other persuadedemerging across taller, thatin crumblingrecovering unlikely a grand doManymitment not unheroicwish without simply tobecoming stayCan aeither sensitive, civic-minded young women graduating from universities at home and raise bright children. woman make a social com- a maverick or a saint? seethingreturningamongfeminist the under columnistfrom many theira lecturereaders citesburkahs.This tour, whoa "tremendous depends "Strikingly thatwrite the to on Muslim her what vibrantmental and lenswomen reports, working- change" you are areon looking through. A speakingvelopment.tutesorganizationsAnd or they associations women SEWA,object for for to ':socialfor engagedfund the example, assumptionsraising, uplift." in A few some aspectrequires of women's educatedproposal de- writing,English- publish-of traditional voluntary fmd places in insti- classstrugglesoffeelsern researchers feminismparts a current ofand the [is]innovative of andcountry," spreading exhilaration activists mobilization writes through involved running a Marxist the processes. with throughwestern intellectual. the theandmultitude "' accountssouth- "One of onInstructiveplaced,ber ing, aus." toldway, legal how me, aboutwe aid, theyare"We it, accountancy,rebelling evenare feel treated. ifstrongly Weand we have notoo economic against needthe expectations to work. placed the like. One suchabout staff theneed way to do women something are con- mem- tainedcanNoprofoundoffmany dispatches.cost-effectiveness women the be passivity,appliedembroiled They know to andcriteriacostThere ingauge howthehow isstruggle scatteredthemany-armeda palliable utilityof effortare the andtoo exhilaration, gainsthefor wearynecessity resistance.result are, to how fireob- and of it is energizing. But tationsterritory,aftereventually all, between theso meangreat vast educated aremajority.interacting theWorking differences urban This with in an organization for andwomen's illiterateis a venture development rural into a mayforeignruralin women, experience who and are, women. expec- workingerativesfornent them or for orthodox orand the develop go women's to Brahman live artisanalIn incause every parched families in industry generation, India. villages repudiate in andremote certain the organize life tribaldaughters decreed coop- dis- of socially promi- hopingovertideals,whoField had formanipulation, hadworkers reward,gone a rude out fromduly freshly time utter of versedindifference. one action-oriented research institute,spouted whatever they thoughtit. the They met dogged resistance, in methodology and full of Their respondents, proachnetwork,things.ascetics,tricts. Once, areToday, performinga symptomaticmovement, these they weretoo austerities whose can of isolated its be discordsvitality. seen to cases,re-equilibrate as partand like ofdifferences athe vast the legendary informal order of ap- of 23 villagersimilaring,tionresearchers and especiallyways. will penury want "Youwanted whentoof have grabthe to theyhear.village anything But to live that life to understand howcaught themselves behavingmade inthem more understand-a stint of living in the isola-that's offered that comes a itsButdrapesthe motto, vantagemovement of palein pointthe silkthere words brocadeof is: AllTara's itsof this victoriesone can gorgeous will activist, be nodrawnare doubt modest "toliving to keep lookblock butroom. onscraggly definitive; the keeping Thick view. and sound shrill from 2A -7- 164 Dharma's Daughters m. shakti,court.'on."traditionaltwo And ambitious Perhapsto itgoddessand is notions sufficiently these "reformist" menof contemporary woman visiblehave politicians perceivedpowerthe and activism: numerous to have theready linkbegunwomen's forreference between at paying least ef- to it 15 fective power. A FOUR-THOUSAND-YEAR-OLD HISTORY travel an unthreatened path: for if a thing Strengthened by my thoughts of you, . rl must be, good womenKunti are not to timorous. Draupadi, Mahabharata 4 We arebungalow sitting in near the pitchDelhi dark, University. on the lawn There of a ismodest a power cuttingblackout,maintaintionthroughout pumps its consumptionas that therethein politicalthe city. hasvast Some tobeen parchedbosses divert say every inthat electricfarmbelt the day,New drought-afflicted power sectorDelhito the to isnorth.by the voluntarily sector, irriga- Others states thesprees.capitalnorthhave cooling blocked to whose embarrass night thenights flow air theare after from Thegovernmentalready a thethree hectic tensehydroelectric of day. us andwith are Thoughput terrorist tranquil pressureplants we shooting in further meet theon adarkness, refreshed by 25 ofHismandingschool,Massachusetts.rarely, similar wife ourindifferent Rupathinker integrityfriendship is Deben butrooted to and amiableworldly goes isinrestraint. atheback Bengali goodsin same company,to Forthe (other tradition intellectual 196osthirty thannever years,inand books), Cambridge,doctrinaire. ofpossessed shethe a hasoldde- 26 VikingPcnguinPenguinPcnguin Pcnguin Books Books Books India Inc. Ltd. Cananda(P1375Australia Harmondsworth, Ltd.,Hudson 210, Ltd.Ltd. St.Chiranjiv 10Ringwood, N.Y. Alcorn Middlcscx, 11X014. Towers, Avcnuc, Victoria. 43,Nehru USAEngland. Suitc Australia. Place,3(X). Toronto.New Delhi-110019, Ontario M4V India Elisabeth Bumiller simultaneously3B2,PublishedPcnguin Canada. Books(NZ) in in the Canada United Ltd, by States 182-190 Random by Wairau RandomHouse ofRoad, House. Canana Auckland Inc.. Ltd. NcwToronto. 10. York. Ncw 199(1 Zealandand May You Be the 10First published in India by Pcnguin Books India (P)Ltd. 1991 a AllCopyright rights reserved 0 Elisahcth Bumiller 1990 AHundred SonsJourneyMotherWomen Among of of theIndia Made and printed in India by Ananda Offset Private Ltd., Calcutta

publishedpriorotherwise,This hookwritten is andhe consentsold lent, without subject resold, in a any similarto hired theform condition conditionout, of binding or otherwise thatincluding or it cover shall circulated this not,other condition by than waywithout that of hcing trade inthe which imposed publisher's or it is on 27 PENGUIN BOOKS ' copyrightphotocopying,rctricvalabove,the subsequent no system, owner part recordingof purchaser andor this transmitted the publication aboveor and otherwise), withoutinmentioned mayany formbe limiting without rcporoduccd. publisheror by the prior any rights ofwrittenmeans storedthis under hook. permission(electronic, in copyright or introduced ofmechanical. reserved both into the a 23 xhowhave to travel;guided his and Acknowledgments influencedfilms, from Bymuch Jeep of my Around the World to Bumiller,work. I am who also at the age Eternal India, indebted to of eighty-eightmyablesummer inspirationalbrothersTrine, in-laws, in came Joseph to Karen visit India. I also owe much to my grandmother, Elizabeth and Etta Weisman, and Jennifer Elken her granddaughter one equally intrepid and and my sisters and 'step-Bumiller, and Stephen, insufferably hot remark- Michaelit islievedmy fair husband,and toin David sayit when Rose. I did Thenot, last person I would Steve, who read that this book could not like toand thank whose is thesupport, most the entire manuscript many have been written patience and love were important. I think times, be- without CONTENTS the source of my strength. This book is as much his as mine. ELISABETHSeptemberTokyo BUMILLER 1989 2 Wedding First, Love Later: Arranged MarriageAmong Ithe Educated Classes Arrival and Introduction 243 4 Beyond the Veil: The Women of the Village of Khajuroti 35 Flames:No More A Bride Little Burning Girls: Female and a SatiInfanticide 44 75 6 TowardsAmong Equality: the Poor The of Indian Tamil Women's Nadu and Movement Sex-SelectiveAbortion Among the Rich of Bombay tot 125 7 and Her Legacy for Indian"Indira Women Is India,in Politics and India Is Indira":8 Mrs. Gandhi Rekha, Dimple, Sridevi and Friends: 147 9 Poets and Revolutionaries: ThreeJO Women of Calcutta The Actresses of Bombay 179 201 II "Small Family,Her Own Happy Place Family": in the TheSun: Lessons A ProfessionalWoman and a Housewifeof Population Control 257 230 29 12 Departure and Conclusion Bibliography Index 297 291 282 30 .11:We'vit 7`17- close friends, monosyllabic and nearly immobile under a gaudy red silk May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons 25 ownThissariandfrom so wedding,is areextravagantlyjust an a Indianas ritual well, with miniaturein becauseher themselves.trimmed eyes shepainting. demurely with is Flowers meant gold Her cast thatto preparationshave bedown, it a canbeen passive likeweigh woven havea presence silent fifty intotaken pounds.maiden herat all her hair, day WEDDINGArranged Marriage FIRST/ AmongLOVE LATER alwayssayspaintedsmall she jewels invitingin can henna applied remember me, all overthinking very herherOne eyebrows littlehandsthat of myanof and American what pastimesand feet. anhappened Afterward,intricate inwoman India thatlacelike waswould she day. going usually design enjoy to weddings. People were the Educate) Classes chaoticmetheofficial biginspectacle. to hotels,guest.pageant congratulate andOtherIn that three if Itimescan peeredthe and last bride I a would inuntilhalf longand years,six stumble groom.enough, in theI think intoIn morning,the India, Iaparents wentwedding a and weddingto would ninemore at one usheras andis anof a ourcripplingaIfmore working-classa house,family has debtbecome theis rich, forfather family thea it public isofnext notwillthe de'cade. validation unusualbride, put on who (At ato feastof havemadea awedding family's for a S800 thousandtwo in statushundred,a theyear guests.alley and driving ensuring wealth.behind Even for four,DURING sometimes WEDDING even SEASON five IN nervous NEW DELHI, bridegrooms IT IS POSSIBLE riding TO through SEE THREE, the princelyTwoandIthe went ofVietnamese at thestates; theto Hinduweddings other at one embassy, byweddings, theelephant. were groom paid given Sikh arrivedAt S3,200 somebyweddings, noblein for of a silverthethem, families and lunch horse-drawn particularlya Muslim party of the and wedding.former chariot onedowry.) in a bystreamersgroom,marrystreets a phalanx that on wearing covering whiteevening. of relatives horsesan the Theelaborate embarrassment and towardlittle a ragtag, weddingbrocaded women on improbably hisparties theysuit face, andbarely areis named escorteda hard headpiece know "discoto on miss: but his band" with willridethe chantedgroom,monsoon,lush, plant-filled who I wassat prayerscross-legged courtyardtransfixed and at bypoured inmidnight thefront sweating sandalwood of during a sacred faces a breakfire powder of while inthe the intobridetl-e summer priestthe and processionimaginetodeemedplaying let a few it tinny,the an can of thickauspicious these takeoff-key Delhi half processions marchingthenight, air eveningredolent and pass, music.it to is with reachtoeasy, become Thehope theafter Hindu siteand stoppingcarried of fertility. prieststhe away wedding,in trafficEachhave and videoculture,"classchurchesflames. hotels,camera There ofand the partisrecordingwere aWest. sensuousness of distinguished what Others an Indiraevent were to Indian that Gandhi bygaudy wouldmelting weddings celebrationsonce keep ice derided absentDelhi'ssculptures at from as Delhi'sold "five-star familiesandthe first-cool the Thelate,lawnusually bride, whichat onea meanwhile, home greatlyof the or, new ifannoys hasthe luxury beenfamily the hotels. closetedbride's has recentlyThe family with groom hercomebut is mother,is often intonot several aunts andhours 31' a catastrophe.money, a big aofthing,fussing man dazed though, who for terror weekswas thaton little the aboutmarked bride's more all Inalmost thethanface India, new as aevery stranger shean money estimated beganwedding into the town.her. Irest95 attended: percent Thereof her waslife theof marriageswithlookone are still arranged, 32 4 r " 26 Elisabeth Bumiller social mobility and broke down the extended family, a change that is May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons 27 11'3 publicWhenofwithincluding this believe so estimate,I many first the the camemajorityother percentage and statistics toin India,offact those ofmany in arrangedthis India,among sociologists astonished no marriagesthe one educated is and me.certain to much I bemiddleknew ofeven of the the arrangedhigher.class. general As accuracy just beginningbecauseit is used a in newin India, India. kind refers of system notArranged to has those emerged. marriage in the (Themiddle survives term economic among group the Indian middle class partly middle class, as times.datingwhowords,marriage had I American mostdid livedwas not of standardin expectthe thewomen countrybut United college among to Statesmarry women villagersI did wouldsomeone not in theandexpect come big thehe homethatcitieshad rural metan aftertopoorin Indian gladlyonly otherthree mangive years of evenspokeofconsumerbut a tomiddle-class laid to the each productseyes people other on life.) and eachinbefore thelive A other. the generationtopwhat wedding. ioThey the percent, West hadago, In would nomany awho brideveto consider casescan powerand afford they groom a oversemblance had to rarely never theirbuy minute.Newhalf-houramazedtheir parentsDelhi "Well,when meeting. commercial-arts the some maybe task "I couldwould of that's finding decide say a student bit yes maybethem rushed. to told agood in prospective Maybeame. day," husbands. Then ain twenty- a shegroom week." I thought year after -old a was more a alone.timesforparents' the beforeAlthough majority choice, making and mostof Indians,if athemarriages decision, marriageBut marriage these are and was still daysa still miserable,few arranged middle-classworks can go soamongthis out be way. onceit. couples members Even or twicenow, are of allowed to meet several beenfriendstheurban younger more elite. had arranged loveRajivgeneration marriages, Gandhi than of the Delhi'shasMarriage althoughcouple a love fashionable let marriage, forI on.used love (Often to circles. exists, suspectas ifdo two Almostmostonly that people amongof allthose started of a invery small slice of India's a few had our ofmarriagebreakthrough,maythe only same reject ten caste, at the womenall. choiceengagementsand Leila some among ofSeth, their families a maythe sociallyparents. fourlast insist six hundredThisprogressive monthsthe is result considered High and motheris more, Courtnot aan and whosubstantial judgesarranged women is one in changingneighborhoodmovedpreventeddating seriously, in as herand well. from gossip.)mobilized which In finding a 1973 couldOutside forasurvey good have a weddingthe husbandofhurt big college the urban to reputationlater, mensave centers, the and themselves parents of attitudes the girlquickly from and women in the are marriagesprevailingIndia, told in work, opinionme, the "Frankly,middlebut among they class. are I Inthe don't moretheThere middle thinksummer successful had class it's been suchof is than a5985that number a badthosenot I set system."only of in outarticles the do toWest. these Thewrite on a story on arranged selectionforcesmoreRao,south foundIndianfreedom pf modernizationamong that city in "anof theselecting Hyderabad, overwhelmingcollege are aresulting students."future two sociologists,spouse"majority in Butliberal in and of thatattitudes thePrakasaconcluded students toward and that Nandiniwanted "the same study, more mate doentertainingthefair,solicited makesubject beautiful for fromby pages good Western industrialistdaughter of reading. matrimonial correspondents, of businessmanDelhi-basedFrom ads in thebut ofBrahmin Sunday Delhimost hadfor industrialists.newspapers. graduate, focused on21, They Write the slim, The Hindustan Times: "Alliance insometothan knowthe a form lastthird a threespouse in of most the hundred before studentssocieties marriage.yearsArranged saidthroughout has they love marriage did comethe not world. toisthink notbe In seenuniqueit the West, to India only and has in fact existed in was necessary as a part of America,executive,mindedbeautiful,Post Box Christian No. home-loving,religiongood-looking, 5729." family and From casteEnglish-speaking forlate extremely forties,no bar." must well-placedBut girlbe I waswilling preferably more senior to settle interested fromgovernment in liberal- North in : "Intelligent, well-read, manbetweenimpactthemarriage concept and of husbandGod.at Christianity, allaof Muchcourtly development and laterwife lovewhich bycame in thatlikeningis the thoughtindustrialization, academics Middle it to Ages33thehave theorize relationship deepenedand which alsoevolved increasedfrom thebetween frombond the Westerna"work."discovering newcomer'sgoing Thesejudgments.on. if My thereenthusiasm were own was Inmy parents retrospect,something earlyand a had daysdetermination inI been realize inarranged India, divorced, there whentomarriage break was asI wassomething hadaway that filled somereally from.my with else ofdid my 34 friends.28that the I think Indians I was had searching and Americans for did Elisabeth Butniller some kind of a "secret" to marriage not. That was Manju, a twenty-two-year-old graduate of May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons a home eco- 29 middle-class:functionscouple, an at example, its Arun best. Bharat theirIt turnedArun friendsRam, and said, Manju of Bharat Ram were recommendedout they were to me neithera asprep-school the typical ideal classmatenor of Rajiv how arranged marriage .familybrideitselfRamevennomics that of onneverlower college the though statusdreamedeconomic and thetraditionally their scale.product of the bride's assures the groom's family that their (Sociologists say that marriage with a conservativedaughter middle-class might business family marries above marry a Bharat a plesandMaybeIndiraGandhi, of connections.the Gandhi the highlywas "secret" heir andWesternized On tofifteen to theone the other ofhundred industrialthe hand, largest others their industrial had success of the marriage was simply money families were prime exam- come to his wedding. fortunes in India. reflectlargerArunter-in-law belonged Vaisya,and reinforce will orto bemerchant,the sufficientlythe dependent prosperous Bania subcaste, which fallscaste within system, the which remains especiallycaste. rigid In India, arranged marriages both on them.) Both Manju and new daugh- end,datedTheresee marriage, I Americanfoundwere alsono at one leastwomen.love who formarriages bettersomewhile illustrated ofstudying in their Arun's children, how family, insociety the United in which States. parents In stillthe Indians could turn what as a business alliance.and he himself had class.thatamong caste the is rural still poor.important ButA marriageunions like broker that ofhired Arun by Manju's among at least some sections of the parents had introduced the two and Manju prove upper Indiandown.I thought art and was security the relationship guards,The Bharat between Ram house was an expanse of marble,set behindwith modern gates in one of Delhi's leafier marriage and love upside Shakespeare.beenbenext families,arranged, step. made Even tobut she "Theyparade thoughManju shuddered discussed before she hadwhen her heralways known that was no less reluctant than Arun future in-lawsshe remembered and then how her marriage would was to take the a relative had quote from verselyIndia.happilyRam'sneighborhoods. IVCR-dominated likeinsat the therea marriage blasts It oncewas of August counselor,tothe study, talk best and Iair sank insufferablyconditioner into the hot, to Manju, then returned, feeling per- leatherI ever sofa encountered and froze in but in the Bharat everyoneaManju luxury remembered.quickly hotel. Manjuassured "It was herreallyArun sothis scared and Manju's that she first dropped meeting was like a girl being sold." wascoloring overwas astea aif with signshe theirweren'tof good parents there," luck. at Arun, her cup, but distancemorningin Hea sport was that onshirt forty-five, themarked and golf slacks, acourse.slight, lot of he Rajivand lookedHe hadhad Gandhi's the social school to put the asame handsome, questions delicate to Arun.as face; if he dressed had just spent a pleasant ease and upper-classchums. Manju was onlyaboutlessonmeanwhile, impression to bethat married day,still she hadbut made off stiffall Manju legs from knew to a man who might noton Arunbe "normal." was that The she was "a pretty girl" sitting cross-legged duringabout his sitar his limp was that she was afterantraditional expensive graduate and school silkmore sari. accessible. at theHer UniversityThey hair She firstwas had met inof aMichigan. in long 1967, braid the down her back. year Arun had come home to New Delhi a pretty, warm face and wore He was twenty-six "ThatArunyouand your agreed was"very favor; when quiet."to see nowI talked ManjuAfter leave the Thisagain. me meeting, alone."time they But went his to dinner together to her for the first time," Arun remembered, Arun told his mother, "I've done and left the parents behind. mother persisted, and feltall-pointspartmotherand "trulyof about her search.said, veryson, to thatstart Indian,"she But he worktook Ann found he inmattersArbor thealsohimself family'shad felt into changed "a her textile a wife. Seeing no movement on the contradiction, comingown back hands and beganbusinesshighArun. an AlthoUgh time, his he still Hesoft-spoken."We"and always Ihad felt made He ashe lot never wasme of feel thingsquitetried like interesting." in common," to show off his family and his background.an individual." Manju decided the she said. "He wassame always thing. justFinally,from so histhe he motherWest, agreed that would to Isee shouldn't be 35 a prospective bride, "with nostop strings pestering attached," him. getting into an arranged marriage." ifbe that point,made. was the Manju what courtship hishad family already hadThey saw each other two more times,gone but on withlong chaperones.enough wishedsheand a decision had had no majortold her objections, parents she would marry Arun3G At this she to 3o Elisabeth Bumiller May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons 31 dingtoliked the preparationshim, house. and "We that gotwantwas under enough. way."Obviously, A I wasn't in love with her," she said. Immediately the massive few days later, Arun's mother came her," Arun told me matter-of- wed- tomorebackgroundconcocted flow important out simply ofand social interests.than by arrangements arrangingany Inof middle-class its a individual marriage and is India,actually betweenmembers, where subservient people thelove family ofis commonbelieved to isthem. still wheneverfactlyexcitingsame.that aboutwould "At we for thetheleadmet, me. daystime, toweSuddenly, love. were afterI I thewas I wasengagement very was didn't love him," she said, "but it was very comfortable. According willingto our tradition, to accept that." Manju important. All of my parents' announced. "But felt the inevitablytime.tion"True to In love"family, their leads is view, whichpossible to disappointment Americans can only beMiddle-class developedafter instead inmarriage, marriage onlydefineIndia with notdefines afterlove before. much theas love passionwhichglow patience as long-termof those and commitment and devo- Thefriends"Wein weddingsouthern hadwere always a tookIndia, little placehad enviouswhere people six the about two spent monthsaround later, us," followed Manju said. by a"This honeymoon was the family I was marryinghow much into." to give."their first She extendedmissed time alone. awk- ofwhatstrikingfirst divorce. romantic many example Americans of yearsthem of wearsseethe just asIndian off.givethe Thisdecadent up,belief Indians reasoning in West,their believe, alwaysmoral with when its superiority seemed dismal the marriage to record me over a washerwardaware parentsmuch and of difficult.more thingsand called One them didn'tAfterward, every know she began a slow adjustment to sophisticatedhappening thanaround her theown. world," "These people were more day. life within a family thatshe said. "At times, I AmericansyoucansKakar,hits think thehave one rough anytoo of say humangreatIndia's spots there an foremostandinstitution shouldinvestment falls be psychoanalysts,short should romance, in marriage.of satisfy an unattainablea mother soTheput many itpeculiar this for different ideal. way:the part children, "Ameri- Sudhir needs.is that helped."feltourselves,"was as ifanother IWhen were Manju adjustment. stupid.they movedremembered. But I to their "There own were "It was a frightening experience,learned how toother." cope with She it. kept My reminding herself house five years later, there times when we didn't living byhusband that somethingisintellectual a bit much." for stimulation teenagers also.and Manybad For Indiantwo of peoplethe films. young to Abe womenfew all that said Ito theymet each dismissedhad other "falling in love" as knowtheusedher Bharatmotherwhat to say, to Rams always'Ifdo you're with had said eachunhappy,long a woman Bysince the unless time I met them, nearly two adjustedhas to tomarried compromise life. It isa lot.always "She decadesit's andreally three bad, children don't tell later, me.' " also IndianwhoSawhney,wereexperienced hadtoo interior convincedgrown-up the "puppy twenty-year-oldworld. formelove" As that she with now.hadwomen Delhi a explained boy One would Universityat of school these to be me: my butwomen "When windowassured was me into studentMeeta they the my friends ofimpossible toldthem.course, me. "I've but to"And know thenever IBharat alsowhat thought know isRams really ofI would going noton another man sincesaid I met they him," were Manjuhappy, and I be able to live withoutin someone him. else's marriage, believedhis wife. askedher.engagedwho Weare if sheinhadthat love loved beensummer talk him.talking to to me, "That'sa childhoodfor I think an a veryhour they friend difficultin sound her her bedroom silly." question,"parents She hadwhen hadshe chosen Ibecomesaid. finally for"I I don'tpeoplebecame"It wasn't think actually a somethingtremendousI've regretted make that thebond. my happenedeffort It's to marriage, ever." Arunamazing, echoed but in arrangedfar marriages, asfall Iovernight," could in love tell, with hethey eachsaid. had "Itother." it grew and all thislove?"guy,practical.don't is andknow. going She I I think don'tshrugged, Thisto work. I'mseewhole goingstars, Iindicating know concept to,I don't everything enjoy ofno hear love worriesspending little isabout very bells.about my him.alien life Buther I to knowwith future.he's us. We'rehim. his "I family. Isknow that a very nice more isliterature,backward. asociety. force that IBut had ofexists here beenstar-crossed theon raised itsBharatIt wasown, on oneaRams acurious were love story. As 37 lovers like Romeo and Juliet whose magic thatof the defies favorite the constraints themes of Western telling me that love can be love of decidedbecauseOn the other Meetathen hand, I'd Sawhney be if going I were was Iinto inthought simply love it blindly." with this rationalizing wasthis madness,guy, Iwhat would or she a be good had worried beenjob of brainwashing, but later 38 32dealtmostmarriage, Westernizedin her andlife. even What families they choice had have bestdid the shedo luxury it have? only once. OnlyElisabeth In women America, Bumiller from a young of falling in love before the further"They matcheddetails on perfectly,"family backgroundFirst, the told andhoroscopes me.education. The ofparents Thenthe prospective photos exchanged were couple were exchanged. May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons 33 forhusbandIndianwoman a year womancan later. and move Onea riskshalf. on very aftergossipAt Westernized that her thatpoint, first, might intensethe couple man's ruin I her knewmother chances had took dated of him aquietly love affair fizzles, but an goodaside sincetheanyonepleased.mailed. man. the in A meetingRama,"I the few didn't four months who two yearsknow yearswas she'd later,him twenty-twobefore, at livedRama's all," butin she America, sheparents and said. was had Shecertain