Chapter 8 Social and Educational Reforms in Rajasthan before Independence — OUR RAJASTHAN STD 7 — Question

The social evils prevailing in Rajasthan before independence are sati pratha, female infanticide, child marriage and marriage, slavery, witch practice etc. Following are the introduction of these evil practices:

1. Sati Pratha: Sati Pratha is a practice where a recently widowed women immolates herself on her deceased husband’s pyre. During the British period, encouraged by the efforts of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Lord William Bentinck, made a law in 1829 AD to declare the Satipratha illegal. After this, laws to abolish the Satipratha, were also made in Kota, Jaipur and Mewar.

2. Female Infanticide: The practice of female infanticide was also in full swing, people used to kill girls as soon as they were born. Female infanticide was declared illegal for the first time in the state of Kota in Rajasthan. After this, the states of Bikaner, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Udaipur and Alwar also declared this practice illegal.

3. Child Marriage and Misalliance Prohibition Law: Marriage of under age girls and boys and the practice of marrying immature girls to men of older age and were two evil practices prevalent in the society. This had an adverse effect on the physical and mental health of girls and boys, which was not appropriate for a developing society. Swami Dayanand Saraswati raised his voice to stop evil practices like child marriage and misalliance. The princely state of Alwar made the child marriage and misalliance prohibition law on 10th December, 1903.

4. Abolition of Slavery: Slavery has existed in India since ancient times. Rajasthan too was not unaffected by this. This practice got an impetus on the arrival of the Mughal. The prestige and pride of a family or clan was assessed on the basis of the number of slaves. These slaves lived with the rulers feudal lords and wealthy for their service “and attendance. Their social condition was not good. This custom could be understood as the servant or agricultural labour. The British tried to put an end to this through the Charter Act of 1833 AD.

5. Witch Practice: In some Castes of Rajasthan, there was the evil practice of alleging women as witch and killing them. This was based on superstition This practice was more prevalent in the States of Mewar and Kota. In the year 1853, when A.G.G. Rajputana heard about this, he pressurized the riders of the princely states to make a law to ban it. Some princely states declared this practice illegal.