Women's Role In Early Hindu Societies

Women in early archaic traditions enjoyed a great level of power. Their valuable role is perceived in legends and in the equivalent and important task that they performed in societies and rituals. Many centuries later, in South Asian civilizations, women are still crucial and occupy a relevant role in traditions. How has their role evolved? Do they still participate together with men in religious rituals? How do woman contribute, through their functions, to shape rituals and societies?

Women’s role in Hindu society and rituals shifted dramatically along centuries. According to Vedic texts, women held an important role in the early Hindu society not only as mothers and wives but as a crucial member in families. Women were part of religious rituals that revolved around the home, “the center of religious worship” (Ellwood & McGraw, 2005, p. 102). However, lately

Gradually the former became more educated while the latter were mainly restricted to home duties. (Ellwood & McGraw, 2005, p. 102). With no education, women were not part of the shift from oral to written traditions. Performing complicated rites increasingly required many years of apprentice. Since women were confined to their role of wife as early as the age of fifteen, only men became involved with the writing of religious texts. This led to openly biased scriptures by men favoring a patriarchal society. In Brahmana first, and Aranyaks and Upanishards movements later, women’s role is restricted to being a daughter, a wife and a mother. According to The Laws of Manu, “in childhood a female must be subject to her father, in youth to her husband, when her lord is dead to her sons; a woman must never be independent” (Chapter V, Verse 148). Women’s status is