declaredtold not hadthem had that not themselvesshe'da her dateseen parents marry withhim didtwonoand longer thetoldchoices: honorable him risk thateither her since thingreputation cut theoff and Mostthewoman married relationship teenagers was her. from are or a stillgood not family, allowed he to date, so parents think by stringing her along. He had one of make her his wife. He could their man,sheknew had shebest. worried gave me beforehand a puzzledThe look.that wedding she"No," might shetook notsaid. place fall "I injustin 5973love thought, within India. theHe When I asked Rama if herdecisionchildrenfor carefully the about willfirst penned-in have roguea lifelong no who experiencedaughter mate. comes One will along. on of make whicha mother'sI remember a getaway to make biggest onethe an ruckusfearsdayintelligent is in one and fall that anybodyhappy"fromis my now husband, marriage, I on."could Apparently and have she I love askedsaid, Ihim.he remember"I for." hadstill He been. think is goingcoming After he's to a twelvehome bebetter everything stunned yearshusband of from to"very than me interviews like this, mysti- areIndia,interloper'sMexicanIndian more breaking family exchangedocile old I the knewgirlfriendsand niece'sstudent. have when heartcome Iturnedtheir was but to beautifulrooting upaverting and for whisked niecea her,family butfell himcrisis. alas,for offa oneMost to believe what they have been told handsome of thesouth girls Hinduswasseemedfied bythe what sobelievepowerful much was that like goingsense theirme onatof present first. fatalismin the What livesminds that I havedid Indianof not these been understand women women.predetermined have. atThey the Strict timehad by thirty-four-year-oldto"Fromfrom choose childhood: the thebeginning, right that person Brahminthey my willmind for from loveme," was thethe set husband souththat my Indian theirparents stateparents were of select.Tamil going explained Rama Rajakumar, a becausetheyinfluencetheir previoushadkarma, they decidedeven feltthe lives. the accumulatedit to casualwas These marry "meant" Hindubeliefs a man sum to today.are halfbe. of so "It's all anWomencentral good hourthe biggestto afterandroutinely the bad thereligion gamble actionsfirst told that meeting ofme one'sfrom theythat tc. forWorldwhereNadu.in sixteen Washington BrahminssheBank wasyears. in visitingWashington. are asOne athe World evening onhighest a BankbreakShe in caste had1971, typist,from beenin whenIndia. hershe living jobhad she I spokeas gone inwas a the supervisor justto United aher startingfriend's in States Delhi,at houseout the intoleaveIndia'slife," herthe itsaid husbandnext. mostto destiny?"Ritu successfulThe Nanda,in women her A traditionalprevious homethe I thirty-seven-year-oldinterviewed appliance life woman and companies.believeswill were remain too that director sophisticated "So marriedshe whywas of marriednot toone him just toof asaher.ingand letter thunderstruck atShemet the to hearda Universitythe mana friend nothing as Tamil might sayingof fromTexas. Brahmin, be heimagined. him He until seemedas itIttwo turnedwas likeyears "justoutwho later, another when was guy"he study- sent to wanted to marry Rama. She was not important to Rama that minedbutendorsethat will that I'm be view, getting obvious. but ahead nobody She,This of too, dismissedthe brings feltstory. thatme Iit tofirst heras Meena, nonsense, marriagemet her whose one either.was summer,name predeter- I have changed for reasons brokerbeUnitedimportantshe interested marry andStates, to awrote intheman so Rama. groom. it toof was both herThe notTamil own setsfriend extraordinary ofBrahminscaste, quicklyparents and took arein thatit India. was hardon an the eligible probablyto role come of one bymarriage no wouldin less 39 the business.ofat theengagedtive,being home and aShe "modern" spoke inof was ana friend. activerapid,from girl a She idiomatic searchwhomiddle-class was worked to twenty-five, English.find family,in her her Shea father's husband.waspretty and ambitious her andlaboratory parents"My stylish, and parents hadsupply proudasser- been are 40 M Elisabeth Bumiller May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons 35 checkingareboys,"togoing be "boys" on about theshe the matrimonialtoldand lookoutit in "girls."me. a very (Infor scientificadsDuringarrangedprospects. and thealerting way,"marriage "Iintroductory have sherelatives already parlance,said. familyThatand been mutualmenmeant shownget-togethers, and theyfriends womenseveral were herlinens,glamorous.theto an parentslobby expensive helping and Meenawere watchedwith dinner going had the beenatto guest the thegive spending foreignTaj list, her Mahal andas touristsaher discussing wedding Hotel. days go shoppingAfterward presentby. the Itnew was foras theyMaruti the sarisall major satvery and car in ownrejectedother.boys pastry," andThis them girls is in all.she arefact "Onesaid. not the saidmostof"-He themNone toaccurate had meet didn't of to the but ask termeven boys ratherhis for have motherhad the are the beenexcruciating "shown" guts first. up to to So finish Meena'sto event.)I said,each his standards, and she had allwaslikedpreweddingpart the excitedof the frills the boy dowrynegotiations.andabout "tremendously." fancies," having Fortunately,ashe man said. The around, idea Meena livingof a washusband discovering thrilled that her. she "I her parents had promised her in-laws during the with him, and having eitherofficerquestionswant'Good-bye.' one. ratherto aboutknow." than their Shea husband. accounts, seemed I to didn'tbecause be in have the "being marketmuch in hope forbusiness a that chief she'dmyself; executive I " She had asked the boys who were businessmen detailed thearound.andI arrived sky found but Theonly myselfenclosed wedding a half alone onhour fourwas withHer late, sidesto thewedding bethinking caterer.by held circus startedin this This a-style largewould gave "on canvas grassy time,"mebe sociallya fencing. chance area,a mere correct,open toInside, two look to hours behind schedule. conversationfirstlaw,She hadmeta plump foundhim atovertwenty-eight-year-old herselfher tea. house, aThen young whereI wasshe doctor, wrong. andboth withthe sets her Seven boy a ofsister-in-law'ssoft, wentparents months sweet to madeher later, face. roombrother-in- awkwardI She got alone anhad invitation to her wedding. underlights.acoveredrows buffet of whichSkinny metalofthrones heavy the menchairs for religiouschicken were the sat bride hangingfacing and ceremony and lamb a strands centergroom. curries would platformof Waiters marigoldsin take a tent withwereplace. lit from twobystill It fluorescentthe allsetting hadcanopy theup red plush- wantedrepulsedprospects."indifferent"for twenty-five to me," see"There to sheher hisminutes. said.again, werelooks; That oneSheso he theevening wasorfound two a big himmethiscases improvement parents"veryalone nicefor called coffee to over talkand the hersaidto" next previousand the day.wasboy where the guys physically evening.afternoonbackground.feel of The agave small-town grass way smelled to a fair. pretty fresh,Meena As orange I andwatched finally Delhi's sky arrived, andthe traffic preparations,then looking a cool predictably March the hot dazed, and was immedi- rumbled in the anyoneboy'scalledAfterthe that familymotherMeena's else, there would wanted mother,was alike month andto to know theask of twosilence.for if Meena'swomenMeena Then gothad hand. one down become day Meena's tothe business. boy'sengaged mother mother tosaid and when Meena's mother said no, the boy's mother said Theallinweddingately women stylethe ushered way to dress ofan down the enormousto was afamily toroom a her heavy surroundedinlips.jeweled a silklittle This in hoopbuilding madehot her, pink,earring, talkingoffering near and the hungdifficult, her bits wedding nose fromof advice. althoughring, one enclosure. similarnostril Her she hadanyindifferent,she wouldproposalgood credentialscheck frankly," to see she andif explainedher sheMeena daughter had tothought no mewas major later. still about objectionsinterested"I used it for to a andalways to'moment, callhim, judge back. she then said yes. "I was very that came my way on the specific merits." Since the boy weddingsway,luck.giggled in a lot.manner that I gaveis confusing her aAt bouquet last at first.the of groom sweetMost pulled ofpeas the and up guests onwished his ignored white her good horse the and things got under of speaking. There is a certain aimlessness to Indian followedproblem.wasinstinctively more "Iby conservative was feltlunch thatvery at the Pizzafatalistic," thanmarriageThe King; hers, two shewould 4butanother went said. she be on didtimeright. three not to She expectadates movie;knew beforethat his and tofamily thethen weddingonce, shopping, a hourswasauntswhilereligious considered hadandchildren ceremony, alreadyonly chasedimmediate impolite. positioned talking each Wedding relativesamong other themselves throughthemselves areceremonies expected near the theand grass. usually to food.wandering endure A None rigiddrag watching aroundrowofon this of 42 for 36 Elisabeth Bumiller May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons 37 reflectedinchantedthem front without ofSanskrit in the their interruption. sacred prayers, faces. fire Toward for MeenaBut several I loved and the hours, theend,much groom after theof what glow satMeena's underI fromsaw. thelather Asthe canopya flames priest had andnotlaw.life. quite thatThenThat thea seemed Iyear began marriage later, routine,hearing I waswas so thattold over. I didn't sheshe I washadwas give movedfighting surprisednot it much back with thought. with her by hermother-in-a But parents then, marriage ness,steps,leadingbridesslipped progeny, eachoften Meenathe one priestdo, cattle slowlyrepresentingMeena some and in and rupees devotion.a clockwise the a blessing:to hurry After direction. thingsfood,the seventh strength,up, The as couplestep, fathers wealth, the took ofmarriage Indian happi-seven groom rose to circle the fire, the groom seemarriageenduredthat Meena hadwould theturned for ahave scandal fewthe out daysrestbeen badly, and of afterimpossible her she buther life. would byfirst So Meena'sfor weddinghaveI guessher; had herreturn this anniversary, to wasstick home. change. with Ten on a amiserable I depress- went to parents could not have years ago mindguests'soonwas irrevocable. theywas cameras tooka blank. theirexploded The seats priest in on theirsprinkled Whenthe faces.two it thrones washoly Meena all water as oversaid the on afterwardaround flashes the couple, midnight,from that andtheher she said good-bye to her badlydivorce.playingdarkeneding, shaken, already inIt upstairs wasthe and hot dustawful sheMarch flat ofcried forwith a dried-outafternoon.her. as a view sheNo mattertold throughpark. I satme what She withshe the wasallwould chickher the thinnerfor blindsIndianprobably two and hours,ofmagazines children getlooked ina a bridesinceshehystericalfamily left,is will no and,but longermove conclusion I likehad in considered mostseen with theseto Indianher any husband amelodramas daughter Indianbrides, andwedding. broke in before. in-lawsher down parents' From They and in that tears.home.beginarc thenight I aInstead hadcrucial new on, long lifethe havesaidrequest,was about trouble that the shefor marrying increasing hadwomen given itagain. divorce upwasAt her firststillHer jobrate consideredthehusband and marriage was would helping shameful. had not. been around Meena"okay," the house,would Meena said. At her in-laws' among the middle class, the truth somanydecided withamongdoes of greather wasthem. a father, theatrics,the The only as bride's she rationaloften is mother slowly wailing response, and pushed uncontrollably, sisters given through wail what along the whichwas crowd with in I store eventuallyher,and intoandfor household of strangers. Indian brides handle these partings youmakefreelyhercleaning days, don't thingsas andbefore. evenneed cooking,in thoughtheto "When eat." kitchen primarily. she Butyou could that shehave Shedon'twas notime claimedlongereager need on your to she be hands," hadamade, good no she troubleor Indian eatsaid, things filling wife"you go out and see friends as knowthe car the that family, will take but her I found away.Meena itThe so spent firstwrenching timeher wedding I sawthat thisI criednight I didn't too.tossing even nervously in a bedroom impotent,whichand so hadwas and not willing onimproved the to nights compromise. since when the hefirst Thatwasn't night. especially she Her found husband applied she stillwas to didn't often sex, 1 theInwith conservative men her sleepmother-in-law elsewhere. Indian families, and It wasseveral this not is other untiltraditional; thewomen next the shenight new did husbandthat not Meena know. and ing.enjoy a close "the actwatch itself." on the Her time mother-in-law,After the newlyweds the first meanwhile,month, spent inMeena their had room feltbeen her alone.keep- husband was withdrawing hewas night,were"Normally,didn't allowed virgins. anwant experience to a to boysleepThe make just marriagewith Meenalove. pounces her "That husband,wasdescribed on wasfinally the girl."rather and to consummated me then Both nice as wasquick sheof him," relievedand and the her shephysically following husbandwhen said. "Iroom,hismonthsfrom was mother her. sleepingshattered." later Thenhad he pressured onfinally he She the stopped decidedterrace admitted him to talking instead.that that he he must to"It hadher was have madealtogether. horrible," "homosexual a mistake Meena Two and tenden- silent said. that marry her. He no longer came to their occurringhadthat{{very happened."her painful." betweenhusband Neither them,seemed althoughhusband glad43At first that nor the I "he heardwife next had talked morningfrom got friendsmuchthrough Meena about that itno noticedMeenawhat disaster was- was ecstatic about her new Meenamother-in-lawMaruti;wascies" "filling or hadtheother car movedhis "physical wasdelivery ears demandingback with hadproblems." with lies" been herto about held know parents"I Her upher. wheremother-in-law,by Another the would it company, was. problemhave By she midsummeryetcommitted believed, Meena'swas the 44 38 Elisabeth Bumiller and the quantitative threat which he feels the need of confessing," Erikson May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons 39 sleepingsuicideaskinonce as her becauseifa pills couple.Iback. hadn't prescribed Byhe Then,come this time, byhome"andthat a psychiatrist.Meenafall, her was had mother-in-law takingfound adaily good tranquilizerssuddenly job would not treat her unless she and her husband came She had seen the doctor only in advertising, called to writes.tress,"harboredsuggestion "But which "some one of in joyfulthing vindictiveness,his later is intimacy." devastatingly years madeespecially Erikson himcertain: attempt,towardargues nowhere womanthat at first Gandhi is astherewith the inmixed fact temp- any andanddeterminedwhat her after parents,the neighborsa fight to more give with concerned itmight oneher in-laws,last say, about try. told TheMeena their her reconciliation notdaughter's was to go. Buthappiness back home. lasteddidn't a week,off have she itwent, than inbesuccess, acloser 1987 a to lecturelife what of celibacy.)Meenadelivered experienced.Whatever at the University The psychoanalyst of California Sudhir at Berkeley, Kakar, may be true of Gandhi, the common reality appears to justin asaggressivewasme the to impossible familytrack and down was had to Meena's beginning livemadeWho husband knows and what present the other side of the story was. I with. Maybe she herhad husband been too feel "modern" inadequate and in bed. I guessed divorce proceedings. Maybe Meena him with her charges sexualpresentativeupper-middle-class"Evenspoke ofmiserydiscounting the example,""widespread is equally thewomen sexualhe widespread said,sexual who woes "there comemisery" inof arethe afor vast other,lowest amongpsychotherapy number direct castes." all classes ofindications Themiddle- as inanstandard India.unre- andthat bride'smother-in-lawmarryinghe problemshad beenpoint her. weretelling ofHe was. view, probablynot. the The wastruth point was not when isnot at that allheso saidMeena'sunusual. he experience,Certainly awful, although I suspected her had been pressured into her sexual from the courseDelhimembersKakarenjoynotion sex citedinas becauseIndia"painful interviews has of they theoralways distasteful livelowest with freebeen Harijan, of that orcasteswhorepressive both," or "Untouchable," portraying middle-class described it sexual"asmorality. women a furtive inter- But in very poor and very rich women expected,arehasto meanttremendous match then to up be parents twoseductivespent compatible believein powerIn theory,it over people herduring the first phase of an arranged marriage, a sexual passion, but when things cool off, as is fortunate that they had the foresight who can settle downhusband. to theThe first few years bride noticeaswithact sex in a a therapistsmarkedthe cramped advertisements absence inand India crowded of Thisare physicalfor called. does room,aphrodisiacs, not Aor lasting foreignsurpriseemotional barely sex traveler the "cures"caressing." country'sa few cannot minutesand growing helpspecial and but band of "sexologists," kind."whenoldeverydaybetween New youParents Delhibusiness realizea young arehousewife, howofalso man life. importantaware and "Love told woman of me. the it "Butis all-consumingwho that after have a person the never lustis is fine," Usha Seth, a forty-one-year- first fewhad years, sex that'sbefore. This considerate and that can rage poorpublicity-consciousingredientstoldmedicines or me. middle-class, "They on in billboardsthe do sex usenot sexologist, act." theirknow across Kothari, wives that India.a professionalforeplayas the sleeping "Most country's and Indian pills," whoafterplay best-known shouldPrakash are not Kothariimportant and be con-most men, whether rich, is sometimesduringcustomher family.husband the that citedfirstMahatma duringhelped yearas one the ofkeepGandhi reasonfirsthis himarranged year says that of inthe marriage, hismarriage, autobiography usually from drowning in sexual obsession bride spends time away from when he and his wife in long visitsthat to it was this gaveHesomehigh-pricedfused autographed it seriouswith to an the practice Indianresearch, "doctors" a womanamong yet who has thejournalist anadvertise middle unfortunate Iclass onknew; billboards, ofstyle forBombay. that me getsrunshe He brought in a has thrivinghis doneway. out copy of an American pornography magazine and analystwrote,herwereGandhi's home. thirteen. "but Erik "Such theyadmission Erikson, Every saved calls few however,usofwere adolescentmonths, very sees unwelcome lust. something "How in 'passionate' thosemore days," both." (The Gandhi biographer and psycho- his bride's parents would summon significant in such a boy Gandhi bookconductedBombaybreastshis nowcollection fromin sexologist itswith sixthRajasthan. of 695 seventeenth-century printing.and middle-class author Less In ofinterviewsflamboyant thewomen best-selling miniature fromthat is R.Dastur's 1983 SexH. ivory Dastur,toPower, researchers1986 ainanother how-to Bom- penises and or man really is becomes a moot question, for we can only know of bay, Dastur found that only so to 15 percent said they reached 4Gorgasm ; --t orderwentduring40 throughto intercourse. have a it male mechanically The child." rest, Significantly,Dastur with said, the idea"merely there that is Elisabethsubmitted itsaid was their Bumiller duty in to be no word to sex and demandedsplit up, told that me she theand relationship her husband May You Be the Mother of not livemight with his have family. worked "But if it's she had a Hundred Sons 41 hissatisfaction."ingin any patientswomen Indian beganuse language words bringing looselyspecificallyDastur their translated problems is for an "orgasm." internist as to "happiness" him. whoNon-English-speak- Most fell into sex therapy as a sideline after or "perfect knownhistoo wife, much me it's for tosort askthree of of years."a boy,"Social she said.historians "If he leaves a crime.say that He's procreation known them and all duty his lifewere and traditionally he's only his family and joins classcourse.leadmen toconsumed has insanity.Before had no marriage, by Othersexual guilt men over experiencesaid were masturbationDastur, whatsoever." "the large or convinced majority The ofthat the it middlewould unsure about how to perform inter- most common were young qualities,"destitutetheandmore upper-caste wife mustimportant of havevirtue, be "constantlylawnever in codifierIndian been worshippedregardedmarriage than sexual or seeking pleasure elsewhere, or devoid of good Manu wrote that a husband, "though as equals. Two thousand years ago, as a by a faithful wife." satisfaction. Husband thatdaywife.tionproblem oflastedor In theimpotence, oneamong wedding.twenty case, the years.thewhich married Kothari impotence SudhirDastur couples claimed Kakarsays had Dastur the lastedhe husbandknew for of often blames goes a big step further in The treats is premature ejacula- seven years from thecases of impotence on his fromhalfKhushwantOnly joking repressed the when lowerSingh, sexuality." he castes a says historian, marriedThesethat "all views forof are hard to reconcile with the extraordinarily rich journalist and social observer,sexual is only pleasure, accordingthe violence in this country to Manu. comes causestheory"viciouswritesInner World, ofis"avoidance circle thatthe "ubiquity"hiswomen that psychoanalytic spiralsbehavior" are of sexuallyinward male in sexualimpotence studyin threatening the ofIndianrelations, Indian in India,unconscious."to childhood, Indianwhich blaming then whenKakar's causesit he men, which on a greatWesterners.lovemaking,is probablytradition epics, and theofThe and everylove most Indian the and schoolchildfamouserotic godspassion temple copulate that knows blissfully the love poem ever written on the finer points of sculpturesis India's heritage. at Khajuraho The Kama-sutra still startle across the pages of the story of the god marriage.distanceinvestmenttowardfrustrated, from theirHer inlonely sonhersons." their husbandmay womensons. Certainly, well Kakar that be to the"extendaIndian believes first mothers malea this provocative withis makea human whom sexual reaction she has had woman feels in a typical arranged a huge emotional presence to the lyricalof Krishnadoormatlove." love Those thatand butpoem the"mywordsrather called beautiful beautiful the Gitagovindamilkmaid loins a proud, passionatewere written woman in the twelfthwho cried century, in are a deep cavern to take the thrusts . She was no worshiping that is still performed and an erotic, out to plexthe"devoured"adultany are sexualitysort males,of ofcourse deep byKakar of their not matureand believes,unique mothers.satisfying women. to who India, Thus, relationship. Mama's are but toafraid completethe boys intensity ofThis andbeing ultimatelythe the and overwhelmedcycle, Oedipus pervasive- producesthey fear com- or theon,Gitagovindastandingsung coinciding throughout the maderelationship themwith India. the betweenToday, Bhakti the legend of and most popular couple in the Indian marriageRadha andmovement remainslove in India.one in Hinduism,key The which to under- pan- waswiththeyness not her areof unusual. seventeen-year-old the five cycle years In 1961,may old. be. aIn Instudy Calcutta,son. India, ofA psychoanalystait community Iis knew common of of forthere business boys told to families sleep with their mothers until a woman who still slept me that theseeKrishnaa loveremphasized norththe frenzyandalmost Indian beloved. an thatlike plains intense occurs Today,where personal on his rural birthdaydevotion in Brindaban, a movie idol. Anyone who doubts that need only women in particular worshipto a god, almost like that of a village in interviewed,beingnear Delhi closer found toa government their that mothersmore thanresearcher than half to the their whose men wives. described arranged Another themselvesmarriage had as 47 woman I life-sizedforEveryto the have year, ritual plastic seduced tens darshan, ofdoll thousands Radha hidden and of villagersa bevy of equally or viewing, of the Krishna idol, typically at the back of the templethirty-five behiid moodenhundred and pilgrims mob the temples inflamed milkmaids.years ago he is said 8 a 42doors.in the One sweltering, September hour-long I buildup Elisabeth BuMiller watched the steadily rising fervordevotional music was slowly building before the doors were opened. of the crowd in tofor,and a Iinsuccessful supposethat its own marriage compromise as love. and Certainly perseverance no marriage can be as in important the West way romantic. It was part of the "secret" I was looking May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons 43 intensity.Drumsbeautifullyerscried at were out,the Finally, idol.throwing beating,in her short money,and story The writer Ruth Prawer Jhabvalawhen Krishna develops was revealed, Indian sweetsabout and a widow,strings of , jasmine who was the women moaned and this desire Married flow- seeremainsbetweennectedyet, that I Indians sawthe to a same tooeachhappy do many asother,have couple it husbandswas important as hadon if thenever and insightsweddinginvisible wivesexisted into inday. threadfor Indiamarriage them.In the whothat Theyend, and seemedyou love.Ihad camecan nothing uncon- Andsense to shortchanged."butofftimeswhenstories atalso a youngwith from the sheagethe One vague Krishnawasto dayan sensealone impotent an legend, at night or lay on old aunt, Bhuaji,that "somehow, begins to somewhere,and soon Durga'sold man. life changes:He has left her with money her bed in the hot, silent tell Durga the she had been "Some- middle-classseemthein common marriages to be friends. but marriedI knew the There social were life, seemed notpartlyclassAnd disasters, then intobecause to be whichthere butan few intimacy was they people Meena. were missing born. "You in Most know,"Indian of she assured me, after many of the couples didn't expect it. whetherbowelsstirringsafternoons,would." and withinthis hera was melting thoughts Krishna in thedwelling descending thighs. on on her that were almost like illness, And she trembled andKrishnashe felt strange new her, as Bhuaji promised with a tugging in the wondered he "arrangedtearfully finishing marriages the do story work." of her wedding and impending divorce, notstatisticshimself marriage. 'is I camesaid to across have hadinThe i6,io8point is that the Krishna Radha had a husband, whom India. But not one of thosethelove Kama-sutra, story is about it was an an adulterous encyclopedia wives, one of the more amusing she returned to. Krishna wives ever affair, measuredbuilt,templesof hiserotic court.but upare education they to moreFor Radha. appear the puzzling; meantlarge As to formajority largely no have been enjoyed chiefly by one hasof ever Indians, love and passionfor the aristocracy. The Khajuraho been sure why they were the king and have never been tionshybridasynonymous breakthrough of by Hindu grafting with societyyet marriage.In that sense, the "new" after all. The middle class has essentiallythe Western ideal of romantic Indian arranged marriageanother example,is something perhaps, of love onto the tradi- created an odd the Indian of countrytalentincludingIn the for end, assimilating the the notion result the is something absorbed Persian and Moghul art, that it "works." It is of course possible culture of a foreign invader, completely and peculiarly and interests and thenarchitecture watch and language. much as the to match Indian, .. up two as services,theybecause fall :Ater in they all? think they areThe going Indian to, idea at that you can people of common backgrounds love. What are the American personal make two people fall in love, mostly first seemed to me interesting ads and dating 50 - a. ....I.

