purdah and the hindu community.docx

7/29/2019 Purdah and the Hindu Community.docx

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1) Purdah in South Asia includes restriction on movement, social contacts and visibility of

women. It is also linked to the expression of social distance b/w various categories of kin and

non-kin, to the prestige and honor of the family and larger kin grouping, and to the control of

sexuality of both sexes.

2) Most important feature of Purdah: part of a larger cultural pattern of behavior effectivelylimiting womens access to power and to the control of vital resources in a male-dominated

society. Restrictions and restraints in every activity of a womans life. Males are limited by

economic disabilities, castes, family hierarchies but women are additionally limited.

3) Purdah restrictions are part of agricultural societies where men are responsible for plowing

and doing most of the cultivation. A womans primary responsibility is to process and prepare

meal and bear children. Male conspiracy is not the main cause but the division of labor into

outside tasks for males and inside tasks for females is the cause behind the male dominance. It

exists because it has proven to be successful (Voorhies).

4) It is tried to prevent women from forming misalliances that might affect property transfers.

Hence, seclusion of women. Women dont get property. Its to ensure that only the biological

descendents rather some unknown person gets the property.

5) Joint family is the ideal family unit. Agricultural work so if not being part of a big kin group,

there would be no economic security. There are also strong networks of kinship ties for

economic and political significance. The group meets the desires of all the individuals. These kin

groups have strong Purdah and other women limitations. High status women are mostly

restricted.

6) Lines of authority are drawn for the kin groups to function effectively. This minimizes any

possible challenges which may disrupt the harmony. Both sexes have ascribed hierarchically

ordered roles based on age and generation, and for women, affinal status. Female role is ranked a

notch below the corresponding category of male role.

7) Members are socialized to accept the authority of those ranked above in kin group; while

females are taught to accept a role subservient to males and are expected to put their needs

behind the needs of the family. These ideals of modesty and chastity, and wifely fidelity are

internalized. Women uphold the family and kinship structures vital to the well-being of all

members. Also maintains harmony among kinsmen due to the veiling from senior affines,

avoidance of social contacts not approved by senior members. Women are not allowed to speak

out at certain public gatherings; this prevents the disruption of the male-run political system.

Women accepting arranged marriages by elders help forging ties with other kins.

8) Only when an alternative family structure become economically feasible or necessary, male-

dominated societies will undergo an alteration in the direction of allowing females to assert their

individuality in society.


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9) Purdah practices vary from region to region, community to community.

10) There are similarities in Purdah practices everywhere. However there are differences as well

while these similarities continue to exist as well. Only when specific details are studied can one

understand the differences.

11) Some say Hindu adopted Purdah in response to Muslim invasion; others say mimicry of

prestigeful conquerors.

There is evidence of royal hindu women having restrictions on movement. Ancient texts also

show seclusion. Probably Purdah was not widespread in all Hindu castes back then. It might

have gained popularity after Muslim conquest; for protecting women from the conquerors.

Now, modesty, seclusion, and restrictions are part of North and central Indian tradition for

women. Even if they borrowed something from Islam, they modified it according to their own

traditions.

12) This paper deals with Purdah in Nimkhera, a village in central india, in Raisen District about

45 miles east of Bhopal which is the capital of Madhya Pradesh. 80% Hindu, 20% Muslims from

the 621 people. 21 Hindu castes and 5 Muslim group people live.

13) Undeveloped agriculturally and educationally.

14) Members of the same castes marry to clans exogamously. Khandan (smallest kin unit) is

strictly exogamous. Marriage with an blood relative is forbidden. People marry outside village;

built ties between villages.

15) Cousins are like siblings. Though there are sexual relations between village sister andvillage brother. Older people in village are called by using kin terms (uncle aunt grandfather

etc). Similar for youngers.

16) Girls are married mostly before puberty and all before 16. Boys marry at 22. Arranged

mostly. The couple does not start living together right away after marriage until consumption

(which takes place 2-3 years after marriage).

