Woman under the ethnic religions

by Mrs. Moses Smith

[5] Women of the Orient, page 135.

The worst feature of the system of child marriage is seen among the Kulin Brahmans, the highest of all. Girls in these families must not marry into a lower caste, and the supply of Kulins is limited, so fathers who have not money to induce some young men to marry their daughters, are compelled to give their little girls to those who make a living by being husbands. Thus a child of twelve may be given as the fortieth or fiftieth wife of some old man. Although it is certain she will soon be a widow, even that is preferable to allowing her to remain unmarried.

Infanticide.

“The code of Manu forbids a woman to read the scripture or offer prayer by herself. She is to have no individuality. She exists only in her father or her husband; without a husband she is soulless.” This doctrine bears its legitimate fruit in the custom of murdering infant girls. It is easy reasoning, that it is better to murder a soulless child than not to be able to betroth her and so bring disgrace on the whole family.

Widows.

“The Hindu sacred books reach their climax of cruelty in the requirements concerning the widow. She may have only been a betrothed infant or a child of a few years. It makes no difference.” The Shasters teach that if the widow burns herself alive on the funeral pile of her husband, even though he had killed a Brahman, that most heinous of deeds, she expiates the crime. For long centuries widows have been a literal burnt offering for the redemption of husbands. The English Government has prohibited the suttee, but being considered by the family as one rejected of the gods, the widow’s life is such a degradation, such a sorrow, it would seem merciful to let her die. Manu wrote, “Let not a widow ever pronounce the name of another man, for by remarriage she brings disgrace on herself here below, and shall be excluded from the seat of her Lord.” To-day in India under the Hindu religion the widow may not take food more than once in the day. She must go without food and water for forty-eight hours twice in the month. At a meeting of the highest religious court a few years ago it was gravely decreed that, if acting on medical advice, a widow did sometimes take a little water on fast day, the offense might be condoned. O, the burning pathos of the Hindu widow’s prayer: “O God, let no more women be born in this land.” India has now 21,000,000 of widows, nearly 100,000 of them under nine years.

The Nautch Girl.

Hinduism touches its lowest depths in the degradation of woman in what the enlightened Hindu, Mr. Mozoomdar, called in the Parliament of Religions “consecrated prostitution” of the Nautch or dancing girls in the temples. The subject is too delicate and too horrible for me to speak of in detail, but as it is a much honored part of this religion it cannot be omitted. The Brahmans claim that it is a most sacred service, having its origin in prehistoric ages in a promise made by Vishnu himself. In a few words the reason and method is this: Parents who have a son very ill will vow to some god that if the son’s life is spared they will consecrate a little girl to the temple; or the parents believing that honor or wealth will be the result, consecrate a girl to the god; or the Brahmans select the most beautiful little girls, the parents rejoicing in the religious honor.

From the hour of consecration the little thing is treated with peculiar respect. She alone of the girls of the family is taught to read. When she becomes ten or twelve years old, her father, mother and nearest relatives take her to the great temple. They go with the priest into the inner shrine. The girl places her hand into the god’s hand, the priest repeats certain prayers and charms. He then hangs a string of cowrie shells around the girl’s neck and the poor little thing repeats after him her marriage vow, which vow is to prostitute herself to any pilgrim to the shrine who demands it.[6] The position of these religious prostitutes in Hindu society is so highly respectable that no festival or wedding is celebrated without their presence. They are asked to tie the wifely ornaments on the neck of the bride. They being married to a god can never be widowed and their touch is lucky. In elegant attire with costly jewels and perfumes, charmingly graceful, they lead their wretched lives, bring great sums into the treasury of the temple, and, as they are religiously taught, accumulate a store of blessing for themselves in a future state. John Short, M. D., Surgeon General of India, Member of Anthropological Society, London, says: “The Nautch girl is recognized and patronized by the Hindu religion.”

[6] Prof. T. M. Lindsay, University of Glasgow.