a gOSTOEW YORK TORONTO. LONDON Little,!!4-34". Brown and Company . . ' tr.; 7 r ttii 'fr 14;4:104 , ;Documentary '::1,1ilgrimage Tours: , ReferenceThe seven sacred , . :160 161. 'ThesouthernThe Ganges tourcities , 162161 7. 'Jain and Buddhist tourtirt 166164 Meditation 168 : 146. ' .'. Understanding a,yantraSaluting the sun . . 168 170 `;-.Glossary,;;;;-: ?Index ' Picture credits 54 :175 183 74 it= 4 nr-r 15;-W-Wie

'44 E *-1.TrIr.PP 48 THE FORMS OF VISHNU THE 49 demonsThe bewildering trimurti array of deities and traditionally 330 million in worshippedandwhose creator. dance, Shivaas the to islingo the Lordbeat(see pp.66-7),of Yoga,his own dedicatedfewdespitesignificantBrahma, devotees the the to Hindufact hiscreator, or thatworship.temples god, he is ahas therootsButUpanishads modern both from in theHindu theand 4th Vedic"forest topantheon the philosophies".12th hasandcenturies itsin intellectual speculation of the drum,histheuniverse. destructivethree is said gods He to is ofbeaspect. the the the most trimurti rhythm ambivalent because of the of popularityseemsEvenuniverseis saidin likely medieval to was andhavethat limited. thenhis createdIndia withdrawn, Heit the Vishnuatgion,AD, the based and growth Shiva.around of athe more , popularits placed heartreli- the trimurti of Brahma, Hinduto mirrorthe manypantheon brahman, forms was so thatJust theseen asbrahmanfast-evolving tothe embody atman must (soul) was thought depictedappeal.perhapsVishnu,leaving with Brahmaitstheexplains maintenancefour Preserver. faces is his often lack This to of the threeuniverse. deities, He andis the isBrahma oftenmost abstractconsidered is the personified of creator of representmaterialassume to world. makethe visible Theitself Hindu knowable and manifestgods in thus the fourpointsturned hands oftowards the holding compass, the fourthe hisfour . conceptthea fusion Vedas, of bralunanof Prajapati,and the (godhead). utterly the creator impersonal Brahma god of prayers,aspectstheysion (niaya). act offighting godhead.within Each evil this orUnlikeHindu world, destroying god brahman, answering is simply illu- compassionatehimandheadsbooks histhe areof facesappearance theusually bearded, old crowned man. of givinga wise,He His s, Shiva,unity",is also whoahe mediator who represent "brings between Vishnuopposites. diversity Vishnu (the Preserver) intoand is the protec- mainmayan aspect chooseobject of of bulimia'',any his orone her ofA and veneration. devotee'sthem a devotee as ishta (personal deity) is the Vishnu'slotusis sometimeshis that being navel, emerges "borndepicted a reference from of aon lotus". a to guardiantorcomesdeity of dharma who ofdown fightshumanity. (righteousness) on the Heside is of anda good solar the and to earth to help andtotalworshipped goddess godhead, asbears and a representative particularalthough everyattributes of godthe threeHalebidBrahma12th-century of hisin Karnataka,four headstemple visible. with at is depicted in this , tions,humankind.MahabharaRama, or avatars,the His heroesla most (sec are famous pp.56-7)of Krishna the incarna-epics and and the distinctcharacteristics.and powers, but share they manyTo are a Hindu,not of thecompletely samethere is nothing heretical or paradox- TheTHE Puranas, PURANAS or Antiquities, deitiestheManu, human andmythical race,heroes andancestor of fromthe ofthe castewomenwritten who isand accessiblewere to those prevented toof low One),isRamayana Shiva (the (see Auspicious pp.52-3).The last of the trimurti simultane- ical in proclaiming any one of a number ofdeitiesof as the the Universe. Lord piledHindurank12th withbetween texts. centuries the They Vedas the AD, 4thwere as andbut sacred com- their royalpropheciesMahabharata, dynasties. predict futureThe Puranas while theirare written esotericbrahminwerefrom Vedareservedreading texts, the for which moremen of the caste. ouslymanyVishnu destroyer forms, appears the in trimurtiThe three gods of the are always MahablzaratatheAttributedorigins supposed are tofar the authorolder. sage of Vyasa, (see pp.5-6-7), the hardin simpleinterpret.seldom to understand language highly They mystical list and or sacred are or onlytrimurti.Puranas the mythologicalThe eighteen principal are Theydedicated provide to thenot firstmostorthe popularMatsya. ten being represented avatar avatars. is the fish, The goddesses.accompaniedcenturyshown in sculptureSarasvati, this by 12th- thematerialsive dazzlingPuranas bulk from of mythological containpantheons which amuch mas- and of castesitesofinstructions andrelationsdivine pilgrimages, images. and for givethe specify portrayal . originsweremanybackground fashioned, of of the more fromtales abstractbut ofwhich alsothe gods the statuein thisNadu. modernfrom Tonsil plaster 57 fromthe Rajasthan,Brahma. consort of is drawn.epicsties, of They descendedlater listHinduism entire both dynas- werefrom languagelies in the in fact which that theytheMuch are of their importance natureastheological of concepts such dharma, karma atman. and the DA- -"vrgrwci firi-:!{3 50 THE I.ORMS OF VISHNU 11 110(1148 t:4(11 ;Ir. t' S on:y raiely, a, lit'' . iitur itOt1Ice lit:: original 0f 01 :Spec:,' - I l tn tit acaiar, Tislutti nersensehymns.fanlus rtf the \asgroat ie-,.."ine:noi,aq. r.Y.1 !lilt, ;. it ", to elan,. it ;'.-most tileNil; -,oildfifth, ''.;nn Vo a rota,terrible.olha, is rlt a p.man-lino who rescues is a c4.,..--;n1 .1i;10 v17 for icon) the dento. 1 it:gs. tale . orniiinecenceThe inyth ti he 1. were develo,d covciing(halhas c_ v 'it l'' itjt . . ii: V.1c,.. go,ls11111;i's, was sod eventually 11:a!iet theands Vedi: inn(' t1 i.over pre :''. u ask ; ite,11Scue axe". who 1 and is ri dots. 1 ..,..-,. i j i414bIge4.10VIMT074 - for help. J as .1"J'.. tetive.r.i i' t . .1(11741i/iS* ,0 'I may reflect r"C.' 11.0fil 1 tur.- of t1,e ;1 t Inkeise and . 'ne (1,isk, tor of and as cacti llama anti . ti. 1.,tvT e (cluikra),(less or %vt:i.fit, (gn,!,.), t the ' j.11kShIni. the .:1101 (s' :. t;;Is ;itailtm. /1C;1.' iijg ./13. sevAfirb.,b/htiiii:t1) ,,,stmt (see . the respleu(lent and eighth (iris: .3 ;:' pri.f-sli ?l heroes of 7`. it "I it the is 11:""r0who sits Vishnu or a lotus flower. is tivarws, the bestinco ai;oos 1. however, rtr,.his reputation as loth 'cud 1)ctiipil !Ito- aft tlt nl tht ii :bat Vishnu derives111)1)1;1'61y.) 1110 ' tjt,:;'or IS stthat hr ac' agan, ", assist t'lie.'' : ; . .";:. to 11,. of sas credited svitli as many as t:v-"t, w,..110, V as the iticurt; di: 14.11111 it lic testament 1c I,v atIst):1,!1,i«.) 'anion .1, is Thewas .first wi lv eairs.'` ieeop.i.;,:cd as having ten.l'.' the ,n'orm'sPi; (fstdi ntwy AD he ..a,, a fish, r"..se ;'.. 1, !. ".1113:' it .) I Will IS coniogunic.ale1; tit mythological ma, a ,o.:clise, accoun and a boar) .111: :1' :1.1* the end of to:, tile universe.virked, to bid:anon. age to 11i01,1S GAR, tIsr,1 is Iiv C.., :tnia. nectar of immortalityagainst that demons. he stole Gar from tidn's the Itrr gods. ' ',try .okc;! ,ft 114 gi;: to Garyd.,Innnani.i,:, tile The panelled 'blots to the Swaminarayana lenwir 4 0. Avaakva 59 with arnica . . :WAS , 3EST COPY AVAILABLE ! ac -hr,/burnans I 'rare them is 'tishna, with Id id,ms helm' his feet, .1Ianked in Gujarat are painted with Vishnu's Ica by cows, a monkey and an angel. , - ..=1261012111=1W- r 52 TI I E FORMS OF VISHNU RAMA AND for his wife. But on the eve The narrative climaxes TIIE RAMAYANA 53 The Ramayana from a warrior king into a warrior byRamayanaRama's dharma, actions epic the areirrefutablein the governed law byintodeniedof theirRama's exile theaccession, for throne,father. fourteen Typically,theyand years sentare .HanumanobliterateRamawith Sita's and (see theeventual his pp.54-5) capital monkey rescue, of allythe as TheproductaSanskrit more Ramayana, popular, ofepic the poems, less devotionalone exclusive helped of the religion.to worldgreat develop ofA widelydeity.tion By ofidentified thethe 4thHindu centuryas the god, seventh AD, Vishnu. Rama incarna- was glory,Ramayanaorders.thethat cosmic is itthe Althoughis also foundationandis a athetalc corpusthe socialof ofmartial ofboth dharma,whoaccordanceRama then he acts obeys dies with with of his honour: sorrow.the father, rule in of ownRamaaredemon finally interests, puts kingdom. reuniteddharma and The in abovebut a lovers tragicstill his sacrificialdominatedtheHinduism. kshatriya by ethic,It the remains brahmin-controlled it is nota popular so heavily source and ritual elements of religionitsBrahmin verses, priests and the are horse widelyThe sacrificeRamayana's honoured (see in links with Vedic are, however, still strong. conductstatesmanship,providingmoral and and aethical guide relationships. human precepts,to wildernesshisheRama hasexile. does served He with notroams the returnSita, full the fulfillingterm until of decreespure,Althoughdenouement the that dharmahe heherknows banishes time of hera spent king to Sita. he in composedreadingsof religious and in teaching,dramatizations. the 4thThe century through core ofBc public the as epica poem was first Ramayanathetive.p.17) Mahabharata Like plays the ais Vedascrucial believed (see (see part pp.56-7),pp.16-17)to in have the narra- been andthe life,husband.a perfect beginning king,The epic withwarrior traces hisRama and birth his is an idealized figure, demons.takesRavana,brahminhis caste Theher hermits kidnaps duty togreatest Lanka by fromSitaprotecting demon, (Sri andlocal herpraysloyalbringsthe companyup, to to him andher the dishonour. husband,Ramaearth of another to is swallow leftSita Still manto wereelementsassecular attendantthe expanded centuries tale of recitedon the the upon,storypassed, royal by bards courts. the whoreligious However, were divinelywhileto have revealed: come to the its storycomposer, is supposed Valmiki, he was Valmiki'sthe mantra "Ram". meditating own upon life Sitaas theking - theeldest Dasharatha. epitome son of ofthe I lepurity good wins - - yearsleadsLanka). inhim search to Rama's spend of her. manydevotion ofoffersmourn death. himself her loss to until the godhe too andTHEbecame Rama, RAMALILA transformed its hero, antext,ductionportionsassumes active in which toinrole.mythic the heLegend intro- main playspro- demonovercelebratesThe festivalRavanasand army. Rama's of During Dasahra his victory nine Crowds gather it , dur ing the ten-dayRamnagar near duringmeditation,tohas the it1,000 thatforest yearshehe where,retiredkept of so days of fasting, the epic tale of Rama andSita is narratedIndia,acted andthroughout out in withthe Ramalilamusic, dance it is performance of the Ramalila. by a valmika (anthill) bodymotionless became covered hence his name, that his Celebrationsand elaborate climaxrescue, costumes. with and Sita's huge effigies of Ravana, his brother schemepoemmeaning in of its"son the original Ramayanaof the form, anthill".Despite clearly showsthe secular nature of the the narrative -----,, /k stuffedthrough with the fireworks,streets - they Maghanada,Kumbhakarna are paraded and son riousRamaments.the influence Vedic is In frequently its sun early of godessentially pages,linked forwithand Vedic example, withthe glo-ele- the miniatureareSitaScenes a favourite seated painting:Rama front intopic the exile. Ramayana in Indianwith and 111 explode in colouralight when by anRama. set effigy of fusedanbattle ideal Arjunaagainst warrior, evil.of theand Like Mahabharata Indra, Rama is unlike the con- he feetdepiction (above);Hallman ofan thekneeling eneigetie siege ofat their Delhi,Ravana, of the Rata'sdemonA painted great king enemy paper effigy, from 61, goodclearlynever and hesitates draws evil. the to battle raise lineshis bow, between and on paper,MuseumILanka 7th-century now(left), of inNew fromAlughal the Delhi. National an paintingearly 62 . "fin'_. ..i..44010- 54 THE FORMS OF VISHNU cr.. 55 his Rama.ringshecomfort swooned,that He her. Hanuman told Seeing but his was story hada reassuredtalking and brought swore monkey, by from that the honourshippalAD, deities. HanumanRama Hanuman Ramananda's as becamethe assupreme Rama's one followers of deity, itsgreatest princi- wor-and Hanumanwhoishero,Hanuman, the gladly isembodiment Rama's offers the Ramayana'smost his of own loyalbhakti life devotee. (devotion), in monkey the ser- He anddivineelephants,destroying wiser birth, with Hanumanlocaland every evendemons,The passingflyinggrew Ramayana slaying strongerup year,to roguegrasp relates that after refusedescapemonkeyRama was outby offered flyingofdestitute respect on Sita his without for the back, her chance husband,her. but TheSita to siddhamovementHanumandevotee. (possessor Due is as also toa hispowerful revered of shape-shifting occult magician by powers). the bhakti skills, and inheritedVedicvicewarrior-heroes,the of powergod his the god.of tostrength the fly. He wind,Hanuman The is ofthe swiftest fromhurricanes son also whom of of possess-, the and he epic themaster,apple. risingSugriva, Onesun, daywerewhich while hiding he Hanumanmistook in a forest, and they the exiled monkey for an king, his laywerewhose rescued honour by would anyoneTo be preparebut tainted him. the if she way. for the battleahead, that Hanuman taunted the whateveres the ability form tohe metamorphosechooses. into Ramamet Rama related and thehis storybrother of the pinghisthe of searchdemon his wife, Ravana,for Sita, the placeby and . kidnap- mousHanuman'sguards.anddemon annihilating size, king,In revenge,the tail. smashing monkey thousandsGrowing the ran kingthe tothrough ofcitysetan demon enor-firewalls the to hadwhereizedmoved, taken thatthe Hanumandemonhisher. destiny Deeply king real- was destroyedHanumanwithingscity with theablaze, messagehis Lanka and burningbefore the and from returning tail,monkey its his settingdemon wife, to armies Ramabuild- Sita.king, to armythatandserve purpose.he at rallied Rama's an armyside,When for failed the to monkey find Indiadevotionalismand Sita to thewas north reunited (bhakti) in Whenthe with from 14th herthe southern centurylord.guru Ramananda brought discovereditRavana was Hanuman and thehis demon'shostage, who betweenRavana,This 18th-century Rama and and shows the engraving Hanumanmulti-headed depicts poised demon the for battleaction. escapeassumedhideoutordinary legions inthe Lanka. form of power- of He an monkey to HANUMAN'S HEART whichHanuman's the most devotion, loyal ofat all magnificentcouldful demons, palace. so that heHanuman found Sita enter Ravana's elaborated.devotiontheIn the Ramayana, toconcluding TheRama monkey Hanuman'sis chapterfurther of Ramachestdevotees to and reveal tore Sita open images within. his ofown sittingdemonesses.garden, dejectedly surrounded He emerged by in a andcelebrationsarmiesPqmtriumphal preps finally Ra ed a'safter victoryfinishedto palace. return the over their home Only Lanka RamaopenHanumanA modern his and chest shows plasterSita to inside revealhim statue tearing it. of froMperformanceexploitsA masked his hidingof player Hartman of stories enactsplace in from athe to servedeclaredSita.Ilanuman Ram Sugriv t and was his left, queen, but he at he must stay to the monkey the Ramayana. king, asked for proof of JEST COPY AVAILABLE 64 56 THE FORMS OF VISHNU However,Yudhishthira Duryodhana and half becomesto Duryodhana. jealous to wait thirteen years before they have a THE MAHABHARATA 57 The Mahabharata Princes,This modern painting depicts the an episode in the Mahabharata. Contest of the cousin,thatof the theand affection Pandavaseven more his father haveso of feelstheinherited. lands for his continuesentirelows,ischance the resultingcauserace to reclaimtheexcept of dynasty. thein thefor terribletheir onedestruction Thiskingdom. survivor, war war that offorms This who fol-the allyepic,more of as the thea superhuman Pandavas.leader of his HewarriorKrishna people still appearsthan (seeand a anpp.62-3) god appears in the PandavasThroughVYASA are trickery forced intoand exile,cunning, and have the the backdrop to the Bhagarad Gila. asbutin histhe he battlesdivinegrows in teacheralongside stature of to humanity. theemerge Pandavas, finally meansThe(whoseMahabharata, legendary "Compiler"), name author in Sanskrit boasted of the the sage Vyasa pp.72-3),theMahabharata elephant-headed who was made dictated Accordinggodone Ganeshacondition: by Vyasa to (see legend,heto the entire ofVyasafound thethat asceticherewas "that reputedlyexists whichParasara nowhere". cannot the and son be wouldfastwere itonly toldwas agree dictated,without to write Ganeshaa pause. it down keptHowever if pace. it beenCalledthe East"Dasa ascribed "the (althoughprincess Homer to himSatyavati. farof than themore to has At denser,interruptplaceone time of more athehe damaged broke flowspeculative ofoff stylussacred a tusk passages sowords.to asuse not werein The to PuranasMahabharatatothe have Greek composed poet), Vyasa the entire is said (see p.49), besides and all eighteen The Mahabharata ("Great Epic of the originally wheneverdown,apparently forcing the attempts meaning him to to became stop Theslow centraland the unclear. thinkdeity plot of the Mahabharata wasthecompiling also a thepriest four and books teacher.Many of writers now considerVedas (see pp.I6-17). He entitledpoemBharata100,000 Jayaever stanzas ("Victory").composed. it is perhaps It With stands, the over withlongest Dynasty") was concernscousins,and Kauravas. two the dynasties, sons The of Vyasa'srival the familiesPandavas two sons: are awho vitalthenameVyasa worked placecenturies, forto betheinon thea themany butcomposite narrative. text he alsoover has hrahmins theturiesprobablythe Ramayana two great begun (see Sanskrit inpp.52-3), the 4th epics. asor one3rd cen-of BC, but many amendments were It was theking.becausePandu. blind Pandu Dhritarashtra he ishas blind, five is andPandusons: the the eldest, the ispious eldestmade but, dynastiestheHe isepicprincipal the fatherof thecharacters ofSons some of in of the opposed madeolder,centurythe endand however, ofit wasthe Gupta datingnot completed dynasty back to thein until the Vedic 4th AD. Much of the material is far Sahadeva.warrior;ferociousand righteous andstrength; Dhritarashtra, Yudhishthira;the twins Arjuna Nakulaon the Bhimathe skilled other t.ad of charactersappearsLightDarkness in in andneed the thestory or Sonsto to advise of and he himself often beenperiod;1000sc. familiar some Indra, of to the audiences the stories Vedic wouldas sun early god,have as is hand,is the has scheming 100 sons, Duryodhana. the eldestWhen ofPandu whom dies, his blind but well- brother, Dhritarashtra, beardeddepictsThissoothe Vyasa 18th-centurysage, the distressed.dictatingas a seated manuscript the mentionedthan4thof the century a text,figure several for from example, times folklore. in although earlier parts by the BC he was scarcely65 more thepalace.takesintentioned kingdom, Pandava's In time Dhritarashtragiving sons intohalf hisof divides itown to (thoseheadedMahabharata and , Brahma with helm,: Durga to the elephant- 66 58 THE FORMS OF VISHNU Bhakti north. Its chief characteristic was an foundedTheTHE Lingayat L1NGAYATS in the sect 12th was century brahmin courtshipinintensely reactedterms emotionalof andagainst personal ecstasy. theworship, love, rigid Bhakti exclusivityyearning,expressed cults of propagatemarkingthrewwhoby Basava, at away the his a agea messagethepriestly Shaivite of sacred sixteen casteof thread social to theSanskrit.rituals braltminpriest that They as priests,required an often intermediary withrejected a knowledgetheir the elaboratebetween role of BasavaShivaaHinduism.equality, priest and instructedto rejecting hismediate Seeing devotees, his noorthodoxbetween need for scholarsspectivedivinedevotee grace and filledof caste deity, was the availableortemplesteaching sex. While ofinstead to southern all, bhakti irre-that Devotees of Shiva belonging to the Linga.vat sect near silver holydevotionalcountryside,India, men bands in hymnsdebate. ofvisiting devotees and shrines, engaging travelled singing local the theirlingofollowerscontainers necks to holding and wear worship a miniature small (see pp.66-7) about lingas equalwomen,marriedaround rights twoand their forencourageduntouchable necks. women and Krishna's love for Radha symbolizes bhakti Bhaktitrine of poetsdivine wrotegrace ofAlland anbhakti ecstatic intensity sects love. sharedof the basic doc- BasavatheirShiva name, directly. rejected the ThisLingayats. the explainsauthority Vedas betweenbarriers.the demolition aWhen brahmitz's ofmarriage all castedaughter stresseddevotion")Bhaktidevotion in(in thethis laterwas 19th-centuryemotional aSanskrit, movement attachmentpainting, "reverent which and thatNewfamiliarguilt divine Testament,and to aloveChristian yearning could the bhakti theology.also for be redemptionsects expressed Like taught the popularReading act sacredof texts is a bhakti. experiencecaste,of thenottexts declaring lead were of to uselessGod. a thatpersonal Basava sacred if they did and the brahmin himselfinBasava'slocaland rebellion an king untouchablewas followers, to andkilled. persecute Basava they led rosea relationshipgod.love of a devotee between for his worshipper or her personal and It therefore implied a dualistic comedChristianeverthrough their women love churches, social of one'sinto status. their neighbours,bhakti priesthood. But sects unlike what- wel- TwelveTHE ALVARS Alvars (Vaishnavite Nammalvar.Kulashekhara, One Alvarso loved king, god.thebhaktiHindu Although worship haspantheon been allof majorKrishna, especiallyhad devotional deities an common avatar in thecults, ofin hastenedBuddhism the and decline Jainism, ofBhakti bothand theyin adherents south- had were opponents of hymnsfounderssaints)ti areto ofVishnu recognized Vaishnavite and hisasin southern India. Their bhak- Prayingconsort,toRama rescue that tofrom Sita, templehe demons. raisedthe deitiesdeity's an army is above("thepp.60-61),Vishnu. wayother In