17) A girl after marriage has susral and susralwale (conjugal home and kin). And then there is

her maika and maikewale. Woman is an important member of both her homes so she divides

time b/w the two though older woman mostly live in susral.

18) Visits to maike help women adjust to married life. She is free in maike (no Purdah). These

breaks help her to be more productive when she comes back to susral. Women sometime refuse

to go back until her demands are met.

19) Her feminine skills are shared between maika and susral as it is important in agriculture

especially during cultivation time. No Purdah in natal so can work more. Women act as mobile


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labor force, going where she is in more demand. Also helps in building ties between the two

homes.

20) Women modesty of dress and conduct is important. After puberty, women are covered from

head to toe, even in hot summers. Wear full length petticoat, a blouse with white sleeves, and

sari pulled around the body and over the top of head. Women are not supposed to go far awayfrom home. Rarely go shopping. Men make purchases. Bazaars are male filled and low status

women at times. Refrained from dancing. Should show humility.

21) General guidelines for Purdah are similar for everyone but particular observances vary

between different socio-economic groups, castes, households.

22) Observes Purdah in conjugal home, from daughters in-laws. Not in her home. Remains

inside her husbands house most of the time. Makes herself absent or cover herself in the

presence of elder affines.

23) If affines are in her natal home, only then she will obseve Purdah. If a husband goes to her

wifes natal home to take her back, both never leaves the home together. Womens maikewale

accompany her. Then after leaving she covers her face and go with her husband.

24) No Purdah in natal village, and in mothers natal village. Wont have to do Purdah in the

homes of her brother-in-laws wife. She is her sister and hence the daughter of that village.

25) Purdah from older and equal to her husband age; can be both real and classificatory affines.

Can talk to older women though she has to do Purdah. Can never talk to, or in their presence,

men from whom she has to Purdah.

26) Cant talk to her husband in the presence of others. Do Purdah from her younger sisters

husband who is like a son in law to her and also from her own childrens in-laws.

27) Friendly relation with devar. If a woman married in her natal village, she only do Purdah

from husband and his close kin members, thats it.

28) Males make throat-clearing sound while entering courtyard so women make cover. Women

stop talking and pull her sari down over her face (ghunghat karna). Sometime, move to some

other room. In her mother-in-laws, husbands or slightly older affines presence, she may lower

her sari to her chin only. Is not called by her own name but by a deravitive of her natal village.

She may be addressed teknonymically (so-and-sos mother).

29) Young brides of high caste observe stringent Purdah. She stays in home. Keeps her face

covered all the time. Only then allows very young members to see her face in private and by her

husband. Mother-in-law sees her face after few months then. After few years, they may go out to

fetch water and attend festivals after getting approval from mother in law.


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30) Lower caste family women do stringent women for a shorter time. After few months, the

new bride start going out to fetch water and go to work in fields but have to cover her face.

31) Women without mother-in-laws may do whatever they want. Women are required to work in

cultivation/sowing so complete seclusion is undesirable; this is because of economic and

religious activities required of women.

32) Sometimes new brides are even required to attend festivals. Matabais is worshipped by all at

her shrine. All who depend on her blessings attend. So young wife attends too.

33) As women gets older, there are fewer people older than her from whom she has to do Purdah.

Purdah becomes weak for a woman after few years in marriage and women may not veil even

from her husband in others presence and may speak to him in public. At her husbands death,

she is supposed to cry openly and mourn for him-and for her lost status as a wife.

34) Has to do Purdah from samdhi at all times. Samdhans cant talk/meet with each other and

even if they happen to come across each other, they can talk but by veiling in front of each other.

This continues no matter how old a woman may be. This is in both real and classificatory

relations. Men may see their samdhis.

35) During wedding and consumption ceremony, natal women sing obscene and insulting songs

for groom and his kinsmen. The samdhis are expected to take no offence.

purdah and the hindu community.docx

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