Hinduism

Women of Hindu Society

History has taught that each society has its own way of governing themselves. Most societies in ancient times had a patriarchal form of society. This proves to be true in the Hindu population of India between the first and third century B.C. Hinduism became the dominant religion in the region alongside the growing Buddhists. Just as myths explained thoughts and beliefs of preceding societies, the Indian people used it to explain the Laws of Manu: "In the Vedas he appears as the founder of all human social order and the original teacher of dharma, having been instructed in the Sacred Law by Brahman" (The Human Record, 155). The Indian people believed that Manu was a figure similar to Noah, and he created women after a great flood. The Laws of Manu explain the true nature of women, their limited legal status in India, and the way they were treated because of their status in Hindu society.

The Laws of Manu had a distorted view of women. It was thought that women had an agenda when born into the world: "It is the nature of women to seduce men in this world; for that reason the wise are never unguarded in the company of femalesÐ'..." (The Human Record, 157). For this reason, women were denied many rights given to men including no right in performing sacred texts and denied access to religious ceremonies.

Women in the Hindu society were also assigned a less privileged legal status. Women were used for domestic purposes and were not allowed any property to their name: "A wife, a son, a slave, these three are declared to have no property; the wealth they earn is acquired for him to whom they belong" (The Human Record, 157). Even gifts which were given to them were passed to their offspring. At birth, women were expected to answer to their fathers; after marriage they were expected to answer to their husbands; and when their husbands died, women were expected to answer to their sons. Women were, however, able to perform religious rights with their husbands: "No sacrifice, no vow, no