Krishnaofthe paths devotion"), Bhagavad to taught salvation bhakti Gita,placing through yoga(see it arrivalernmovement,paradoxicallybasin India of from the by Muslims theforthe bralzminsalso 10th12th helped incentury.century the with Gangesthe theironward The bhakti ritu- Alvarsmostavatarstional. were Tirumangai Of composed over 4,000 and by hymns, the were intensely emo- asworshipperthe aTirupati usual token firm ofinhas devotionAndhra ofoffered Pradesh. athis hair bhakti. This karmabestowdevotees:tual (ritualknowledge). the "Worshippingactivity) He and declared jnaname with (spiri- love,to his I rule of understanding, affecteddevotees.vivealized without Hinduism Islam: Bhakti royal there found devotionalismsupport are it Muslimharder than poemstobhakti even sur- TheMADHVA 13th-century philosopher Madhya was world,of map,unusually although (see pp.130 for transitory,a Hindu, -31) saying he was rejected thereal. material Madhyathe theory ingheightwhereby in southernfrom they c.AD500 come India to toThe before me". bhakti spreading movement reached its 67 C.AD1500, start- tionwhichKrishna of startAllah, is with one but theof go the standard on Muslim to claim invoca- prophets. that mentariesteachers.oneGita, of the His onmost theprodigious striking andoutput extreme included dualist com- as well as thirty-five other works. Most Brahmastara and Bhagavad Christians,tion.alsothat believedHe of was Christ, for perhapsin his eternal most life influencedhas notably damnation many his parallelsby miracles.and Nestorian salva- with 68 60 THE FORMS OF VISHNU stillcarrying uncertain. out his "How will."But can I kill Arjuna my kins- was manyoga (godhead) of positive that action, can bea way followed to brah- by THE 61 The Bhagavad Gita kingdomtheamwish killed.three to kill ofworlds: Not these this even earth!" people, how for much said theeven kingdomthe ifless Iwarrior myself for ofa Bhagavadonelessdespondency,men?" of onthe hehisGita.best-known asked,knees. "Death his greatKrishnaand passagesis sank notbow answeredfinal," againlying of the he into in use- intentionstheactsaffairs.anyone, roundin themselves Krishnahowever soof oftenrebirth, argued immersedwhich behind but bindthat the them.in peopleit worldlyselfish The to is not versessilent.willhaveto Krishna. notif which Krishnawe fight," killed "What form smiled heour thehappiness said, own Bhagavad and andkinsmen? spoke couldthen Gita. fellthe...we I inEternalslain,-slays,told man Arjuna. and neithercannotin manif "Ifanother die. cannotknowsany Theman thinks kill: thesoul thinks thetruth. thatin Eternalthatman he The he isis longertionterestedtrue is anyway oppositethe or soleselfless impossible. ofcause selfish action; ofIn karma.actionthe total Bhagavad isinac- The disin- Gita, action is no showingdeliveredA modern the warriorhis printed great Arjuna versionsermon. to of whom the Bhagavad Krishna Gita, honourwar,"a(see warrior p.25).and he said,dharmic than"There adding to dutyisfight noKrishna that asgreater in athere akshatriya righteous firstgood was appealed forno to Arjuna's destroyWhatcannotneither makes theborncut soul?" it; nor you fire does think cannot itKrishna, die.that burn Weapons havingit defined the atman you can ... pleasuremind,abandonmentayoga path hethat toand says, enlightenmentKrishna pain, of desire. taughtgain An andbasedArjuna enlightened loss". on offers the is indifferent "to divinelyislarThe one notof Bhagavad Indian ofstrictly the revealed mostreligious Gita speaking important ("Song text texts, such ofa although andshrutathe as Lord")popu- the (a it ofactions,"youinevitable.need God think to beas he that "Arjuna,sorrowfulthe continued. you doer. are you Youaboutthe "Thinkgrieve doer are what because ofinsteadbut yourwas an opposedaction,cyclesnew(see pp.24-5)way toof karma thereincarnation:of releasingBuddhist in every yoga person, the and(see the soul Jain discipline p.86). revealed from paths Asthe of a hisreturnedanArjuna."Prepare offeringpath "Whateveryourselfhas to tothe since me." world for been Arjunatheyou of fight," followeddo, battle, therefore do he ittellsand by as terssistingepisodeVedas). written of within 700 Itin averses thesemi-dialogue Mahabharata in eighteen form. chap- con- is a comparatively brief instrumentTHE THREE in hisPATHS hands. You are only Arjunaof toasceticism deliver and Krishna the andfamous on renunciation, the sermon battlefield, known thethis as latterthe is Bhagavad turning his Gita, head from a millions of . someeachand other sidewarriors, giants are on tenswiththe as "fieldwell ofsupernatural thousands as Itof gods,opens dhanna". demons ofweapons.with fear- On two vast armies facing acknowledged,tohesitatedwhichThe brahman discipline Krishna before which or outlinedalthough the path the battle Bhagavadof to itaction isArjunahas not proved (karmatheGita as only he very yoga) way a 19th-century manuscript. andTheseriorsingle Kauravas, wereof throne.all thewas cousins armies Arjuna,The most ofand sothe rivalsglorious skilled Pandavas for in war- a the disciplineofinpopular themanyby thisworld. withpeople ofpassage. knowledge thoseMahatma in the whoThe 20th Gandhi(jntinaothermust century livetwo yoga), was andpaths inspired only instruggle arewhich one the behindofcible.arts the of His battleUniverseArjuna charioteer that stood he (see was legions pp.62-3), thoughtKrishna, of mighty invin- Lordand contemplativehighestGodcomparablerelease (bhakti isform sought retreat toyoga). of Buddhism, yoga, through from This and theis asceticism inandconsidered world it thedevotion inself anda thewayhumbly to dread,petsallies sounded ready Arjuna to doand looked battle the Atinair athis thatfilled the name. moment, army with as the final trum- transcendfavourreincarnationworshipsIn return to hisGod, their for devotees,than hoping earthlysuch for worship, an lesstherebybonds. ecstatic for GodAllaenables releasedivine three extends them vision.fromof the his to teachers,him.opposing "Facing himfathers us and in and theweakness fieldsons of... overcame battleI do not are 69 andeverypaths society. sharesingle the aspect belief of life,that Godincluding is manifest nature in Kuala LumpurDelhi Singapore Bombay Hong Kong Tokyo Oxford NewOxford York UniversityToronto Press Calcutta Madras Karachi A New History of India Nairobi Dar as Salaam CapeMelbourne Town and associated companies in Berlin Auckland Ibadan Madrid Copyright © 1977, 1982, 1989, 1993 by Oxford University 200 Madison Avenue, New York, NewPublished by Oxford University Press, Inc., York toot6 Press, Inc. Fourth Edition stored in a retrieval system, orAll transmitted, rights reserved. in any Noform partelectronic, or of thisOxford mechanical,publication is a registered mayphotocopying,without be trademark the recording,prior of permissionOxford or otherwise, University of Oxford Press University Press. reproduced,by any means, A new historyLibrary of of India Congress / Stanley Cataloging-in-Publication Wolpert. Data Wolpert, Stanley A., 1927 - p. cm. 4th ed. STANLEY WOLPERT ISBN 0-13-507653-1 (cloth). Includes bibliographical references and index 1. IndiaHistory. 954dcw 92 -12573DS436.W66 ISBN 0-19-507660-5 (pbk.)1993 I. Title. Oxford UniversityNew Press York Oxford 1993 Printed in the United States of America 246897531on acid-free paper 7 2 25.xii From Janata Raj CONTENTS CONTENTS 26. IndexGlossaryBibliographyIndia Today 481 475 to Rajiv Raj434447 407 4.3.2.1. NorthTheIndus AryanThe Indian CultureEcological Age (ca. (ca. 2500-1600Setting 1500-1000 B.c.) 3 B.c.) 14 24 6.5. EnrichmentPoliticalIndia's(ca. First(ca. 1000-450 B.c.) Fragmentation Imperial Conquest and Unification and Economic 37 Unification (326-184 B.c.) and Cultural 55 10. 9.8.7. WesternMughalTheThe Europe'sImpact Imperial Classical of Islam Age (A.D. Unification184Vanguard B.C.A.0.320) (ca. 711-1556) 32oca. 700) (1556-1605) 70 104 88 126 15.14.13.12.II. TheJohn NewTwilight CompanyGreat Mughal of the Mughals GloryRajMughal (1765-93) Empire (1793-1848) (1605-1707) (1498-1669) (1707-64) 187 201 149 168135 18.17.i6. Indian(1885-1905)CrownUnification, RuleA NationalismThe Modernization, New Order 250 First Movement and Revolt(1858-77) (1848-58) 239 226 22.21.20.19. TowardTheRevolt, ImpactThe Machine Repression,Independence and of World Solidifies War One(1920-39)(1885-1905)Reform (1905 (1914-19) -12) 265 286 275 24.23. IndiraFromThe RajThe Collective Nehru Impact 73 (1964-77)Era (1947-64)of World Leadership War Two 371to (1939-46)351 301 329 INST COPY AVAIL/012 74 -r JJ cent-Learning148 well their lessons from the experience of their Euro- A NEW HISTORY OF INDIA ELEVEN forsilkantspean by whereof their predecessors,Coromandal it own was priestscheapest, andthe and EnglishGujarat, punditinn invested and left the souls of Indians bought their pepper, indigo, and 1658in the cloth newly woven solvent by the to be cared com-peas- BengalHughlifactorypany River,wasmoreat this based than Mothertime at remained, Hughli Ganga's in Bengal, a hundred miles north of the Bay of Bengal main tributary to the inheriting the former Portuguese sea. All factors in up the of GREAT MUGHAL Geraldstrengthenedthe governor Aungier the of took British Fort St. position George. over as governor of that island and started however, under theThe official acquisition control ofin Bombay the west, similarly for after 1669, when its GLORY(1605-1707) perviousfortification, British Bombay bastion. became the company's premier port and an im- loving,affluence,tury,The Great have licentious, ofwithMughals, tenderness good sentimental, whosereason and cruelty,becomereigns brutal, of universal and symbols span the entire seventeenth cen-ferocity and sensitivity; luxury of power and withinownknownbodiment way which epitomizedas Mughlai.of they all livedthose some Jahangir, and extremes aspects Shah characteristic of Jahan,the complex cultural over which they presided. The courts they and Aurangzebpoetic, each they in were his the em- of the Indian life-style syncretism convertedmannersofmaintained, civilization_that and her mores. theson courtiers to wasHindu a theyblend chose, of Indian, reflectedJahangir's mother can hardly be credited with having Persian, and Central Asian a t_____ Je2.v syncretic patina geniusthirty-four-year-oldherwhom in woman 1611,he renamed was,firmly inwidow entrenchedfact, rulingwhen shePersian married the JalZia ("Light of the ways, but his remarkable Persian wife, empress of India long before her culture at 's court. A World") after marrying emperor, this in- MumtazperorbroughtBeguxorious in (renamed thather Mahal husband brother,office ("ExaltedItimad by died.Asaf arranging ud-Dawlah Khan,She of the raised theinto Palace"), bymarriage herposition ) of his lovely Khurasan-born father, Mirza to Jahangir'sto thirdthe premiership son,to serve and the next em- daughter, 75 soonambitionsuccessorKhurram virtually-to_usurp t hat_allo_wed_N_ur("Joyous"),to her husband. his whom throne The laha_nfilifto: she combination may effectively not_be of uniquely_Persian, beauty, brilliancei_and but capture Jahangir's heart and supported as imperial 76 following_her150 ascent to_power, Persian was no longer simply the Ian- A NEW HISTORY OF INDIA celebratingGREAT MUGHAL the marriages GLORY of his sons. What did most people care 151 if administrationguap of Agra's and court cultural_ life at both provincial and imperial capi- it set the tone and direction of North Indian _ poverishedmullas rather masses than brahmansmust have presidedat least derived over the some ceremony? vicarious Agra's pleasure im- withilydominatedtals. anguarded Agra estimated itselfby battlements Akbar's hadpopulation grown mighty were by of Red viewedthisover Fort time half withon to athe million.twice awe , and the The terror.size whose city onififiiii; Persian was heav- wasanycouldfrom casualno seeing even sharp observerforget and distinction hearing that of these Mughal how in rulerseither richly miniature were dresstheir "foreign royalor appearance neighbors conquerors," lived. portraits may note, there between the for asThey 4 t, " \*, cessor,manytal,poets which andhostile Shah artists,Akbar Jahan,Afghans, architectshad sought foundand whichto and more make musicians Jahangir, congenial a model flockedhis of than empress,Safavid Delhi,to this elegance, and homegreat their capi-of lux-suc- so paintings,metricorGreat paintedother Mughal designs contemporary withoutbut portraitsemperorscontinued prohibition ofHindu andto the decorate princes hallowed bychiefs. Indo-Persian theand Muslimfringes their leadingartists ofmonarchs Mughal of Rajput rare were now Koranic caligraphy and geo- genius,miniature as nobles ury,itsfather,walls,and and contemporary walks andgrandeur.precursor inlaidof the Fromtilesof palacePersian the of theTaj theto capital. glazed Mahal, thedomed enclosed tile The Agratomb that Taj mirrored Nurformal covered itself, Jahan garden, whichthe the had architecture inner builtwas stone walls saidfor lace her ofto Jahangir'sbracingwerelate the the couples virtually emergence own interest in naked the of classicain figures distinctively gardens Rajput, of servantand naturalistic andnatural earlier beauty style Hindu, in Mughal girls, princesses, and em- helped stimu- tradition. paint- haveartarchitectsthe taken everdeath constructed; twenty andof Mumtaz has thousand often in Mahal itsbeen dependenceworkers called in 1631, theover ongreatestwas twenty Indian designed single years materials workbyto buildtwo andof SafavidPersian aftercrafts- hisAmongingalmostwon sonthat unique Abuwasthe equal greatagain-l-Hasan, acclaim. fame Persian more whoand Govardhantraditionally artists Mansur, worked at his whoseand atIndian court,court Manohar vivid than was and paintingsPersian Aqawerewe know Hindu artistsRida of of Herat, in character. of animalsanother sianexcellentRajputmanship,the import. custom canopies examplehowever, In of many drapingbuilt of not Mughalways, around to both mention moreover,tthe cultural malethe base itsand syncretism use of female love itsof dome,such of figures rathersilks motifs it emergesand thanwith as perfumes, asjewels,the a as Per-four an di- highlyHindu,skill'Abbas andthatBishandas, I. wrote Jahangirhe was memoirs of sentprided whose to (Tuzuk- himselfIsfahan portraiture i-on to Jahangiri) hispaint work Persian the Jahangir covering poetry most Persian emperor, andthought artistic so of his dance,aphanousSafavidand traditionsintoxicating approvalveils, andat servedleastdrink, peacock as toand deeply validate feathers,the pleasures rooted such and behaviorin the ofIndian the delight haremfor as Muslimsin in Persian aresong habits asand soil]well reign,initiatedemperorother which historians byto were theJahangir Himalayas completedresided that atthe forbycourt, British the andhotPersian later season,they loved Muhammad were an to happyemulate. to annual royal exodus Hadi. Many follow the IndianizeMughalas MughalsprovedHindus, 1"ersiimpact Muslim and in asoculture, real stable.a_unifyingforceoyer may sense which be the said is historic in to part have significancewl__kyt1Ie been some that two rtilefrGrleof it the_Greatcenturies.helped eat to Ahmadnagar,Rajput("Emperor1613, and forces therefore of Bijapur,thein Mewar World"), the and prince, and led Kangra whoa number was and soon theof campaigns Deccani renamedJahangir placed his son Khurram in command of his army Golcondaj The only threat to Mughal sultanates ofShah Jahanagainst the in 77 lavishjeweledprocessionand dancingexpenditure nobles of silver-tusked, girlsin tassled of was countless inhowdahs? the silk-caparisoned bestrupees Jahangir'sof maharajaon the month-long elephantslove traditions, of wine,What bearing festivities as women, could was be- hisbe more traditionally Indian, after all, than a Mughal powerBaluchistanwithwrested hisin thisKandahargardens, erapasses, came wine, from and from poetry,Agra's Shah Persia, Jahan control.and women refused Jahangir to Nur lead was Japan's an too army over when in 1622 Shah Abbas preoccupied order that ( 8 the Vilfik,fr''' 153 brother,ownhe152 do daughter so, Shahriyar) rightly by sensing a andformer wasthat marriage tryingthe empress to hadget nohimjust longer awaymarried favored from his Agra youngerhim and(her A NEW HISTORY OF INDIA GREATadulthood,Mahal,son was boreMUGHAL before him fourteensheGLORY herself gaLashq701 (1615-58), whose deep children, only halfdied of at the age of courtiers and foreign thirty-ninetThe eldest interestwhom in art, survived hu- to visi- Delhi.ther'sKhusrau'sKhusrau, The mantle; yearhad death, hisdied,before, realShah probably opponentShah Jahan Jahan's waspoisoned was the elderNur leading by Jahan, brother, one contender ofwho histhe wished brotherstyithrebellious for tohis con- fa- 'manity, Aurangzebastors wise to and believe and eclectic that liberalad asother Akbar, but Indiaphilosophy would soon led be manyideasjShah Jahan's first_ ears as emperor subdue _rebellion in the Dara's austere, orthodox blessed with another Deccan and brother, rulerwere generalwastinue driven to/ Mahabat rule off theby imperialempireKhaii]whom no forces matter Nur under whoJahan thereigned.7 had command recalled of fromIn the 1623 exilemighty Shah in Jahan marched in open rebellion toward Agra but preoccupiedandpromisedBundelkhand.to the remain following to with permanentlypay Ahmadnagar seeking annualyear to Golconda alsosubordinate agreed, buttribute to northern to their power. Mughal and Bijapur were boththe defeated Deccansuzerain and refused by 1635, While Shah ) 4.4 T., forKabul. three The years rebellious before finallyShah Jahan agreeing was to chased return around to his father'ssoutheast fold. India By Jahan's army waged its costly wars in the south, one of population, and only India's worst MahabatsubsequentlyJahanthen, however, considered responded charging Mahabat him by a stagingpotentialhim Khan with was a coupthreat embezzlement so powerful in and 1626, banished takingand of popular imperial him both to Jahangir thatBengal, funds. Nur fiverecordedrelieve thousandsoon_would_lavish the widespread rupees of billions_on_a famines7liTilifidIFe-Dt miserythe Mughal and starvation provincialimperial funds were spent pelaak throne and his by order of the fortress in the eicre-ek-:ti)-1ielp wife's tomb. ruler who Deccan, c,..«."` and Nur Jahan prisoner. He held them captive forShahJahanwithout several Jahan, pardoned harmingmonths who thewaseither, simpleminded advancing then lost north his general nerve again andandwith letsent an them army him escape. atoff his to back. huntNur It wasMumtazin wailedselfthe at hasmidstBurhanpur, Mahalwhen no ofrelish hethatdied heard left in for the me news, famine- and plague-racked childbirth. "Empire has no now," was yet he lived another region in i 63 z, that supposedsweetness, to lifethirty-five have it- years. ofadroitThe 1627,her wily sickbrother, Jahangir empress son-in-law Asaf died, now Khan, Shahrlyar,and appointed Nur premier Jahan who her tried ofequallywas the tothen realm.bolster shrewd at the Onthe Punjaband saggingOctober politically provin- spirits 29, Maharashtrapoliticalwould not trap, be had theseductively claimed last. The rugged Deccan was to elusive, a bottomlessthe pit first of its Mughal remain_acontinuingof expenditure androyalty, but she Eli formedbutAgra'scial Asafcapital treasure. by Khan courierof Lahore, backed She of sought his hopinghis father's own to to winson-in-law, imbue death. her himbrother's Shah Shah with Jahan Jahan,couragesupport, rushed whom toof fightnorth course, he forin- to martialbersystem, of loss higher but for while thebureaucratsSliihfahan Great continued to rely on Akbar had eighteen Mughals.limit was droppednow escalated to only to eight hundred mansabdars,his grandfather's hundred under Shah the rank of sixty mansabdari the num- claimtionfashion,tives, his celebrations. who throne, and were then reaching potential ShahNur JahanJahan Agra rivals, wasearlyenjoyed werepensioned in 1628.three put toweeksAll off death of and hisof in went lavishclosest fine to Mughalcorona- rela-live in Jahan,princes,ofthousand mansabs,thirty though , thousandfor yetthe Prince allupper were Dara Shuja, before inheriting the above ten thousand. Shikoh (Shah Jahan and Murad, were throne). The otherIf Shah three Jahan was morehimself held a mansabgranted much lower solitudetotalturespender inlaid population at ofLahore withall the jewels tillnumbered Mughals,79 her and death semipreciousfive he in was thousand.1645. addicted stones His to beloved andmonumental to aShah wife,harem, Jahan architec-Mumtaz whose ruled for three decades (1628-58). The most lavish thansixothers, fivegenerous were thousand.for given only to hismansabs four (Aurangzeb of was children, however, he was his courtiersof held six thethousand, and to elevate many more rank of sevenfifteen thousand, hadless mansabs than expansive of to to the higher 80 echelons154 of service, primarily because he needed many more generals A NEW HISTORY OF INDIA GREATtrance.Ndia's MUGHAL largest GLORY place of worship, its central courtyard alone is thousands of 155 to hatedlarlyDarawage1707) Shikohdevoted, hishis was elderexpensive married only andbrother fourteenwho Deccanhis and borecousin, coveted at wars.) his the Nadira, eight time, hisSoon children.father's tobut after whom he throne.