Question

Explain the events that led to the ban on Sati and the legalisation of widow marriage?

Answer 1

Instructions:

1. The answer should have at least 4-6 points.
2. We will begin by talking about the evidence provided by Rajarammohun Roy to support his claim about Sati.
3. Next, we will look into how widow remarriage was made possible by Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar.

Solution:

The ban on sati and the legalisation of widow remarriage was attained due to the efforts of two prominent reformers in pre-independent India:

Rajarammohun Roy: He was an influential Indian reformer who was concerned about the domestic burden of women, confinement to their homes, and their lack of education. Through his writings, he tried to show that the practice of sati had no sanction in ancient texts. His campaign against the practice of sati was supported by the British and it was finally banned in 1829.

Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar: Similar to the method used by Raja Rammohun Roy, another famous social reformer, Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar took the reference of ancient texts and suggested that widow remarriage is provisioned in them. British officials supported his views, and a law was passed in 1856 which permitted widow remarriage.