SATI THROUGH ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL INDIA

This paper examines the historical evolution of the practice of Sati in ancient and medieval India and analyses the social, religious and political factors that contributed to its development and continuation. It discusses the position of women in different historical periods, the role of patriarchal traditions and the impact of colonial intervention and social reform movements in abolishing the practice. The paper also highlights the contributions of reformers such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy and the significance of legal measures including the Bengal Sati Regulation of 1829 and the Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987. Through a historical and socio-legal analysis, the study explores how Sati became both a social custom and a subject of reform, resistance and political debate in India.