\Apparentlyhisseems Aurangzebhe mother's remained already death, (1618 singu-to have in - MuslimsoverFortmains a hundredis India'sstillto gather its thousandnoblestmightiest3 there onmonument square Friday to feet, permitting tensafternoons of for unitedIslamic prayer. culture, It re- even as the Red second eldest son, had been butfathertheeight hoperemoteness appointed years of cooling in fromexile Aurangzeb this AgraAurangzeb brooding only viceroy fired quit prince's his(nawab)his appetitepost ambition andof thefor returned Deccanpower,by distance, to and inthe 1636, after north- his pestilence,"sentbrother,years, to Bengal, remote on and the the heother Mughal presided hand, Empire's wasover province In 1639 Prince Shuja, Shah Jahan's from Delhi and Agra. Prince Murad, the black sheep of Shah Jahan's sons. its wealthy destiny for eighteen of "peace, plenty, and the youngest Taj,movetionern center ofin in awhose 1648.magnificent of empire. reign the newBy white that capital time, marble in Shah Delhi, Pearl Jahan to Mosque which had begunhis (MotiNot court construc- that Masjid) would Agra was ever totally abandoned by the builder of the andHeoftary deserted Badakshan Samarkand. venture, his ainarmy Perhaps, 1646 in onCentral likewhat , wasAsia, vain attempt to recapture his dynasty's missedShah onlyShah Jahan the Jahan's missedhigh lifemost the afterback melonswasteful he at had led them to ancestral home Balkh mili- of whichthewasmerely memory also is erectedalways the of desire Mumtaz likemore toa giantintensebuild Mahal jewel his atthat own Agra inside troubled city, than the his AgratheDelhi; own emperor; fort. orpalace, perhapsPerhaps or for the buildingit heat, was Centralmillionthecourt,revenue cost Asia, and[or rupees] of demands thebut the two-yearhisSmall peasantry youngest to wonder an Central average son that who paid to sustain such imperial folly,ofAsian one-half expedition ofShah all totaledcrops, Jahan rather somefelt obliged forty to raise his than becamethepreviouslyrusty seventh, plainhis primary onbeen Shah which erected, passionJahanabad, no fewer there now. or thanto Thatwhat design six passion would earlier and laterorder droveIndian be the him calledcapital construction back Old cities to Delhi,the had of misadventureswhichAkbar'sperspiringthe Persians one-third. backs at KandaharevenBetween included his three more of one hundred million people monumental buildingsthe fabled and surplus his exacted fruitless expeditions against swiftly disappeared. from thewhich itmartial ,..\r4.4:%ways to Shah Jahan's city were taken from theblocksshatteredafter rubble andthe of Britishbricks fragmentFirozabad, required began of jagged building to erect stone athe New and newTughluq's blackenedDelhi walls in and 1911. Delhi, brick, massive Many whosea wretched gate- of Purana the Qila ("Old Fort") still stands, a Still,largestwasall the said but emperordiamonds, thatblinding the sat world distractedrubies, upon sapphires, had run "short of gold"), courtiers andhis visitors, Peacock who Throneand (thanks wealth towhenever they emeralds, and pearls ever encrusted with the faced a firma-had the good found, scale,remnantwithinerecting though ofthe a4lect.the city he, once that too, (Lal proudenclosed used Qila) sultanate.the almosteven red sandstonelarger fiveShah million thanJahan of Agra's neighboringsquarebuilt on palace, feet a grander within hills, a city its mentdailywherefortuneAm), of beforeunmatched on ofwhile urgentapproaching the lesser emperorbrilliancebusiness, officials the allimperial principal presence. at his Hall of Publicstood somewhat more remote, yet mansabdars mustered twice Unless required else-Audience (Diwan-i still eunuchs,stables,tariat,towering factories, a ramparts.princesses,home storehouses,for Insidetens and of a were thousands kingmilitary royalmightier barracks, apartments,of servants, than a England'streasury, slaves,harems, a monarch,mint,courtiers, a secre- and withinenceandpatience, civilcall of mind, should administrators,and loyalty self-sufficiency, they be were at the cost integrity, needed.N'hethus virtues instilled of humility, in all of obedience, the mighty generals of intellectual initiative, independ- and courage. Bullied and find aricher beautiful than China's,mosquethellama as strong asMasjid Persia's. was After built the facing fort wasits main finished, en- . -.. suchtreated "nobles" like children behaving by their in turn emperor, as petulant petty it was hardly surprising to tyrants to their serv- R2 tr.;:;'; 156ruthlessofants, power bearers, violence, designed soldiers, extortion,to perpetuate and peasants]The harem-Iniiigue, its imperial whole pinnacle, bribery, system whetheror was sheer a pyramid ti1671terror. A NEW HISTORY OF INDIA GREAThadgraceful any MUGHAL regalbrother," ambitions, GLORY as he called claiming Dara it Shikoh, was only first to bysave denyingAurangzeb Islam thatthat lured hehe simple Murad into alliance against "our dis- 157 coupletsmilkedwereThe formal as ofnectar carved its gardens, riches squeezed into by the marble the ornatefrom few' amausoleums, wallswhosubcontinent had of Delhi's reason andcrushed Hallto Persian lyricize of into Private miniaturesobedience, in Persian Audi- firstbystoodGujarat.fore promising to ready theproclaim endAurangzeb to Murad "defend"of himself 1657 the wasin the emperor,Punjab Bengal, moreempire andcautious, stimulating mintingagainst Sind forhiswaitingcoin hiselderMurad in support. histill brother, to ownJuly do Shuja1658namethe and same later beforewasbe- in Aurangzeb'smoreHere,ence (Diwan-ithanIt is Here!"Islamiccounterbalanced Khas), orthodoxy "If there toward and be militant Paradise the end zeal. ofon Shah earth,While Jahan'sDara It Shah is Here,Shikoh's reignJahan It by is intellectual curiosity and religious tolerance was copeJahanhetoo would with muchhad claimhisregained of brothers' his the time histhrones worryinglusthealth, forof andDelhipower, about he and triedbutotherworldly Agra. the desperately By early matters to 1658 help to save ShahDara mystic heir had spent his j balance,Jahanemergedremained sent and athealthy, Aurangzeb thoughcourt, thethe factiOnsOiyaitiespartial tension emperorback to between 'the kept Deccan them these from in polar 1652,to open one princes but orwarfare. didthe was notother held Shah give in wasJaswantAurangzeblife ormobilized retain Singh's and the in formidable Muraddesperateempire marched bequeathed preparationsimperial north force to for him.to at the defeatDharmat The Jodhpurunited in April. forces Rajput Agra of impending onslaught, 1***5 boundlessrangzebhim full reinwanted ambition to conquer to ofdo, his afraid, Golconda "prayer-monger" it seems, and Bijapurof son. the groWingDara, by invasion, though power viceroy and as Au- Aurangzeb,Chambal,armyand Dara of about set where however, forth a hundred heatop plannedwas the thousandtoo mightiest shrewdto block troops royal a strategistthe toelephant advancing Dholpur, for to his lead on rebelbrother. his force. great He the river tofor translationpoliticsofwhich mundane the Punjab,he than devoted ofglory hesuch stayed did and Sanskrithimself. in tookclose mysticism, classicslessThus, to his interest while fatherHinduas the Aurangzebin Bhagavadat asharem court, well intrigue asbut Gitaventured Sufi, he into cared and Persian,forth in little the or court Mayeludedtwodoned and elephant-ledthe fortress.forcing blockade, Dara They armies, fording to met fall Dara's atthe back Samugarh, river riddled in hastyupstream with several disarray disloyal in the miles to blazing Agra's east heatofaban- Agra, of Muslim cavalry fromconflictscampaigns his capital and that clearer of Aurangabad to temper his sword in dusty Deccan victories, as well as whetted his appetite_foreaterDara languished and grew wear ity_Lthe whothelike stronger thatfled ledthe general.byfield the toward Uzbek Agra, Khalilullah in thea fallen thousands Khan. and hunted Aurangzeb died for shade Dara was of Shikoh, clearly his for- ceremonies,sible,.MuradDelhi Maya-worldleft was to sent interspersedidle to his Gujarat,of time material bywith where royal glitter. a busy hehunts wasShuja cycle and given remainedof holiday provincial as little visitsin to Bengal, feastsdo to neigh- andand as pos-. Aurangzeb,teredtoriousmersurrender self; by Aurangzeb hishis earlywho pioushead inbeseiged towaselder June; their soon brother, soonimprisoned Agra's to afterbe while deliveredFort that, father. tillhis Murad hearmy inMurad forced a was was was taken Shah still at prisoner offirstJahan use flat- to by box from the vic- Alithrowingtimwouldboring Naqi to hisimmortalize citiesKhan.4.ate Delhi'sown and insatiable shrines,court hisin 1657, wifeinto arrangedharem acompleted, withstate lust by theof and hispanic beautiful the allshrewd agedbutover expired "guardian"Shahmausoleumthe succession Jahan of strangury, minister, fell that thatvic- MarchConqueror")his brother, 1707. and Hethe three was First yearsat inonce Julylater the 1658he, most too, and pious was reigned decapitated. and the until mostAurangzeb his ruthless death ascended the throne of Akbar as lamgir ( "World ofin 83 habitationsoon reverberated to the distant corners of princely Mughal provincial capacity_andthe Great Mughals, as cunning a single-minded a statesman leader as ever of brilliantin o-u-rited anI (Ilan_ _ - administrative _ _ Si.:;Tt4 158throne, the was hailed by Sunni Islam as India's only caliph and A NEW HISTORY OF INDIA GREATpressed MUGHAL to raise GLORYsufficient revenue to support the army he needed to 159 subjectsbeenreviledshipping for by inthe Hindudom peacetimeadmirers suffering and evenas he wellenemies self-righteously more as inthan whose war.He the hatredGhaznavids inflictedhad no was friends, onsurpassed and non-Muslim Ghursonly only wor- had by keepMuslims.chantsHindus himself wffre in 1679,in obligedpower, after to having pay on more When crowds gathered near his to protest Alamgir reimposed the hated jizya poll tax on the same produce bought and than doubled the dutyimperial Hindu mer- elephants were ordered sold by such realDara,harem,their military fear who and of had was hischallenge fled coldmost to fury. methodicalafterLahore He Samugarh. spentand in from morehis Shuja, relentlessthence time who atto prayer Multan,pursuitstill retained than of posed power. in con- his no outinequitytialitywould to crush andtospread the them.blatant religious across Alamgir discrimination, India beliefs if he of received many warnings that persisted thein hisruling hispolicy imperialminority, of strict domain. but par- he rebellion stayed le-L'",force for any and all of his rivals. Defeated at. Khajuha intheprisonedtrol January Punjab,over ShahBengal of but Jahan Emperor and while Bihar, Alamgir Aurangzeb hoped proved to was "liberate" too busy swift, chasing Agra too ubiquitousandDara the around im- a Thelatterfirmlyzamindars intolerable part in power of asAlamgir's wellandincreases only as peasantsreign, expanded in revenue to The primary cause of the however,widespread was revolteconomic, that occurred_in_the not demands drove more and more religious._ P°' 1659, Shuja retreated to his Bengali capital of Ganga,Rajmahalend.entirely,Bengal's Once but seekingdeltaon wasthe the war andforced refuge of Dacca. succession soon in Burma,The to abandon 'nextwas where over,. year that heheAlamgir reportedly wasstronghold driven turned met out hisfor a of energiesEastviolent India pendentacceptpectedjagirs inevitable of onto land leadits cavalry,to starvation.into sustain battle themselves at the administrative mansabdarsWith Mughal were imperial power riskdeatIffrllioni:a&ithanemperor's call. Greed tempted manyand the horsemen they were ex- heavily de- itai assigned hotlyto tastemainingproblems contested for fortunebuilding of anthrone accumulatedadministrative and had court cost luxuries duringthe and imperial Shahfinancial was Jahan'sthetreasury nature.austere reign, much Securingopposite but of Alamgir's the ofhisre- his despitemansabdarswouldfar fewer central have tocavalry governmentraisebeen the usedthan revenue totheir regulations feed those men rank required, keeping thedemands imposed on their peasants, to the contrary, and to support and horsestoward for the their end own of Alam- grain that cludingroyalfather's.courtly expenditure wine,Monumental patronage. song, on and Personally nonreligiousconstruction dance, all puritanical banished celebrations,now came inas todressinfidel especiallyan end,and habits taste,as did thoseunfit Alamgir most forin- profit.lowed.(Evengir'sness Suchreign of jagirdarinflation and during in thedemands became the period early quite of years morecommon of the reign, led peasants in many parts of and rally their support behind rapid Mughal decline that fol- however, the harsh- the empire to regional hadhisset a strengthwatched tone of zealousofhis character bloody sobriety rise and to for helpedpower his courtiers,with impress misgivings. whichhis piety amply onThe thoseattested era ofwho toreligious tolerance and Hindu-Muslim equality_ of fleeNamers"),inzamindars, from their aJat, Mughal sectin Maratha,1669, of Hinduvillages and Sikh, peasantsthree years Hindu Jat peasants under a and RajputJ zamindar namedin the Gokula Punjab, rebelled, later the Satnamis ("Truth marchingrevolted 9Alamgir appointedbeprovincialtreatmentthat "censors sure that ofcapital Islamicpublic had and been_initiatecLbyAkbat_was morals" law other was large (muhtasibs) obeyed city in and his to therealm, proper nowordering prayers/ger- abandoned. them to every onceSikhstowardand in byagain Delhi Jahangir's now when until had theytwicethey favoredwere supported blown reign, when they backed his Dara's claim; this experience losingto shreds aspirants by Mughal to Mughal power, rebel son, Khusrau, artillery. The left a bitter gamblinggrantedHinduformed.the former temple toIn'41668 and repair and "illicitpermits practicedrundownHindu sex" were religious from temples.'Alamgirthe issued, latter the fairs land mr as were wouldone that means outlawed,had even royal virtually oftried permission worship. and to invented no\--ewabolish Hard- be residueoutanthe intolerable the of Rajputs latteranti-Mughal part potion rose of timepassion and hisof reign anguish. as bitter The thornsMarathas in again, yet the "prayer-monger"in the Punjab, to which also emerged through-his Deccan side, and Alamgir added held his throne,160 convinced that he did so by the will of Allah, assisted by a A NEW HISTORY OF INDIA GREATin the MUGHAL early sixteenth GLORY century,_this popular new liberal community 161 .reputationlargerefficacyever and sustained. since betterof unrelenting his paid Despitedeath, army his forcethe than reign "bad and any may press"untiring previous be_read that dictatorial Indianhas as ahaunted lesson monarch dominance in the had as Alamgir's flourishedGurumukhisacredworkingyeasantry sayings in the ("from Punjab,of Guruof the Hindu Guru's drawingNanak as mouth"),well in a as community greater cohesion and a its _recruitsspecially mostly_from devised hard- script,Muslim called birth. Recordinghis chosen the successor, Guru keystaxes,lightenedapolitical to the and peasantcontrolpolicy encouraging ofpopulation.of "love"forging India's tolerance preponderantly a formultireligious all sects docile, and alliance, ideas.Akbar Alamgirreducing had hoped to win control over all of India by his en- clearerAngadpatronizedpurdahstressed sense(1504-52), ("seclusion") communitybyof itsAkbar, own gave furtheridentity. eating togetherthe inducingas withwell casteas prayer Elbe third guru, Amar Das, was converts to the faith,exclusiveness and untouch- and abolished female which v tangible,retentionifachieved we would greaterthoughof real measure estatesuccessat least imperialalone. throughequally It success,is, hisimportant of policy course, that ofthings, harderis, terror by suchthe andto gaugeconquest nakedas the the power"gen- lessand capital)wasability.Ravi granted inRam Ram the some Das, Punjab,Das's landthe son whichfourth by and was successor,guru, to Arjun the emperor between the rivers thisbecome spot, naming the site ofthe the cityhad Sikh's served at Akbar's court and (1563-1606), com- Sutlej and Amritsar sacred people,eralemperorleastthere welfare" oneareother afterso anonymous orthanfew he"happiness" surviving imperialhad reimposed letter records,courtiers. of of the eloquent the public of jizya, Wethe complaintlivesatdo stating large, know, and in especiallyfeelings however, thatpart: reached "Your of sinceIndia'sof sub-at the pletedsel,"Sahib,water.("Pool thewrote was Underof great Immortal compiledGuru SikhArjun's Arjun temple andNectar") careful of deposited his at book, for in guidance the Sikh scripture, its tank filled"you with will "sacred" find Armitsar'sthree temple. "In this ves- thingstruth, Granth well Ifpoverished;jects Your are Majesty trampled depopulation places underfoot; any spreads faith every in thoseand province difficulties books of by your distinction accumulate Empire calledis .im- . . emperor'showever,peace, and andrebel contemplation." had son him Khusrau, tortured then to refusing to Jahangir charged Arjun with treason, death for supposedly aiding theinspired his own son, Hargo- admit his "guilt" or divine,tainedseventeenthprevailedkind, younot revolt. thewill throughout century, GodThe be there Punjabof Mussalmansand muchinstructed inhas several ofbeen India that alone."'mentioned regions duringGod Such isit theledas sentimentthe toGodlatter violentfirst of part suchall may and man-of major .havesus- the abandonwithbind,retreatmillfa:tit:new their to his arm to lives,faith. Kiratpur his order convertingcomrades,Arjun's pitted in themartyrdom against whotheHimalayan pacifist stoodIN;IugliTal_t_yranny. foothills, readyGuru Hargobindto defendfaith of their andGuru religion Nanakinto a Though forced to region,asgoldDara, well to perhapsand dispense, as hisMuslim, claimsbecause he retained butto itAgra's that had a quicklysosubstantial throne. long melted beenWhile following "loyal" Daraas Alamgir's stillof to cavalry, its had viceroy, Lahore'ssun Rajput rose mountains,his band held from out whichagainst he Mughal emerged arms The seventh guru, Har Rai, was only after 1658 to supporthoundeduntil Dara the guru'seven fartherpeaceful intoAlamgir's death the victory, however, higher,Land ofleaving, the Five nonetheless, Rivers. a hard core of Sikh oppositionSince in the the founding of the Sikh2 faith by its saintly guru Nanak, ti Shikoh'slosingcourt,Har Rai wherehisclaim was father's obligedtheto the young support. throne. to mansend Shortly Following his son, became a loyal follower of the emperor, before his death in r661, HarRam Rai Rai, as hostage to Delhi's his successor, but this 87 Sikhs,and Sons,1963). vol. 1952), vol. 3, p. 34. 21 TheJadunath best history Sarkar, of History this faith of is Aurangzeb Khushwant (Calcutta: Singh, A HistoryM. C. Sarkar of1, the1469-1839 (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, designatedTeghthereson, too, ofBahadur smallpox washis younger forced (1621-75), in to1664. son, HariwhoThe ninthKrishen,was guru as was seek Alamgir's favor in Delhi, arrested by Alamgir's soldiers in Har Rai's granduncle, and he expired 0 162refusingAgra and to broughtconvert toto Islam.Delhi, Lqurt-siG-O-15iiid where he was subsequently A NEW HISTORY OF INDIA 666-1708), Tegh beheaded after GREATtonorth his MUGHAL inoriginal 1632, whenoverlord, GLORY the adroit Maratha the sultan of Ahmadnagar. sultan wasstatesman taken prisonerdecided toby The following return 163 avengeBahadur's his son, father's was the tenth and last of the Sikh Gurus. He vowed to murder and to devote his life to ceaseless struggle his community into an year,thenagar however, Mughal forces, army. Shahji using guerrillaDaulatabad fell, and the now sought to rally warfare tactics against the remnant of far superior Mug- With some Ahmad- 1 meansagainstofname."army toughened "Lion,"Alamgir's Fromof the this pure" andfighters tyranny. time baptizing (khalsa), at who least,Gobind recognized takinghis the Raiclosest Sikhs as forged his emergedone new another surname as a by Singh,the followers with the same close-knit force sartorial which hallimtwelve mightShah rule thousand in Jahanfor the a few in followers, 1636, years, hostile Deccan terrain the fate of Hindu but when BijapurShahji retained he knew so well. resistancehis independencewas sealed, concluded a treaty of Mus-He was with and Thesymbolsandalways Guru knee-length of tonow their carry merged faith, a soldier's saber, for with they to his shorts, wearvowed community, a and steelnever to to keepsince cut aall comb were for to becometheir bracelet on their right wrists their hair or beards, hair. banishedShahjithat city,himself thereafter which was from to Shivaji was a surrendered to a joint Mughal-Bijapurfiercer fighterhis mother's than his_father, love become the capital Poona, but Jiji of Hinduism_ and antipathy_toBai raised her sonof ShivajiMaratha power] and he grew to.man: army. in huntedwouldinbind hismen hereafterwas retinue and said full-time attorepresent onehave time, fighters,had the morebut Guru butMughal than whothe twenty majority wasarmies thusthousand outnumberedwill immortalized. of loyal the khalsa supporters Go- and har- he had hood_imboedMuslimweremade heterodoxBijapuri no with difference as to Shivaji's Shi'ite§those while of a "foreign"well as Mughal rule. yearning"the forMughals independence were faith.That He wantedthe Deccani orthodox Sunnis of all over-"self-rule"sultanates rassedyearthe ultimate himand atill half. hissatisfaction last years ofof outlivingstruggle and his hardship.hated rival, At Alamgir,leastIn MaharashtraLan_equally by a fierce_Hindu_o osition_toifthal lords,dharma)Shivaji(sva-raj) especiallyratha in leftfollowers theand Poona land who the full freedom to practice at the age of twenty,had been ofreared his birth; in the Great CountryMaha-Washtra.the hillsleading of their a band rugged his own religion (sva- of young Ma- region ruleShivaji's"nation"who ernmostemerged was father,hailedbut of under reviledthe byShahji, five thehis bysuccessor-kingdomsleadershipfollowers had the served Mughals as of the VShivaji foundingas a to the Bhonsle father once ofmighty (1627-80), the Maratha sultan of Ahmadnagar, north- Deccan "mountain rat." Bahmani andtoand could plunderwend