Akbar and Sati

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Donjas

@Donjas

Dazzler

Posted: 11 years ago

I found this on the internet. I found the story fascinating so I am starting a new thread so that more people get a chance to read it-

The Mughal Emperor Akbar seems to have promoted (without much success it would seem) widow remarriage amongst hindus.

But it was in the case of Sati that his measures actually ended up reforming Hinduism.

He was quite disgusted with the whole concept of Sati as is evident by one of Abul Fazl's quotation of Akbar on this subject in the Ain-i-Akbari. He had an earnest desire to put a total, unconditional ban on Sati. Unfortunately, many of the prominent Hindus at the time opposed an unconditional ban on Sati, and so Akbar had to drop the idea since he did want to take any such step without evolving a general consensus on the issue.

On the question of Forcible Sati, however, he put his foot down. Forcible Sati was banned throughout the Mughal Empire.

It is a historical fact that on at least one occasion, the Emperor Akbar was obliged to stop a case of forcible sati through his personal intervention. The facts are as follows:

Once, Akbar heard that a lady of a royal Rajput family whose husband had just died was being forced to commit Sati. As soon as he heard this news, he immediately climbed on his horse and rode to the house of the concerned Rajput family *by himself, all alone*. [His personal security guard, when they heard the emperor had gone off all on his own, galloped after him.]

He arrived at the house just in time to stop the Sati taking place; already the woman was being led out of the house for the Sati site (after having been drugged). By his sheer force of personality(he was all alone) he was able to stop the sati from taking place.

[This particular incident, of Akbar stopping the forcible Sati, is described in detail in V.A. Smith's book, 'Akbar the Great Mughal']

In book 3 of Abul Fazl's Ain-i-Akbari (chapter titled 'Happy Sayings of his Majesty'), the greatest of all the Mughal Emperors, and one of the greatest Emperors of India and indeed the world is recorded as saying:

"It is a strange comment on the magnanimity of men that they should seek their deliverance through the self sacrifice of their wives."

Credit for abolition of sati rightly goes to Raja Ram Mohan Roy who did a lot of work in raising awareness about this social evil, but his predecessor in this matter was the great mughal emperor Akbar who was to my knowledge the first Indian emperor to have officially banned forcible sati in his empire, thus contributing to the fight against for women emancipation.

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MaddyO

@MaddyO

Sparkler

Posted: 11 years ago

Very nice post.

I hope Abhay will also comment to give his informed view😊
Though beware you have written found it on internet😉😆😆😆😆

I think Sati was a way to not have to take on the responsibility of a woman for the rest of her remaining life and also to get a way out of giving share of property😡😡😡
At least this is what it came to mean later, not aware about 16th Century

Edited by MaddyO - 11 years ago

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Donjas

@Donjas

Dazzler

Posted: 11 years ago

Originally posted by: MaddyO
Very nice post.

I hope Abhay will also comment to give his informed view😊
Though beware you have written found it on internet😆

I think Sati was a way to not have to take on the responsibility of a woman for the rest of her remaining life and also to get a way out of giving share of property😡😡😡
At least this is what it came to mean later, not aware about 16th Century

True, I found it on the internet but the source of the story mentioned ( The Great Mughal by Smith) and the source of Akbar's quotation is mentioned(Ain-I-Akbari). An article with credible sources is itself credible.

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fatma201

@fatma201

Rocker

Posted: 11 years ago

Originally posted by: MaddyO
Very nice post.

I hope Abhay will also comment to give his informed view😊
Though beware you have written found it on internet😆

I think Sati was a way to not have to take on the responsibility of a woman for the rest of her remaining life and also to get a way out of giving share of property😡😡😡
At least this is what it came to mean later, not aware about 16th Century

I didnt know those where the main reasons of Sati. Thanks for explaining

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Mages

@Mages

Elite

+ 7

Posted: 11 years ago

TFS...a great read...i hope they show it in the show too...

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Tanzia Scott

@latanzia

Dazzler

+ 2

Posted: 11 years ago

To those who are ignorant to most of indian culture and history (my self) what is Sati

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Donjas

@Donjas

Dazzler

Posted: 11 years ago

Originally posted by: latanzia
To those who are ignorant to most of indian culture and history (my self) what is Sati

In Sati, a wife immolates herself on the funeral pyre of her husband.

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MyExiledSoul

@MyExiledSoul

Voyager

Posted: 11 years ago

Tfs !! The lady was most probably sister of Jagat Gosain...this was before her marriage to Salim

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Abhay

@history_geek

Rocker

+ 5

Posted: 11 years ago

@TM...
Salutes... 👏 .
A very interesting fact indeed.

I would like to add to your info.

It was the Maharani of Jodhpur, who was going to perform Sati..
Akbar started personally on a horse, travelled 720 kms on his horse at 1 stretch, and stopped the act, just when she was about to enter flames..!!...

Such a magnanimous personality he was..And he went out without his royal entourage / guards...

I hope these threads will help many who have a great misconception about Akbar's persona regarding treatment and his outlook towards women..!!..

Akbar banned Sati but was not successful, but for a start he gave a challenge. Later, Jahangir and Aurangzeb also banned it.

Finally, the legislation was passed against Sati on 4 Dec 1829, by Lord William Bentinck, after repeated efforts of Raja Ram Moham Roy. Roy also wrote a book where he mentioned about Sati. Probably, The book's name was Jamunai Nag.

I have written what i remember. Will add more later..

Great info.. 😊 ...Tfs...

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Donjas

@Donjas

Dazzler

Posted: 11 years ago

#10

Originally posted by: history_geek
@TM...
Salutes... 👏 .
A very interesting fact indeed.

I would like to add to your info.

It was the Maharani of Jodhpur, who was going to perform Sati..
Akbar started personally on a horse, travelled 720 kms on his horse at 1 stretch, and stopped the act, just when she was about to enter flames..!!...

Such a magnanimous personality he was..And he went out without his royal entourage / guards...

I hope these threads will help many who have a great misconception about Akbar's persona regarding treatment and his outlook towards women..!!..

Akbar banned Sati but was not successful, but for a start he gave a challenge. Later, Jahangir and Aurangzeb also banned it.

Finally, the legislation was passed against Sati on 4 Dec 1829, by Lord William Bentinck, after repeated efforts of Raja Ram Moham Roy. Roy also wrote a book where he mentioned about Sati. Probably, The book's name was Jamunai Nag.

I have written what i remember. Will add more later..

Great info.. 😊 ...Tfs...

I knew I could depend on you for more detailed info.

The sad thing about Sati is that it continued well into the 20 the century. In the 19th century, it was still quite common. When Maharaja Ranjit Singh died, many of his Hindu wives committed Sati.