Women in India
A Social and Cultural History
Sita Anantha Raman
ISBN:
0-275-98242-4
ISBN-13:
978-0-275-98242-3
468 pages
Praeger Publishers
Publication:
6/8/2009
Availability:
In Stock
Media Type:
Hardcover
Trim Size:
6 1/8 x 9 1/4
Subjects:
Reviews:
-
"In this two-volume set, Raman (history, Santa Clara U. and U. of Georgia, Athens) discusses the role of women in the social and cultural history of India, with a focus on gender and female sexuality in terms of representations in male texts of the premodern era; their later use by men and women for contemporary social and political purposes; women's narratives
in their social contexts; and the issues of female agency and objectification. She addresses women's subordinate nature in India, but also their active resistance, avenues for self-expression, negotiations with patriarchy, and support of oppressive traditions. Included in chapters is discussion of goddesses, queens and courtesans, nuns, women saints,
motherhood, representations in art, education, castes, feudal norms of sati and domesticity, Western influences, laws, marriage and divorce, Indian feminism and suffrage, and individuals such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. She organizes the text by two chronological sections: the premodern era from antiquity to the early medieval Hindu
kingdoms and the later era under Turko- Afghan and Mughal dynasties, colonial rule, and the independent state after 1947."
—Reference & Research Book News
August 2009
-
"...Women in India is a collection of scholarly essays that roughly follows a chronological order. As such, it makes for a good starting point for academic research and is highly recommended for college and university libraries."
—Library Journal
9/15/2009
Description:
Are Indian women powerful mother goddesses, or domestic handmaidens trailing behind men in literacy, wages, opportunities, and rights? Have they been agents of their own destinies, or voiceless victims of patriarchy? Behind these colorful over-simplifications lies the reality of many feminine personas belonging to various classes, ethnicities, religions, and castes. This two-volume set looks at Indian history from ancient to modern times, revealing precisely why ideas of gender rights were not static across eras or regions. Raman's work is a reflection on the various ways in which women in a non-Western culture have developed and expressed their own feminist agenda.
Are Indian women powerful mother goddesses, or domestic handmaidens trailing behind men in literacy, wages, opportunities, and rights? Have they been agents of their own destinies, or voiceless victims of patriarchy? Behind these coloful over-simplifications lies the reality of many feminine personas belonging to various classes, ethnicities, religions, and castes. This two-volume set looks at Indian history from ancient to modern times, revealing precisely why ideas of gender rights were not static across eras or regions. Raman's work is a reflection on the various ways in which women in a non-western culture have developed and expressed their own feminist agenda.
Individual chapters highlight the enduring legacies of many important male and female figures, illustrating how each played a key role in modifying the substance of women's lives. Political movements are examined as well, such as the nationalist reform movement of 1947 in which the ideal of Indian womanhood became central to the nation and the push for independence. Also included is a survey of women in contemporary India and the role they played in the resurgence of militant Hindu nationalism. Aside from being an engaging and readable narrative of Indian history, this set integrates women's issues, roles, and achievements into the general study of the times, providing a clear presentation of the social, cultural, religious, political, and economic realities that have helped shape the identity of Indian women.
Table of Contents:
-
Volume 1 - Early India
Preface
List of Abbreviations
Map of India - Physical
Introduction
1. Region, environment, gender
2. Vedic goddesses and women
3. Mothers and wives in the smriti texts
4. Buddhist and Jaina nuns and laywomen
5. Women in classical art and literature
6. The divine feminine: Devis, yoginis, Taras
7. Queens, saints, courtesans
Bibliography
Volume 2 Later India
8. Muslim women in pre-modern India
9. Women in the colonial era
10. Male reformers and womens rights
11. Feminists and nationalists
12. Conclusion: Women in India today
Map of India - Political
Bibliography
About the Author:
SITA ANANTHA RAMAN is Associate Professor Emerita, History, Santa Clara University, California; Member of the Board of Directors, Pacific Coast Immigration Museum; and History Adjunct, University of Georgia, Athens. She is the author of Getting Girls to School: Social Reform in the Tamil Districts, 1870-1930 (1996) and A. Madhaviah: A Biography and a Novella (2004).
LCC Class:
305.48'891411-dc22
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