Bijapur most their whatever powers. effectively way they use into theThese hill country "mountaincould use to strengthen guerrilla tactics rats" would wait for caravans and then swoop in fightingtheir both band, Mughal which soon down to inglocalsultanate.birth, Bijapur, leader his As fatherand forthe soon hissultan's shifted was found a jagirdarallegiance borderland himself in wooedPoona,to jagir.Bijapur by Shahji Shortly the and sultan was an of importantneighbor- took a second wife before Shivaji's hadMuslim therashtrianhis fortresses,arms, garrisons. terrain,money, Shivaji Securing and soonthough a and horses to pose a commanded a substantial portionnumbercouldBijapur ofintimidate key tried mountaintop this to coerce himformidable by challenge to tenacious young plateaus as of Maha- holding advancedShivaji'sas affectionwell as devout into a upon new the mother, hersultan. Deccan, son. EmotionallyJijiAfter Shahji Bai, Shah lavishedshifted Jahan allegiance came to power once more,at Agra ac- abandoned by her husband, all of her attention and and hisHindu fatherrisingLion"), warrior. hostage,so dominates nearly His nothing vertical that no human was the plainfirst stronghold,southwest Sinhagarh lore claims that Shivaji of Poona, its sheer believed capable of scaling ("The Fortressused a giant Deccan rock face of the cepting89lications,History a Mughalof 1957). the Marathas, mansab 3 from vols., late 2nd 163oimpression (Bombay:3 The best history of the Marathas remains G. S. Sardesai, New until Shah Jahan returned Phoenix Pub- lizarditsitslizard's height. suction-cup to assist roughMaharashtrian him tail feet and hurling fastenedin this firmly"superhuman" to the the creature up against sheer clifftask, and tyingShivaji a rope the wall so that to the and 0 his164 men could climb over it in the dead of night to surprise the Muslim A NEW HISTORY OF INDIA GREATbacksat Alamgir's MUGHALof generals court, GLORY he but considered he was so his outraged inferiors that he fussed and fumed to find himself facing 165the moderntage,intimategarrison guerrilla there.knowledge warfare, of his a homelandmethod he to learned considerable in part frommartialandrheWhatever ShahjgBy advan- well his deserves secrets to may be called have been, Shivaji clearly used an one of the founding fathers of escape,arrest.anduntil finally OnceheShivaji was fainted, again outside, had proving thento be made carriedhis ingenious his off, way eluded his guards by hiding in a laundry or back to theand Deccan, was placed where under house talent for "miraculous" food basket he c)`4"1" J'4" Valor"sands1659 troops, (Pratapgarh), Shivaji's who daring completely where exploits he surroundedwas roused trapped sufficient Shivaji with insufficient inBijapuri his "Fortress concern food orof to the powerful general Afzal Khan and an army of several thou- wasmost welcomedtraditionaltolucrative have of his himself fortressattack asHindu a returning crownedagainst perchescoronation Surat. Chatrapati and at In Rajgarh 1674 monarch.a3y 1670 he could launch a second, even more ("Lord of the Universe") he felt sufficiently("The powerful Fortress of Rule"), had recaptured in a afraidman,insisting,waterto "discuss and toto survive however,aShivaji level final a spotbarely lengthy uponterms." just moremeeting siege.below The than Muslim AfzalShivaji the five high Khanfeet thengeneral wall tall. personally, offered ofAfzal was the toa advancedfortress, giant"surrender,"man to bull man, andun- of a mantras,whereShivajiporters eleven whilesworeMaharaj thousand fifty undying thus brahmanspublicly allegiance gathered thousand loyal Maharashtrian staked his claim to svaraj over to this reincarnation of to chant the sacred friends and sup- Lord Shiva. the land Vedic fingersarmed.shirtShivaji with Heleftof sleeves the carriedhis otherlair that awearing "scorpion-tail"sheathed covered an innocuous-looking,hisin razor-edged hands, dagger each in one ofiron which hand,loose-fitting "tigers' wasand claws."lethallyhad cloth the of notAlamgirthehis crybirth,be ableof was as"Shivaji tocountless at focus the Maharaj-ki-jai!" time his Hindu personalpreoccupied ("Victory voices throughout the Deccanattention upon the Deccan for somewith Afghan conflicts and to Great King Shivaji"):3 death in 1680. took up would thatleaderlesstaken,Shivaji signaled torushed spring army the to Hindu atfromembrace the ambush basetroops, Afzal of the and hiddenKhan, mountain kill who thealong collapsedgeneral's was the easily road withattendants. Afzaldispersed a death had Thecry in [The deathforyears trymenof independence, Shivaji to come; his did not, not however, mean thesince fierce spirit of Hindu nationalismat in fact, until after Shivaji's early he bequeathedcontinued tohis his battle sons against Mughal end of 's struggle least in this Maha- and coun- Shivaji'swaspanicpower; dead and murderandthereafter,despair, there of once would Afzalno theSouth be Khan_marked troops no Indian prospect realized force of the that pay,would real the nor birth"invincible"be hope able of_ of to Marathaplunder. challenge Afzal power.rashtrianik_unitecLopposition_to_Alarngir's regional formand they The year Shivaji died, the Rajputs rulelThe emperor sent his son Ak- of Jodhpur and Mewar rose to subdue Rajput resist- Suratperialthisthe intrepid Britishinmight 1664, Hindu_leader,_c_ould_humblefactory plundering there, muchwhich and him. of onlywas Shivaji its stoutlythewealth full_weight was defendedand strong even ofenough bytrying Mughal its small to lootraidim- gar- bartheance atsake;perorl'he Hindusthe in 168o,headfalling against second ofbut victim a thepowerful his Akbar young tofather's Alamgir's Mughalprince tyranny greater army could not, however, fully emulate decided instead to join forces and soon declared himself em-shrewdness and martial ex- his name- with obligedMarathasentrison.top a forts, tWhenhuge to "upstart." surrender Purandhar; army, such embarrassing Shivajiled twenty-three inby 1665 thewas Rajputhe nowexploits of sued his trapped Jaitwenty-fivefor reached Singh,peace, at another Alamgir's butto fortresses, deal this of timewith hisears, in he hill-this re- hewas perience,Deccan.Alamgir89), whohe Akbar wasnow had sought saw also no justhelp from Shivaji's forced to flee with a few of his alternative but to march southassumed his father's royal title at Rajgarh. elder son, Sambhaji (1657 of all rebellions he had followershimself to the in order ic,,,- va., turn for a mansab in the imperial Mughal servicej Shivaji actually appeared as 91a mansabdar of five thousand horse faced.to subdue By November this potentially 1681 hemost dangerous reached Burhanpur, and in March . 92 1682 ar 7.7÷7. 166 A NEW HISTORY OF INDIA GREAT MUGHAL GLORY much of the South 167 hadinvadebuilthe come established thewhen toDeccan crush.still hisa than it young prince. Butcamp it was at muchAurangabad, easierSambhaji, for the Alamgir Deccanlike_ histo capitalfather, usedhe had guerrilla-warfare was for him to find the Maratha forces he Asiangreatcentury,glory Ashoka, subcontinent thus under reached Never fall within.a_single the fiercely fanatical leadershipits pinnacle of power at before nor_ since would so Kashmirruler's domain.t_greatto Hyderabad, Mughal the end of the seventeenth of an octogenerian from withgir'sforts,__posingMughalstrategy farhim, superior armies, andhoping scorched-earth a constantpower.[Akbarretainingto march source control tactics sought of of the toin vainharasstreacherous and hide hills fromand the upon Agra at the head of an allied force of annoyance and insult to Alamo lure Sambhaji north their despotKabulcosting whose to Assam? an estimated twenty-six_yearsYet the conquest of the Deccan, will was obeyed from of his life,hundred was in manythousand ways lives a year to which Alamgir a Pyrrhic victory, during its last devoted the unification,IndianShivaji'sMarathas, regional son Rajputs, forieven never differences andtreally -17)tigh those trusted theMughals Marathas the Muslim who and rallied the round his once again served to undermine dreams of prince, however, and Rajputs were both banner1 decadesrelostwouldimagined of abe monthfruitless, taken or accurately later.one chess-g_ame week ti_le expense estimated. Alamgir'sand moving lost the capital next, only to warfare, in which Maratha in gold and rupees can be recaptured and hardlyfortresses be alonea teenthfaceTheHindus, themeof centurygrowing they of spoke regional wouldBritish different IndianIndians languages discord learn thatwould and if power, and not until the latter part of the nine- hardly knewthey one often hopedanother. be ever replayed to rule in the bazaars,cityand ofpeninsular thirtytents with thirtythousand half India a elephants, milesof anyin circumference, and all of its some surplusmillion camp followers, fifty all of whom had to two hundred and fifty grainthousand and camels,be fed, stripped famine, but wealth Deccanhisdices,themselves father's and sultanate fears invinciblethey towould under a common, force have the demolish to unitedsubordinate national ever-expanding imperial umbrella, Akbar Bijapur's defenses and bring that regional ambitions, preju- effortj After watching bubonicthroughoutsomehowtragic conflictplague the too quarter arosegreat tofor century and wasteJThe macabre seventeenth-centurytake countless warfare, more of its intrusion. Not only its senseless massacredimension of the drama seems lives during this era sounding more of human of whichbhajifled to continued moved Persia like in to1686, a evadeswarm where directof locusts he confrontation died in exile with In 1687, soon after Bijapur fell, over the Deccan.Golconda, the last of_the Shilte before Alamgir. Sam- Alamgir's army, modernforandarmy itanimal allin itsby life. unyieldingthe timeEven Alamgir butchery, world back toward the he decided to stop firing north in 1705. The emperorhad ceased to understand reading and copying his guns and turn the purposewas nearing thehis couragedeath,queror."/Inleaving_onlysultanates, firing of his surrendered1689 histhe last people'sMarathasSambhaji anguished and spirit as waswas hoursdiehard of absorbed resistance than he within had even during the the latter captured, tortured, and butchered to opponents to the "World Con- more through the Mughgsystem, ninetyingKoran,rear fringes by guard,preparingthen. of looting, plundering, his camp, MarathaHe horsemen spentfrom most the of bloatedhimselfhis days imperialfor the final presence reckoning, and picking off Mughal rode roughshod over while at the retreat- that had come to stragglers, the widow,wavingtitleof his of lifetime. ChatrapatiforTara another Bai, His continued andfull decade, her till husband's his own relentlessdeath in r7oqRaja Ram's younger brotherARaja Ram ,-ow took the sacred kept the banner of Maratha independence struggle, heroi- years gainingknowplaguenotfessed strength whoknow the to Deccan.I hiswhatam, son nor punishment in what February 1707. "I came alone and. I go as I have been doing,"awaits me."4 He expired on a "I have sinned terribly, the dying old man con-a stranger. I Friday and and I do do not the_empirehaji'scallythe refusingsonboy Shahuas that a to mansabdar,now_extended_ bowand histo the mother determined Mughal beyond into yoke. his theto93 limitsAlamgir had taken Samb- incorporate Maharashtracamp, into however, and raised reached_even_b_y_ke was buriedHolt, Rinehart in a village and nearWinston, 4 Quoted by Waldemar Hansen, Aurangabad.1972), p. 485. The Peacock Throne (New York: 8 4 GREAT WOMEN OF INDIA RAMESH CHANDRA SWAMI MADHAVANANDA EDITORS MAJUMDAR THE HOLY MOTHER BIRTH CENTENARY MEMORIAL 95 (PublicationAbvaita Ashrama-5 Dehi En Calcutta 700 014 tallyDepartment) Road 96 MAYAVATI, PITHORAGARH, HIMALAYAS PRESIDENT, ADVAITASWAMI ASHRAMA MUMUKSHANANDA Published by CONTENTS INTRODUCTION PACE 1X Vice-President,S. Radhakrishnan Republic of India PART I xv CHAPTER I. IDEALRamesh AND Chandra POSITION OF INDIAN WOMEN A GENERALMajumdar, SURVEY 'mA., PH.D., F.A.S.. IN DOMESTIC LIFE © SRI SARADA MATH,TI-IIRD IMPRESSION, SEPTEMBER 2M2C DAKSHINESWAR 1993 II. IDEALHon. AND Fellow, POSITION Royal OFAsiatic INDIAN formerly .Vice-Chancellor, Dacca Society (Bombay Branch), WOMEN IN SOCIAL LIFE University 1 11 ProfessorAnant of SadashivAncient Altekar,Indian PatnaUniversity and Hon. Director, K. P. M.A., LL.B.; rum. History and Culture, J. Research Institute, III. ShashiEVOLUTION Bhusan OF DasMOTHER WORSHIP Gupta, M.A., PH.D. IN INDIA 26 IV. WOMEN'S EDUCATION IN Mrs.Lecturer, Roma Chaudhuri,Calcutta University.. M.A., D.PHIL. (Oxon.) ANCIENT INDIA 49 3B CHATU BABU LANEPrinted in IndiaGIPIDI at BOX CO. Principal and Professor of and jt. Secretary, Prachyavans Mandira, Calcutta Philosophy, Lady Brabourne College 87 97 CALCUTTA 700 014 ' V. POSITIONFormerlyMrs. Lila OF Majumdar, WOMEN IN MODERN Vidyasagar College, Calcutta Professor at M.A. Visvabharati, Asutosh iii INDIA College and 112 98 PART III C. WOMEN IN THE CLASSICAL PRIOD APTER A. WOMEN IN SANSKRIT LITERATURE PAGE CHAPTER XIV. GREAT WOMEN IN NORTH (c. 400 B.C. to 1200 A.D.) INDIA PACE VI. GREATProfessorSushil WOMEN Kumar of Sanskrit De,IN VEDIC M.A., Language LITERATURED.urr. (Loud.) and Literature,Research Department, Sanskrit College, Calcutta Post-Graduate 129 SuperintendentD. C. Sircar, M.A., for Epigraphy, Government of India, Ootacamund PH.D. Department of Archaeology, 285 VII. GREATSwami WOMEN Nihshreyasananda IN THE RAMAYANA XV. GREAT WOMEN IN SOUTH K.K. A.Professor R. Nilakanta Venkataraman, of Sastri, Indology, Mysore B.A.M.A. INDIA University VIII. MAINFormerlyTripuiari WOMEN President Chakravarti, CHARACTERS of theM.A. Ramakrishna IN THE MAHABHARATABranch Mission, Mauritius 140 FormerlyN. Venkataramanayya, DirectorReader ofof IndianPublic UniversityOfficer, Pudukkottai State M.A., PH.D. HistoryInstruction and Archaeology, and Historical Madras Records IX. WOMENLecturerMiss- SunitiCHARACTERS Calcutta Bala University Gupta, IN THE M. ED.STORIES (Leeds) OF THE MAHABHARATA 169 Professor,K.N,Government N.Lakshminarayan Gopala American Pillai, Epigraphist College,Rao, M.A. for India, OotacamundM.A. Madurai 298 Formerly Chief Inspectress of Schools, WestLadyCalcutta Bengal, Bra bourneUniversity. Principal, College and Member of the Syndicate, 182 D. WOMEN IN THE (c. 1201 to 1800 A.D.) 'MEDIEVAL PERIOD X. GREATAssociateRajendra WOMEN ChandraProfessor IN THE Hazra, of PURA29'AS Smriti M.A., and PH.D., Purana, rum. ResearchGovernment Department, Sanskrit College, Calcutta and formerly Reader 221 XVL GREAT 1-IINDU WOMEN 'KalikinkarProfessor Datta, of History, Patna M.A., IN NORTH INDIA P.R.S. XI. GREATFormerlySivaprasad WOMEN Senior Bhattacharyya, IN SANSKRIT Professor M.A., CLASSICS or Sanskrit, Kavyatirtha,and Presidency Head Sahityashastri. of the College, Department of Sanskrit, Dacca University !;. XVIL i. N.K.GREAT VenkataramanayyaR.A. VenkataramanNilakanta HINDU WOMEN Sastri IN SOUTH INDIA University 320 CalcuttaB. WOMEN IN BUDDHISM AND JAINISM 238 XVIII. Mrs.GREATK.N. KamalabaiN.Lakshminarayan HINDU Gopala WOMEN PillaiDeshpande, Rao IN MAHAR4HTRA pu.D. (Prague) 332 XIL GREAT WOMEN IN BUDDHISM NalinakshaProfessor Dutt, of Pali, M.A., Calcutta B.L., PH.D., University P.R.S., D.LITT. (Lond.), M.P. 253 XIX. BhogilalGREATFormerly HINDU J. Principal, Sandesara, WOMEN S. M.A.,N. PH.D.D. T. College for Women,IN GUJARAT AND SAUR4HTRA Poona 343 XIII. GREATUmakant WOMEN 'Premanand IN JAINISM Shah, M.A., PII.D. 99 iv 275 Professor and Head University, Baroda of the Department V of Gujarati, M. S. 362 I IAPTER XX. GREAT HINDU Lecturer,Sukumar Sell, Calcutta M.A., University; PH.D., F.A.S. WOMEN IN EAST INDIA Hon. Secretary, LinguisticSecretary, SocietyAsiatic Society PACE 369 XXI. GREAT MUSLIM WOMEN OF HeadMohammad of the WahidArabic Mirza, Department, M.A., PH.D.of India, (Lund.) and Philological INDIA Lucknow University 378 XXIL GREAT INDIAN -w Director,Radhakamal I. K.Mukerjee, Institute M.A., of PH.D. E. WOMEN IN THE MODERN PERIOD NINETEENTH CENTURY and Human Relations, FormerlySwamiJ Satswarupananda President, N. GopalaLucknow Pillai Ramakrishna Math,' Karachi 395 XXIII. N.GREAT LakshminarayanPrincipal,Swami WOMEN Tejasananda Ramakrishna DEVOTEES Rao Mission Vidyamandira, Belur (Howrah)OF SHRI RAMARRISHNA 414 XXIV. THE HOLY MOTHER Swami Nirvedananda . .. - . INDEXPresident, Ramakrishna and Ramakrishna Mission Calcutta Mission Sarada Pitha,,Belur (Howrah) Student? Home -. 464541 1FST COPY AVAIILABLE 101. vi 102 Womenconverteday to seduceas intoa saint (tiipasi) with her his code for achieving charms the of patriotic l.utit.csan Vird who, this. patriotic hero conduct, disguised herself from his goal sent by the CHAPTER XII ambad.:anitynoblerinaire andShe example accounts, butas martyrsto the in of affection ways of monasticism women as religion through service appearnuns rarely wedded in are more frequent. is Patralekha to service of Buddhistic in the The IN A conservative GREAT WOMEN 1. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS IN BUDDHISM it,able to startle undauntedexceptions. by and waylay," is thethe dawn best While the and example of returnwoman of love: is not companionship generallyCases like proneunfeigned "tothese are ; theirofthe the condition, Buddhist earlier days.period could due primarily Nevertheless, therecountry like India, not have changed was some theimprovement position very much from that of women in in :lassicalnpted!thing warn,;writers' and of to comfort an angelic light,"the reasonsticking for this and command" and is "a it must omission is spiritbe still, admittedis hardly to be discovered and bright ever seriouslythat her role with in reapslaid thedown fruits in of (i) Buddha his teachings. laid stress her past karma, on the factThese that to the basic principles andmay thatbe briefly she stated a woman, like which Buddha as follows: a man, ar,dird and not and even ever in the self-willed. a brahmavadinicontrol of Woman faithfullyanother and like Maitrermay be a to the shastric not strivingpoet, a philosopher,or Chiiclala, but ideal of herto become she a safeThiscanown struck help acts her, for her passage of an individual at the root of the not even her future good parents, teacheror evilbelief or salvation, that a son was needed or spiritual must depend and in this preceptor. for theon her none :himenius. to A present herself in recognition lieswoman may be assemblies learned, but making should a demonstration not be forward. of . daughterfutility inof the the invidiouspre-Buddhist distinction period after death made between to . a son and Hence the a this;h because her is the being of Shankara,her attitude Chaitanya the mother being the even of romantic or the heroic through herof a great son, wise loveBharata, stories. service of her as 'the case or valiant like Vasavadatta lord and-1 may hadthe wifeand thisplayed ultimately no(it) place. Secondly, "This did a secondary Buddha discarded.raised the away with the part and a barrenstatus of a daughter. the Brahmanicbecame obviousunwarranted stigma woman or a widow rituals in which to the people, mother of Naravahanadatta. diSCoursesa womanto these regarding two categories (iii) Thirdly, for the benefit Buddha made the attainment of unfortunate of both the no distinction between of spiritual women. ends. He a man and deliveredattached NOT COPY MAMA 3, LE attainingwith,pOsidonprescribed and the of thishighest by him women in the sphere has been amply was to be observedgoal, nirvana. of spiiitual evidenced by the by both.sexes, and the moral culture Hence the lowerwas done away several nunscode women, irrespective of . (iv) The order of nuns whether they was open to married were barren or as well as unmarried not, as also to 103 252 whenwidows. they There became either was no distinction shramaneris 253 between or bhikshunis. one category and another It is spiritual 104 advancement alone that counted in the sangha. Even a courtesan (vii) A nun could in no circumstances admonish a monk, while fitureinvitationwaswas admitted ofshown the of Ambapali richto theher Lichchhavis. order for for her of meals, pastnuns, He career. muchand accepted after toBuddha the ordination her chagrin gladly noand accepted disrespect discom- the mango grove and any monk(viii)Buddha could A nun atadmonish firstmust was a averse nun. to never abuse a the admission of women monk. to him that such refusal of into his . Similar system, but when it was pointed out that only an thetreatmentadmitted order. her was to accorded the order to without' a few other.. the least(v) hesitation. The education, given to female' novices and nuns was not . . who joined Ordinationagreedindividualthough to toon thecould women principle help' clashed formation of the order both men and womenhimself or herself in achieving with his basic principle of nuns. He should be placed on realizedwhosalvation, were that hein the laydifferentThemeditativealso devotees nuns into from were exercises.the also that subtleinitiated received imparted Theremystical into their are tothe trainingtheirexperiences instances deepest male in problems thecounterparts.of attainable bhikshunisprinciples of philosophy throughof- recitingThe Buddhisni. female intense the as thesamewere lowerapplied footing, actually stages to a meant of spiritual bhikshunithere who were had chances for the nuns under training, culture. The restrictions attained oneof abuseof the by those and could not have four fruitsstated of above. were thetexts Buddhist and elucidating period, it the'deepcannot but problems be admitted of'Though the thatBuddhist init' theis philosophy.claimed monastic that the status of women was raised in sanctification.ledmonksthe himkey-notes and to make nuns of was a source Celibacy, austeritytheBuddhism. rules governing Hence of great anxietyreligion to for and strict mental disciplinethe lifethe ofexistence nuns so ofstringent. recluses, male or Buddha, and this the orders of female; monks.cannotnecessaryorder Somethe reasonably place of the accorded berestrictions justified. to the imposed nuns was on nuns lower might than have that of the for their physical weakness, but there are a few which The restrictions were as follows: been mostlyandas hencearhathood. those the women Buddhism was primarily a who rose to the highest stage who became famous Pali text which of spiritualthrowsin Buddhistculture any historylight on known were the hadresenteda bhikshu to yield by ordained Mahaliajapatito the adamantine much Gotami, will a of queen the and(i) A a bhikshuni,mother, though of a long standing, must later than her. allowed to spend the rainy season Teacher. This condition, was bow before but she , spiritualbeencontainingthe utteredattainment:achievements only by of Sources:, The only five hundred and twenty-twoseveral nuns givingthe highest goal, of women is the Theri-gatha, a nirvana.expression The commentary to stanzas said to their joy at small text have (varshavasa)her faults, ifin any, a place before where both the sanghas;(iii)(is)(iv) AAt Inbhikshuni the order. termination to was not fix the date of the fortnightly assembly of varshavasa, a bhikshunithere hadwas to no confess bhikfitu. of monks and nuns. Paramattha-diof on:fromthe the.theris imagination. Anguttara pani(senior on nuns), Nikaya, Therein is another thiscommentary text furnishes us but many of them seem to which appears a with biographical accountsand upasikas (female lay list of the foremostManoratha-paranihave been drawn (uposatha) and exhortation (ovada), a", bhikshuni must. take the :hens (nuns), shramaneris (female novices), sketch of each of necessary . directions from a monk. devdtees).. The commentary offers a biographical , similar in nature to those the .sanghas. (v) A nun had to, seek, absolution of certain offences fromordination, must have the sanction both of .in:the,_Paramattha-dipani.thesebw::We female shallnotables; now relate a few typical accounts and the sketches are of the lives of women , both the sanghas. (vi) A. nun seeking, higher 105 254 BEST COPY AVAILAB Who -attained distinction in the history, 255 ' of Buddhistri. .11.06 of Cu: Afti, ..ic7:;c7pczti 2. NUNS 'T was born, Destmlalia. She was the t-t (Laugh' r yoti::ger siAct of 1. when gro,t.