Socio-Economic Structure of Widowhood in India: Past and Present

This paper is a historiographical review of selected significant scholarship on widowhood in India. Most important conclusion that the difference experiences India premised upon fact high-caste customs and cultural codes has created disadvantageous gender equation for women. Nineteenth century legal-reformist debates around sati, widow remarriage age consent were templates which deep anxieties over Hindu female body expressed. Widow was way bringing this back into arena reproduction motherhood. While actual practice sati (widow self - immolation) declared unlawful, upholding widow’s imagined renunciatory powers also being rewritten throughout anti-colonial movement. A strong notion possible ‘living’ created. The attributes self-discipline perfect control one’s sexual desires impulses became highest preferable form womanhood (irrespective caste class women). Besides nation building, patriarchal perceptions ‘self-controlled’ facilitated ease with modernity could be fused ideas honour self-abnegation amongst These coexisted Indian reformist demand enhanced property rights women (widows particular) women’s growing role movement as well post-1947 society economy.