Lesser-Known Facts About The Abolished 'Sati Pratha'

Famously known as the abolished Sati Pratha, it has been known that the Bengal Sati Regulation which resulted in banning of the Sati practice within all jurisdictions from British India commenced on December 4, 1829 by the Governor-General, Lord William Bentinck.
The regulation was described and explained the practice of Sati as a revolt towards the feelings of humans.
Who is regarded as Sati and what is this custom?
Sati which is also spelled as Suttee is social evil and practice among the Hindu communities where when a woman becomes a widow, then either voluntarily or even by force, she has to immolate herself on the pyre of her deceased husband.
The woman who has immolated herself is, further, known as Sati which is furthermore also interpreted as 'chaste woman' or 'good and devoted wife'.
There have been several instances where it is seen how the widows have been shunned in India and therefore, afterwards the only solution that remains with them for a life without husband was to practice the social evil of Sati as it was then considered to be the highest expression and act of wifely devotion towards a dead husband.
Here are some lesser-known facts on the Sati practice:
• Sati, or Suttee, term is derived from the name of goddess Sati, who once immolated herself as she was unable to bear the humiliation of her father Daksha towards her husband, Lord Shiva
• Sati was also regarded as a barbaric practice by some of the Islamic rulers from the Mughal period
• In the mid of 16th century, Humayun made the first try against the practice. King Akbar was next in the line to issue official orders prohibiting the cruel Sati and since then it was made voluntary by women. He also made orders that no woman have a right to do this until she gets a specific permission from his chief officers
• Akbar also instructed his officers to delay the decisions of woman for as long as possible
• Many scholars from Hindu community have argued against this evil, Sati, regarding it as 'suicide, and...also a pointless and futile act'
According to some of the studies and reports, it has been seen that it has occurred in some of the rural parts of India and around 30 cases of Sati, since 1943 to 1987, were documented.
The practice is still prevalent today in some parts of India and regarded by some as the ultimate form of womanly devotion.

By: Prerana Sharma
Content: https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/sati-pratha-facts-275586-2015-12-04