-n .p, wei /... la',15 .15 sevcp. t.tiot;Itt of 1iddh5t-tha Gamma. mart ir'd to King Shliddhodana. herriuP,en.her o,1t. sist, After oc ;., -_. birth to a soil ":-- aft, of her c1-01-. -Aida icand IMO.; a datightrr .' (Thldlr:tetha, and became the chief -ur-rd him as and After the attai. .1.-Careil i. .jJ boil/ii the care bet cLildren to tb-. G-..o.-onta Buddha paid a viai! o Kapi-,astn. and dr-1-cied :hem King *ma b... t- a few discomses. a lay attaioirg After strean,the first stage of sanctificati-; n-,g nitva, apanntt (p;aced in the i\ 1' and oed the t.ndet 4Y:et : '1'!-istheSI),, wutc;'; .. ended .l;o.a rife. shein a 1dit.tisttous -'eame, v light between the two clans, 1,1titTing d t1le. Kid:vans for drawing water from the river . At th'e.. s. c a _Jed r h;'kc on ..rmittedthe death to of Eing between the "1,-- I.ort)iss;on,1.',odd;wit,...itiowsaht. of tothe join dead the Shskvan o; der waof BuddhistTiot rc(' the loss of 1ttly lives.who' was ,-esiding at to become. recluses. Wit!' .Ma1.1pajapati Vaisitl:%, and sounit. for his r-d for tit horn their homes She arooarhedOn a tircvious pinT, the SOcccasi.had this 11. tiWC hair cut, ,1115.r V-ntati Gutami ttod. her requew .4. y-11.or ' hers was to 1.:-." down 1 Alshaii to o'n 0(-1-11hyr her l't.1 . . 4; vfnv reaso-...a;unwt';g to .form . . -,. of At.ant r .-,, 1" ' I i llk lt.::1-11 S112 ' n in. Order to ;11.6, . t. ,he underMaiivatiV. tic directGot.- '11:1socervlsi aft r- to l',.(:011(f livc,1 up I nuns o. e-eigbt tool: He 4:t . 31"r-ikiewtationn° and soon attained:red and tA.:nty and -ed abve. Courtesy: Kern Institute; Leiden; Holland l'i;AJNAPARAMITA 107 EST COPY AVM . IL 108 s declaredainedsideration by nunspt the the Teacher (rattaiiiiunath). excellentto her. as the robe made by It is said that on one occasion he refused to Buddha did notoldest show and anyher the specialfrom most extraordinary experienced ofmaterials d therebye thatsion .adisappointed on monk herto behalf onthemust her sangha hernot death-bed,was verygo ofas near nomuch,a whole. availand andgave ; Buthe even directed Ananda's her to inter- offer suitable discourses after alteringBuddha thethe paid bed her of avisits sick whennun. she the ikshura-pratimoksha-sutra.:ddha's consentdhist'The' system,for greatested the for formationandthe achievement disciplinaryitThe was Theri-gatha atof her the guidance ofinstance order Mahapajapati- attributes of ofthat nuns nuns, several 'to whichher was rules a towere were known as in thesecure .himhad 'she tsaved her' herself present gathas,many hada bodyinbeing e'd.all'miseries.whichbeen'able was from shethe worldly offeredlastto put one She sufferings,an her endpractised respects to herand tothe thirst,that Buddha eightfold path and of innumerable such she had saying that realizedbecause the ..was really forrgetie andiously, alsohad Tealited'thatput had in as all mother, her she efforts wouldson', to father, endhave her no brother, worldlymore rebirth; grandmother, since etc. the benefit of many that Mahamaya had given birth existence. she was beings 'the- childutations Gautama;to how to the'to who endgreat had their: Teacher. shown sufferings-4n the path to countless : these' words she offered her Bing BimbisaraMadras.mplexion Whenand like. lived grown molten at Rajagrihaup, gold. she ;,In.had as ancourse 'the exquisite chief of time:;, queen. appearance she wasAt married with Kshema:; was born !at. Sagala in the royal family of ;. - 'duty, ybeing by and the criticizedso king shetime topreferred the: forthe Teacher herthat love-to Buddha -resided for beautiful condemnedat .Veluvana, appearance. infatuation the: royal- withgarden; one's given own personal Buddhisesaitgha. - Queen Kshema came to remain away from him and thus 'The 10B BET COPY AVAILABLE r. Buddha, it "gwas deliberated not proper within that his chief queen should not approach himself that as he was the chief lay supporter 257 110 queen,singthe Teacher about so that the to herlistencharms curiosity to hisof the.discourses. might Veluvana be roused within for the beautieshearing ofof the.the ,r So he instructed his bards. to ttluistras,,earned thesis.and so Buddha::In gave .the her stanzas a very highattributed place amongto her thein .the vastly Theri-gatha, Kshema itsgarden, desired and effect. ultimately she would be taken there. . The queen .expressed her desire to see the garden The plan had ilates that a young man of excellent:with worldly appearance enjoyment,: wanted but to she entice spurned his proposal saying accompanyingintherequestand her garden.: sought royal that thesheShe,chariot thepermissionshould however, queen to thepay to garden. didhomageof persuade thenot king, giveThe to herthe anykingwho Teacherto reply, instructedpaygranted her but while respects itproceeded withthe visiting men the to :badwasthat crushedgoal whatsick by allof werefollowing her pleasuresphysicaldesiresfleeting the for existence.instructionsbody, to worldly him a storehousepierced matters. of the her EnlightenedSheof like diseases had a sharp reached having One, dart. the and only not She had acquired perfection in knowledge and She the'toamusingherBuddha, the inmen palace.some but.escortedherself way inrwithout case in orher ,the .other.they to seeing garden ;Buddha,. failed to Buddha'sthe for to Teacher..; thewhodo so;whole inpresence. theythe Much .day, meantime were Theagainstwanted directed queen, .magically! herto to return, wish;;after, take iresencei:OuldShrivasti, have of King Bhikshuni. Prasenajit Kshema, wasworshipping looking as oneOn vastlythefor one starsa teacher occasion,learned and 'kindlingwith and when whomproficient sacrificial she: he was firesstaying in. the in forest.a hermitage near some philosophical discussions. He was apprised of the woman,a palmcreated leaf:.felt a womanthat The she queen. 'wasof ,exquisite not was worthy taken heauty ,of aback:being .and even.madeat the her herbeauty maidservants fan him, with . off.this. the exposition \of abstruseu. doctrines,The king approachedin the hermitage her respectfully of Torana- and put the question down.charms.andaged regretted on one, of the the then .groundher woman, yanity..into with anoldwhen She. the the.woman stoodfan Teacher in there:; herand hand., changedultimately amazed her observing; Made, into a middlt,her the fall: f On account,;of her, She:explained to the kingether that the theema. perfect asTatlagata absurd. said Tathagata that asafter aattempting question death, existed could liketo after count this not death shouldthe dropsor not. be of leftBhikshuni water aside, in sincean ocean. it over;accumulated the .fact merits that . every.in previous body mustlives, passQueen:Kshemahegan through these; stages,. to ponder,, when . constituents' which ,composed a beinglocated ; by material ingredients (rapa) or feeling_ (vedana) or hence the question of his spiderattachmentshe heard: (caught) thefall in Teacher into the netthe .uttering createdstream bythe(of itself. yes-se : "Those who are giyen,to ., repeated ,existences),., like,, the, One who has no attach-. lit4sfiedlid' been 'thetreated king, by whO the Teacher,was highly as impressedindeterminable.Lion after by death her This 'erudition.'could- exposition not arise. ) She added that such questions net)"(Dhammapada,ment gets' rid of his sufferings '347); 'and goei out' byOn tearing listening asunder. to this (the, utterance; the: queen obtained: a rhathood ' I! V_ iten grown up, she t::11 in love withPatachara: .an employeethis love of heraffair father secret. and She was born in the family of a banker. Her father, however; selected a young Shravasti. toa(perfection) householder,. the palace, then theshe and king.decided there, inquired to but take as 'ordinationif one she 'cannot had atseen once.-remain.. the :On*Teacher. an her: arhai:as return In. ,Prierfa3C lover, o, avertan of this equal unwelcome family status situation, and proposedthe girl one her night marriage eloped with with him. went to a village near by and lived there. At the time of thennegligiblereply asked she said;for .it hiswas: that permission thewhat real the Teacher to king become had a seen bhikshuni, of the whichTeacher the was:king . that. she had visualized. .She, Atben she was going to have her ,secondbirth child, of shetheir determined, first child, to shegobut. wanted- she was to returndissuaded to her by father'sher husband. After some time, palanquin.gave with his whole .heart and sent. her to .the nunnery in a golden In course .:.of.. time she became 11 258 very learned., in ..the siSis-ever, she to her father, overriding, the will of her husband. On the way, gave birth to, the child, and her husband hurried to 259 112 sheltertheyoung near-by for man the jungle was mother bitten for collectingand by achild. snake some when straw he was and collecting reed the s To the misfortune of all, to make therefrom'again and how observed life was its transitory.coursewhich tillBuddha its disappearance. explained that all beings were subject to death, GREAT WOMEN IN BLIDDHISW She then listened to a discourse She realized inand despair died then went and in searchthere. Theof him girl and. waited found and him waited dead. and She at and therefore it shouldnstituents be the did aim not.- of combine every being to form to see another that the perishable five body for ford,twoGrief-strickendumbfounded children, and she .was oneas at she intheat herawas, sightloss arms she how and startedand to returned thedo for itother with her holding Onfather'sher hertwo way, herplacechildren. fingers.' there with was an overflowing stream which she had to her crying childr -maintainperfection,A man his ploughs thewife arhathood. and his sonsfield, ; sowswhy then seed should therein she and not thus attain earnsShe nirvana wealth meditated to over these words of Buddha and soon attained She expressed her joy in these words: plannedtoplacedolder fetch child tothe theford babyon other .thethe on stream bank, child.a stone, she with covered crossed one child itthe with stream at 'grass with and the was baby. retu When she was in .mid-stream a ha a time. Leaving S by observingthoughts by the. meditatinguddha? moral1p preceptsof on ea thenightneedle course and she smothered following tookof water a lamp, thepoured the burning seatedteachings on the herself wick ground. of within on the thebed oil. and with the She declared that she had obtained control over her By Thussotheswooped he sheoldergot downlost, childon herthe into thought husbandbaby. the stream To that and drive he and both was it was away the being carried children,. she called .waved away andby by hisher on the motherhands,reach; curt dserving was. praised thisters. her by.,Her mind BuddhaPatachara name became Patachara as became thecompletely foremost --patu proficient emancipated. (proficient)of the in femalethe disciplinary in vinaya-achara (duties) -rules (vinaya) aontheher discourse- the previousdestination same topyre.night:by-the .an she ..Atassembly. learnt this crashing thatshe lost,hcr of parentsher the-house :nerves andOne andbrother.alsoand day becamewere she being wasinsane. had b noticed by Buddha when he was aelive She was brought to her senses .by gher powers and destroyed.very,trainedattained likely theit thirty perfection.given ignorance. nuns for and, her strictguided adherence them in theto the may vinaya in which rules. she It is said that all the thirty nuns obtained himproperly.:Teacher. her. endless by covered .the-i J,sufferings.:-: exercise. her.: body, of He,'approachedhis ..extraordinary, Buddha: powers.- and., related; She th , consoled her saying.,'; that jagn. a in the family of a very rich Kuridalakesha: BhaCkla or' Subhadda, banker. an On the day of her was born at Makehadexistences shed four tears teas. also, on :He- and the -thatthen death if told 'those' of hether tears thatdear couldno ones son: be. in or collected,countless daughter they. previ or o wo ency forarticleska: stealing, From he. a hiscould andson very whenwas lay childhood his bornquite. hands toyoung, the on. Sattuka priest heHe used Could ,ofdeveloped tothe notsteal realm. be what- correcteda strongHe was named thesetheRealizingrelationrelative path words, would chalked this'could became hard .. come renderout fact, aby tosrota-apanna one anythe should Buddha.help to try' (placed a: Patachara, toperson become in the after afterwisestream death bylistening leading 'folio ; no bl o ne's. aid in mitigating one's i sufferin to, theward?.; upperwn hiswith storeys up, parents the they helpof inturnedhouses ofspite a hook himandof their stoleandout besta .ofas rope muchtheirefforts. he house.stealthilyproperty From asclimbed he that day At last, when he was dulynirvana)` ordained and expressed and 'Made her a bhikshuni.-desire to join-theOne order day, of nuns. after She.washing her feet,. she 'observed that the wa :-' " .") *shment.town.town The The guard matter town to guard drewarrestmanage. alertedthe him attention :He at his anymade subordinates of cost suchthe underking, attempts and who the was orderedonthreat able almost of every house in flowed to a certain extent and then disappeared. She poured wa 113 260 'f EST Copy AVALLAB arrest Sattuka along with the stolen articles. The thief was placed 261 114 appointeduciure cliff-, the king, wto-. sentenced him to death _4_ GREAT WOMEN IN BUDDHISM marriedSattuka,cliff, and when Strangely he prevailed was enough,seen SubhaddaHe was severely upon herby the banker's beaten. and at first daughter Subhadda. sight . fell in was being by a fall from taken love to nu `ordinationrigoroushome asceticism. in . After this incident;; she made up her mind to becomeShe Subhaddajoined did the order of not think it Nirgranthasa recluse and by proper to return practise clothedin histown .guarcli, Sattuka was place to:most to him. .She who released satisfy: the brought to* the being his king.'Sattuka . only daughter,parentsbanker's tosecretly save =house his and killed the father life andanother bribed getper h studied'wasOf a given there the palm leaf, but hairs different proper form.various,', Her subjects, hairsplaceSappellation where of renowned again came out in Kunclala-keshapirtiCularly dialectics. were removed curly heaps, for which (curly-haired). She by the petiole She then taking she days,ornamentswith whenadorned. due and herself.. with.hononr;1! luxuriously..began He to devise:a Sattuka; all hee.precirius 'however, was .taken :tri plan to steal set.ornaments his thoughts,Subhadda,them. who and andreceived was fedupon' :. 1, 'froth' them'a'her. 'beCarrie2a.frinibe : 'Wherever branCVand announce'great disputant and the art she went,' she of'.disputation. along with found wouldto the 'make people none who could teachers lived, 'a sand other sciences. heap, join,fix on issue it with and learnt She herconfidence that he of Subhadda hadSattuka something-very was seated near secret -.to' him,comfortably,i disclose to her. SattukaAfter a f to :traMple'inpoin-One- who the dared to enter into jambu branch. disputation with her For seven 'residing near that was invited any to thehis lifewastakenagreed death-cliff, and a vow at theto: carry out his saved, he would this.time of his pleased Subhaddaworship hewishes. wanted make death Sattuka thenofferings to the sentence that if very much, and told her presiding deity by. any that he she rea meam -'Withwaswas atid'ilien;noticed residing'at if the jambu branch 'theand branch. none came- In this time. As usual, waited there forWar&way she' she Would reached Shravastin for she disputation. Theput sandup the sand depart fromdays the she would , where Buddha heap with placewait, ofproceeded theofferings. Subhaddahill in andShemade all a vehicle aSkedSUbhadda*.alonetoput on 'her:best the:to the cliff. necessary ornaments,Sattuka left and preparations fox' to offer in her the men at theboth f of making company th 'Whenshethe Subhadda collected ed-object to debate of it from the herby Buddha'sfriends and chief learnt thatwith she boys standing 'near admirers and disciple Sariputta,had been with a challenged by by, trampled large following who, on Sariputta, uponlearning it. heappro- intention.cloth,ascending'itiehill; andthereupon Sattuka ''foinid make asked' hill, he madeiblitidle.'''Wheri out' his-real Subhadda some to.intention: put 'her 'sheunkind remarks scarryihe'efferings.,ornamentsWhen' on the' to Subhadda;",on 'a piece''' "top of i=nmeals:";question's'did;'ind 'were exhanited,' all'of Saiiputia- give- liet. the failed' to theM were Sariputta, answeredwhri Sar- ipUtta option to Put by him very put to her .only was then questions, whichquickly. she When her taking rest after one question, wasbelonged one with to hini'but At' this: Subhadda her person 'also, and said that PrriteSted, he not only the discloSed his 'Orriame Jsiiitable*disconrse, She - WaS' .1 which taken''answer.' to She' Buddha, who then acknowledged him _delivered to her as her a embraceAfterfrontoff him theand embracingornaments; him she then 'from him and' hadthe bick.''from".said she the' no interest would 'once ThiS front, apart from him. was agreed She furtherembrace' him to by Sattuk&'Beforesaid that six from th to 'words'Perfection.one 'She piece with Of cloth , She then expressed her her hair and pluckedopened out her used deep gratitude eyes, and she shortly to wander about to Buddha in wearingattained these thereversesand sent hiniare alsosaying women that 'Men' from theto his c. deStiny.are not back, when necessarily wise inThe she gods pushed him thereuponSubhadda uttered all down theproceeded sonic dif lenfknees.