The Practice of Sati in India

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how as the world's largest democratic society, India, stands poised to join the international community as a preeminent member in the 21st century. In particular, it looks at how, against this modern backdrop, research shows that many women in India continue to be murdered over wealth because their husbands or in-laws are unsatisfied with the size of the dowry that accompanied them into the marriage. It provides a comprehensive examination of the factors contributing to the incidence of bride-burning in India today, including statistical data provided in a table.

From the Paper:

"However, the current problems associated with bride-burning in India might well be related to this ancient practice and the mind-set that is helped to create when it came to women in India today. For instance, when a married man died in some parts of ancient India, his wife was expected to share his cremation pyre. When this was done, she was highly regarded within the community as being sati (virtuous one). "The earliest reference to Sati appears in 314 BC in the writings of Greek scholar Diodorus Siculus. It may be inferred that initially, Sati was a voluntary act, committed by a wife driven by emotional distress over her husband's death, or by an ancient belief in accompanying the husband to the next world" (Thaker 2000:2). Over time, the practice became culturally acceptable and peer pressure helped to maintain the practice; however, even during these ancient times, not everyone was happy about the practice of Sati (Thaker 2000)."

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