NCERT Book Class 8 Social Science (History) Chapter 7 Women, Caste and Reform

7 Women, Caste and
Reform

Have you ever thought of how children lived about two
hundred years ago? Nowadays most girls from middle-
class families go to school, and often study with boys. On
growing up, many of them go to colleges and universities,
and take up jobs after that. They have to be adults before
they are legally married, and according to law, they can
marry anyone they like, from any caste and community,
and widows can remarry too. All women, like all men,
can vote and stand for
elections. Of course, these
rights are not actually
enjoyed by all. Poor people
have little or no access to
education, and in many
families, women cannot
choose their husbands.
Two hundred years ago
things were very different.
Most children were married
off at an early age. Both
Hindu and Muslim men
could marry more than
one wife. In some parts of
the country, widows were
praised if they chose death
Fig. 1 – Sati, painted by by burning themselves on
Balthazar Solvyn, 1813 the funeral pyre of their husbands. Women who died in this
This was one of the many manner, whether willingly or otherwise, were called “sati”,
pictures of sati painted by the meaning virtuous women. Women’s rights to property were
European artists who came
also restricted. Besides, most women had virtually no access
to India. The practice of sati
was seen as evidence of the to education. In many parts of the country people believed
barbarism of the East. that if a woman was educated, she would become a widow.

Chap 7.indd 78 8/31/2022 5:02:04 PM