-met-Buddha`what was right and Buddha.gave heron theGridhrakuta practised what was covering her Mount, and there ordination with body with dust. wrong.. In the afternoon saluted him She discarded with she who are wise and 262 intelligent. circumstances"! r- .:Kashrand Kosalaady."' For fifty years sheliving roamed on alms.'about Shein 263 would not Afiga, Magadha, 116 considertwo words, herself "Come, Vajji, in assureddebt to theto them givers who of hadalms, been since charitable to her. she. knew that great merit was information that Ambapali had a nymphlike appearance, and became uttzeil Ai' L111,14_4 political relation between whenthe Shakyan Mahanama noble Mahanama, Ambayiti (Amrapali) was amusing hiMself along with the : She was found in the a rich citizen ,of . One day mango garden of members of theveryenteringKing Lichchhavis curious Bimbisara into about his and enemy's was her.the MagadhanwarnedAt territory.that timethat king hethe wasshould much not strained, take the and risk so of He, however, did not listen to luxuryandbyhis his handed asfariiily gardener.. her herin hit Mahanama, pleisuie garden, own daughter. When the babyover to hit wife, who reared her amid. who was,childlets, a newly-born babe was found there grew up, she becamewelcomed the baby pomp and .of-of Ambapali,theAmbapali allany presence : the counsel houses,without' in Vaishali.of and an abut enemyproceeded :they in were: their' unableterritory to and search started the ahouse notice of seven days.::;It is said King: that Bimbisara the Lichchhavis could came to knowwith his general. Gopa .to the house of search of incurringbridegroonipeople.:exquisitely Mahanama the for displeasurebeautiful, his wasidopted and ofplaced her those whom he would refusedaughter,hand was covetedfor he knew by thei tonsn a, dilemma in selecting he would be; then, again, a suitable of rich :any:conceivedtherefore helpring for tied during the stayin child.a that thinsafely time.piece in The ofher cloth kinghouse as thereupon a for royal six token days,gave in and case After nine months Ambapali gave birth to her a finger -she neededAmbapali atbefore theclan.hethe was Lichchhavisi:and, girl, it.He bound tfiereforeso Mahanama by custom place brought': the :The. members expressed decided to call ameeting of to marry his daughter to proposal of his daughter's marriage her to theirtile .Assembly.;: desire. The a young man of,the the Assemblyto have ofa look :course'.derideda son.sentof a of maidservant.to. bytimeThe King his childhe Bimbisara,playmates became grew up asawho Buddhist being an illegitimatemonk child His position became intolerable, and so he was recognizedinto a sturdy him boy, as onebut ofhe his was sons. often In known as Vimala and the son unanimouslymembers were that struck she should.with be , ; amazement at her beautY and enjoyed. by all (gatta-bhogya). decided This' '.7Kondalifia;: : ""::Ambapali plied her trade and amassed huge wealth. :She became howeYer,daughter.decision could was becoming a .not be. disobeyed, great shock to the father, who could a courtesan. : The decision. of the Assembly not think of his iiihen:a: he lay reached ,devotee Kotigama, of Buddha near Vaishali in his last and hurried to pay. her respects to him journey. She themuchdaughter Assembly.,,, against came his to These will. his. She asked rescuewere and as :agreedfollows :to abide by the for five conditionsand so he felt nonplussed. ..The (i) she should, be :provided to be fulfillecl.by ,:tLichchliavis,,-.meal.andlistened The invitedwho acceptance to came thehim discourse inalong ofa bodyher with invitation delivered:to his invite disciples byhim. by totheOn her Teacher house for, her Buddha disappointed the for the forenoon the following benefit, . seventhwouldwithwould ;a be house daybe entitled 500 in incase; karshapanas the to ofbest a:general enter. into, her premises. at. a time locality; (iv) her of thehoute city could ; be inspected search for, an .enemy (ii), only one persori:t or; a, culprit';',' her. fee:::on the, ''satisfaction, andbiiildings at the endto the of bhikshuit offered sangha. her mango Ambapali served food to ,Buddha and. his party to This gift was also accepted by garden with its her entire . outand of (v)her there house. should The Assemblybe acceptedAmbapali then selected no watch over persons, coming in or going house in the best locality. ..She had all the conditions. 4.;' Not long after her,thevTeacher. .'byordination -her son she Vimala, and made up her mind to becomeSome a timebhileshuni. after this, one day she listened to a discourse obtained insight into the truth. delivered thekings,- portraits,walls ministers, of sheher became housenobles, paintedenamoured .rich bankers by and of the portraitan artistof King with, Bimbisara., the portraits traders. . While scanning .--.0bserving'at the'the changes advanced that age, came she upon her once realized the impermanence of worldly beautiful physique and became very anxious, to meet him. King 1 1 7 264. Bimbisara,also.got the 'existencein and attained arhathood.ESTverses. She COPY gave AVAliff.A expression to 265 118 her mind upof Ujjayinr.with great care... When she She wasIsidasi the only was childborn in - - Ur the family of of her father and a pious rich banker was brought GREAT WOMEN IN 3. LAY DEVOTEES 14r1bHISM herson marriage of a very respectable banker marry valuable presents from came of age, she was marriedof Saketa, and her husband's family. got at the time of to the As famine'shresizthin) broke of out the in town the countryBhaddiya. ; so her fatherSamavati with : great difficulty She was born as the daughter of a banker (seghi or Some time after her birth a , in-law 'sistersevery.ofdrinksinstructed, .the morningof therefamiVr; her husband:: wereby and accordingher in the parents, she saluted her 'father house;She would and :distributetake to their needs..,evening. Sher-would She was -all attention care of whatever .food and -them to the :members -in -law and mother- attend her to the tookfriendpoorGhoshakaGhoShaka her and in'and needy.the Setthi. Setthiher miserable mother The'oPened Setthi. to condition Kaushambi,a hOuse of Bhaddiya heof charitywas where in, forandlived giving sent his hisold food daughter friend to the They found shelter in a cottage. felt. ashamed to go to his At that time withwashisbuthusband displeasure to himiry live spite and punctiliously with- ofpleaded all her her under the so much that he threatened efforts; cook she :for:hi could for the poor wife, whom same, .roof.m and serve him in not please him. She incurred to leave the house if heHis parents reasoned every way; ,SamavatiHerclamouringbeingthe demeanour charity born to bring infor house. a drewfoodtheirrespectable On andthefood the kindlystood fromfirst family, onattention daythe one shecharityavoided side tookof thequietly house. foodthe officer rush for and three inof bashfully. charge the persons, poor Samavati, of ondispleasure:ofmind.working her Theypart. and Atinquired their last she had very ;good iri nature, but they son, but she also pleaded ignoranceof Isidasi if she knew to leave her husband's home failedthe reasons to change for hissuch they found hard. of any fault and return thatdayonfor the she,She food second hadasked for now oneforday realized only personshe one. the and The capacity not Superintendent for oftwo or three.. derided At her asked for two persons, while on the third her stomach and was asking this suspicion saying husband.thetosecond her members own This time parents oftime, with his family atanother Ujjayini. Her also she rendered service. to the bestyoung of her man ability. not .so But rich she father got her married to her husband and as her former for the could .fatherdivulgedofthereupon .the and Superintendent on the the adopted particulars following her she asof day hisherdisclosed daughter.ofparents her tomother. to him the theSuperintendent, On sad death of herinquiry she who andpersuadedtonot beggingher satisfy parents. a youngbowl, them, andrecluse and at last had At such repthed misfortune .fi of good nature to leave that:house. also and of his daughter, her father to give up his yellow dress return forbythe bringing adistribution fence, order within of into, food. which the chaotic the food conditions was toOne be created kept.day she at thesuggested time of to the Superintendent the ways and means She said that an area should be enclosed There should herasfeltlived a todisgustedrecluse. as lead husband with and the wife a religious life at home.Her At fatherthis time became marry hisworldly daughter. life andAfter .wanted this marriagefor barely fifteen days when greatly disappointed and to revert to. his. life her. husband 'advised they .seekersandbeby two: noiseless. the of passages,food.Superintendent, .one for and incoming the distribution and the of otherfood becamefor outgoing orderly This drew the attentionThis suggestion of Ghoshaka of Samavati Setthi, was who readily accepted Bhikshunr Jinadatta, who . paid a visit to her house, she came acrossand prayed to broughtthereupon to hiscame house to knowand gave the herparticulars a daughter's of Samavati. place with He due honour had her knowafterprotesther ordination forher admissionshe retired, she into and . past existences, in which she had committed attained the highest knowledgethe orderwas ordained of by Jinadatta nuns. In spite of her parents' as a nun. and came to Soon going%.1and suitable to a river attendants. for bath, and was charmedOne by day her King extraordinary Udayana of Kaushambi met her while she was adultery. 119 It was for this that she 266 suffered so much in this the sin of life. hisbeauty. offer. He At asked this the for king her handgot angry, in marriage, and turned but himGhoshaka out of hisdeclined 267 120 house girlsproposal, whothisand plight provided sealed of his foster-father,it with his he allowed royal"t" seal. her toshe take advised When SAmavatr%Jr 41VVIA withhim her tothe agree to the king's came to know towardsattitude himof the in king,such and GREAT WOMENa way IN BUDDHISM that he could not even release the bow exercised their maitri (goodwill) feeling get herbeautifuland married made Some time girl calledSamavatiused to his afterto Buddha, this, attend Chillamagandiya, 'queen. on her. KingThe Udayana whose king accepted Married parents once another equally thefive proposal hundred tried to Samavatiaskingintercession,comfitureand arrows forthen of her from hissecured he pardon, and gothis didhands.therid which, of the not know what to do. Then at Samavati's He became dumbfoundedof course,bow and was arrows, readily andvouchsafed. knelt down at this dis- KaushAmbicompassionatesharp rebuff. In the and was receivedcourse of his AtTeacher.' this' refusal she peregrinationswho turned bore a bitter down' the proposalBuddha grudge against once came with' the to perfectionkinginviteBuddha complied a monkand in the his to practicewithdisciples. the palace by of requesting Anandapermission todaily doShe to also ofdeliver the wished king discourses, tothat offer the and giftsking this should the so. For her to theplace,with insultwho wanted his offered disciples.flung his gardento avail herselfupon her by Buddha "Thillamagandiya," called Ghoshitarama of thiswith great honour bybyopportimity spurning'who was then 'for his to take Ghoshakaresidencea queen along of the revenge for Setthi, themselvesBuddha as thein the foremost exercise of of Khuijuttara: Khujjuttara was chief of the vastly the female lay devoteesgoodwill goodwill,who to perfected others. she was complimented by learned female thehis fame sojournTeacher,in marriage. but Ati attendant of Buddha at Kausharnbtthe She engaged of- Queen in the house remained untouched and deliveredtwo wicked ruffiansSamavatr, called Khujjuttara,his discOurses by such abuses, to hurl abuses to accept her regularly. continuedheard of on the hand K. hunchbacked attendantsKtibiaatthelay her devoteeshouse very'Uttard of birth, ofQueen the(upasikas). the shehunchbacked bankerSamavati, She Ghoshaka of Kaushambi.was born as As the she daughter of a nursewho in used to giveUttara. her was named Khujjuttara from She 'became one of the a little sum was whichSArnavatrs toshemade the used discourses to purchase insistence, a strong impression of Buddha garlandsshe reproduced for and remembered on her mind'the queenof the garland-makerin her presence thoseeverythem day. well. She One day,from whomdiscourses, listened on disciplesKaushambitoevery him day bypaid andforGhoshaka purchasingstopped Setthi. garlands. The blessed a visit to the house of the chief garland-maker. At 'at the Ghoshitarama built for and dedicated One day the Teacher along with his Buddha once reached througha chanceUdayanaain look Buddha,the to atlad the seehis 'dharmaBuddha, whenno faithTeacher; in Buddha. but and safigha. this she he would The was unableShe became queen betherefore passing and roused to do, since Kinganxious by the palace, waited for her faith to have whichhertherethethat to weregarlands helptimeshe gladly none 'himKhujjuttara would in agreed. sending be to spare for her 'queen. The garland-maker askedgivenwent to there the Teacher for garlands and his and disciples, was told that all food to the Teacher and his disciples, and so to regardbywindow the ofother Samavati holes windowsqueen ofto catch Chillamagandiya, for Buddha a glimpse of the her apartments.as anShe expedient who wantedTeacher. used to wait This to exploit this was noticed at the siota-apatti.everythe Teacher word after of it taking but alsb hiss food, She became truth-conscious On listeningattained' to the the discourse first stage delivered of sanctification, she not only committed to memory by . muchtoking many disreputethat by the heother in informationthe eyes of artifices and the king.of Samavad's at last was able. Failing regard for to rouse the to enrage the for bringing Buddha, she anger of the her into took so -s:r garlandsof the little fin. themoney garlands.queen,others' given who money." As noticed Henceforward a consequence of this, she took to her by Queen Samavati for purchasing she gave up the habit of stealing half and would not toucha double quantity of and her attendants. 12 1 took up a-bow They, however, and poisoned 268 remained arrows to shoot unperturbed Samavati kingat this 'of her hadthe* been stealing half the reason for it. amount Shegiven then to her,disclosed ant 269 this sudden change and inquired to' the queen that she the teachings GREAT WrEN OF INDIA to I VI: 1.1 !lV ull 1-11_.% 1 JAV ! ofteaching,of Buddha the greatness hadthe queenbrought of pardoned Buddha and realizing the about the change in her Khujjuttard, relieved her of her excellencehabits. of his Learning duties observingstruckfriends by ran her hither featuresbeauty and thitherandfrom a looking distance, for it a begancovered to place. rain, Vishakha,and her . demeanour. When the men were agreedKhujjuttarddiscoursesas a maidservant to comply of could Buddha withremember and and entrusted her with the her wishes. repeating them to her for whatever she heard once, At the time of repeating duty of listening to the high seatenlightenment. like a and so she the Ekeofrousedwalkedhowever, her ; so slow the slowly they withoutcuriosity gait entered towards and minding ofat into the a shelter.;watchers,asame conversationher timeclothes Her who to quiet find that wantedwith outandwere her. what tosteady beingTheyknow her movement asked drenched,thevoice reason whywas discoursessamedayteacher,which she to would thehasandit was queen: comethe goarranged queen downto was to us to as The Buddha,discourses listen so delivered to his discourses and repeat that she would occupy a the Palisit on text a lowItivuttaka.' seat as a became a collection,: listener. In due course: Every: the',' slowlygettingsheso was she, because wet..not did walking notShe she mind replied did fast not herlike that likeclothes her sheto companions, take had.being the ample riskdrenched though ofclothes injuring her; and in clothes any hershe ofhouse walked were her Teachershe became as the vastly foremost of ...She::was born .as a learned, and so she was the vastly learned female the fabulously. rich daughter of Sumanacleyi complimented by the banker of the city: lay devotees. and' 'wasAmuch like impressed42e,asbibs, a signwas inasmuch 'ofgoing by selection her to as talk,be a grown-up asmarried and a bride. threw soon unmarried the ; so.garland she girlwas over withscreened her a brokenhead off by limb her a broken water-pot, to be thrown away. The men were very She felt shy, since she knew that ofDhanatijaya, BimbisarasoBhaddiya.was was one ofinthereson the, of were Menclaka, five practically his whole them...; King Bimbisara was province of Afiga.,,;Mendaka was very bankers; of untold wealth,. family.;.; In: the dominion . of requested by King and Mendakal, pious,:Prasenajit) and: r themealthDhanafijayafriends and of attendants. and.proposed the bridegroom's to him.the fathernavaddhana, marriagedid.not bear theof his, sonany daughter ofcomparison Migara. with Dhanarijaya said that though The men followed her, met her father comeof Prasenajitsuggested.Kosala over to,persuade.one and selected to Mendakam. Saketa, a settle down in Kosala: send' hisof son, the Dhanalijaya five rich toplace about seven yojanas .To oblige his royal bankers of his kingdonitV cabouiKosala. fifty-0x friend he communicated.to.Migara,irould ;be he,When was very the news:happy his,of that Dhanaiijay.a's he, his would-accept daughter-in-law .acceptance, the proposal, of the sinceproposal they was were of the same miles) distant . Mendaka was !a, from:Shravasti, as suitable great.devotee,of Buddha, in.the courses of ,his fprhis residence. and so when the latter,' peregrinations, hey: rformingajit, the of the,ceremony.- proposal, The and king sought expressed his 'permission his willingness to go to to, Saketa : from a. .very rich, family. He informed King once:reachedcompanions.Vishakhawas warmly Bhaddiyanagarato pay, Yishakha, her respects to received.byMendaka, who also felt: very happy to do ,this and the Teacher with then went on foot to meet asked his grand-daughter. her five,hundred proceeded,in... the friends, :so much_receive so. that thehis .kingguests, and were his allretinueMigara taken as andaback.the also occasion,his Migara;. Thepeople....Dhanafijaya king byhis his relatives presence and .made and proceeded. lavish preparations to along Teacher.a :vehiclea srota-apanna,grown asShe up .sonlistened called .to At. Shravasti_ there fat:as it was proper.and the first stage .of Tunnavaddhana, ..He wasJived a banker calledhis discourse and sanctification in Buddhist became then and there,, ,Migara, who hadlooking for a: bride: doctrines.;.;, &tight. that it would,such been difficult a helavish would for manner be,Dhanafijaya prepared for a long ,to. to acttime,sendplace. as .andtheir his sodaughter host he inquired to her of father-in- him Dhananjaya replied that as the. rainy, season had coursefor his ofson and their search for .such a deputed his men to123 270 girl they met Vishakhafind out a suitable girl. and.were In the' iota4ready months set in,and he receive would the entreat his guests to remain there for same hospitality. Three months passed271 124 available in insufficient, 411U. went--:oir' taking .,.Lie,,ara did instructionsthe bride.months On, the at last aboutdaythe horse elapsed, previous for theand the to her purpose of day arriveddeparture, to burnmaking for the thefire. departure ofcoarse cloth The four r =daughter-in-law,samegot time enraged,father-in-lawrequested the monk becausewas then and asked he hadto moveeating her to been"stale" food. to the served next house,is food. with On hearing "stale" At this saying food bythis Vishakhathat hernot careMigara his relativesthe house:andhelping husband to watchpoor relatiVes, Along with and giving the actions avoiding thesetaking alms' instructions gossip, particularto the beingrecluses who Dhanafijayacare of her careful her father might comeabout parents-in-law gave herlending,- to anynot mistake,but be thatturned she was the was not to leavedaughterout of the a water-carrying his house. house in good parentsthat who Vishakharemovemaid the brought protestedwere alive, food at from stronglyonce and a riverso she could sayingbank,at the giVingsum.should She be Vishakha a befitting any waslapses also was adorned farewell -given in het countlesswith conduct. of his creeper-like daughterother articles, ornaments worthand correct heras dowry.if deputed a huge thereeight :correctingin-lawexplainedrelatives was enjoying of thethat by her there omissions'"stale" calling the were the food and food servedeight by commissions. "stale" she relativesmanner. Even Vishakha." sent by Migaraher Onif inquiryshe informed committed'father for sheher carriage;in-law'Sbridegroom's' Vishakha honk.so that family,'preferred Dhanaiijaya to enter 'into party to- the 1ent her the city king and :.) daughterof Shravasti his retinue' to her ;:- and the father- 'After thisservantsand fact, he carrying One night was not Vishakhaaccumulatinglamps his food to help the went out of freshas a result merits by her of his apartment with giving meant thatpast meritorious alms to monks.her maid-father- acts, bybygrandeur herher. The of distributing fatherVistiakha people ofthe.hride;.'as among the people- Shravasti eridearedlerself4also''at the of the were amazed City might large' to the people amount 'of haveat a the 'dowry'good given lookbeauty and in: an open at expressed-complaintsgroundlessnessat night at herher before the father-in-lawof his sweet will. apprehensions.eight relatives,charged He placed herdelivery withwho ofthen this along the guiltconvinceda mare.- with of going someUnawarehim other of of theout sent granthaforthe faith; bridegroom'sIn order Vishakha to celebrateWhich' to payfather, their' was professed' them:the 'theinvited' the occasion_ of presents given by him; monks his son's to his house.belonging to her by marriage, to theherof ShravastiNip father:. He then Migara, houseto admissionobtain and misapprehensions. his ofregret mistakesoffer for them permission them. by her Vishakhato invite He alsofather-in-law, Buddhawas veryrequested He realized and tookand his muchVishakha histhis pleased mistakesopportunitynot to mind at the and law;and whonaked.Vishakha She reprimanded had faith 'came turned back quickly;their hostin Gautama in disgust.but became for bringingher Atrespects. this In disappointed an -inauspiciousthe monks response to see the became daughter-in- to his call,' monksangry -devoteesuchVishakhawas granted, an admirer of Buddha looked after though and grudgingly.himfood with gave up his whenever great care,But Migara formershe wished. for whichfaith. gradually ThedisciplesIn his permissionbecame illness, to the a to not'excusetheir outbe advice, of the so easily' her,' since' house. and said asked Migarashe that she was toyet leave the regretted his came of Buddha, house.' a very richinabilityand advised He to"act accordingsupplicatedfamily and him to turn her themcould to 'godelivered without and Vishakhaso Vishakha his any discourses. was a frequent came toof beher When that he known visitorvisiting looked as Migara-metta.to the these places upon her places where as his he became Buddhamother, 272very young and not so wise. .-she;ornaments sold to 18 them Buddha, but out andornaments collected nine as gold couldon her body. croresnot of be accepted One day she offered she preferredby the monks,all her to 125 EST COPY AVAIIIIABLIE 273 karshatai.zas. 126 With U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and improvement (OERI) Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) E IC

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