Role Of Women In Classical India
The status and role of women in classical Indian society. Ancient India was less than a sanctuary for women. Women were generally considered inferior to men. Ancient India was a patriarchal system where women were relegated to a subservient to men role in the society. This made them vulnerable to abuses by their spouses in their youth and under the control of their sons in their old age. Freedom, a right that we have grown accustomed to taking for granted, was a concept alien to those women. The Indian scriptures, of which The Ramayan & Shakuntala forms a key component, gave certain freedoms to the women of that era that were eventually curtailed by the patriarchal attitude of the society. Men who occupied all positions of power,
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Women had very little to almost no power in the areas of politics and to the public. The female’s main duty was to look after their families also being faithful wives to their husbands, by following their orders and being loyal. Families followed a male dominated hierarchy. They depended solely only on the husband to make decisions in the household. Male oriented societal values gave women no rights to express their rights and interests. For example, in the Book of Ramayan, Sita played the main role. Sita had been kidnapped which caused her husband to doubt her loyalty and love for him. After a lifetime of dedication and commitment towards her husband Sita was publicly disgraced by being forced to walk across a path of fire to test her love for him, she was later banished. In the Ramayan, women are portrayed to be inferior to all men. For example, Sita was admired based on her looks and can be used for entertainment, but she cannot be respected, only objectified for amusement. Sita is too innocent to avoid Ravana. She invites him into her home, which leads no help to prevent her from getting kidnapped. The punishment of Ahalya illustrates this passive immobility when she is turned to shapeless granite, then forced to ponder the arrival of Rama's passing by and kicking dust upon her. When time comes, and the situation is faced upon good and evil, almost all females in Ramayana depend upon a men to give them everything they desire. Looking at the sex appropriate ideals that were extremely noticeable throughout Ramayana are a reflection of the values that shape ancient indian society today. In other words , the value of a female is dependant of their beauty and the level of pleasure she can provide for her husband,whom then rates her of value or nothing. The constant battle for woman's rights in India is often focused on crimes such
Women had very little to almost no power in the areas of politics and to the public. The female’s main duty was to look after their families also being faithful wives to their husbands, by following their orders and being loyal. Families followed a male dominated hierarchy. They depended solely only on the husband to make decisions in the household. Male oriented societal values gave women no rights to express their rights and interests. For example, in the Book of Ramayan, Sita played the main role. Sita had been kidnapped which caused her husband to doubt her loyalty and love for him. After a lifetime of dedication and commitment towards her husband Sita was publicly disgraced by being forced to walk across a path of fire to test her love for him, she was later banished. In the Ramayan, women are portrayed to be inferior to all men. For example, Sita was admired based on her looks and can be used for entertainment, but she cannot be respected, only objectified for amusement. Sita is too innocent to avoid Ravana. She invites him into her home, which leads no help to prevent her from getting kidnapped. The punishment of Ahalya illustrates this passive immobility when she is turned to shapeless granite, then forced to ponder the arrival of Rama's passing by and kicking dust upon her. When time comes, and the situation is faced upon good and evil, almost all females in Ramayana depend upon a men to give them everything they desire. Looking at the sex appropriate ideals that were extremely noticeable throughout Ramayana are a reflection of the values that shape ancient indian society today. In other words , the value of a female is dependant of their beauty and the level of pleasure she can provide for her husband,whom then rates her of value or nothing. The constant battle for woman's rights in India is often focused on crimes such