ABSTRACT
First, what is tlle historical background? TIle earliest reference to tlle practice in a Sanskrit text may be found in the Mahiibhiirata (which evolved between 400 BCE and 200 CE, reaching its present form around 400 CE). An account is also given in the first century BCE by the Greek author Diodorus Siculus writing his history of the Punjab in the fourth century BCE. 'Sati stones' (memorials to women who died in this way) may be found all over India, dating from as early as 510 CEo In tlle Muslim period, tlle Rajputs practised a form of sati termed jauhar;4 tllat is, it was customary for a wife to bum herself before her husband's expected deatll in battle (as, for example, at Chitorgarh in Rajastllan). In tlle medieval period in general, tlle hardships experienced by Hindu widows (such as severe restrictions on diet and dress, and tlle stigma of inauspiciousness) probably encouraged tlle spread of sati. The increase in tlle practice of sati anlOng tlle brallmans of Bengal (especially during tlle period 1680-1830) was partly due to the fact tllat tlle system of law prevailing there gave inheritance rights to widows.5 While some widows enjoyed tlle powers tllis conferred, others conformed to tlle increased pressure to die.
