During the early part of the Vedic Era, women of ancient India may have had status and rights equal to that of a man among some social groups. After that, the position of women is said to have declined, although in different social groups and situations, different rules applied and generalizations are hard to make.
During the reign of the British, various social reformers like Raja Rammohan Roy (who helped officially abolished sati or widow-burning in 1829), Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (instrumental in the 1856 act permitting widow remarriage), and others made major contributions towards the emancipation of women socially. Women in India also played a significant part in the country's independence struggle.
This is a real photo postcard probably depicts a north Indian woman in a photographer's studio. |
