Was Women Empowerment A Debatable Topic in Ancient India? I Essay By Vedhesh, 18, Bangalore
Vedhesh, an 18-year-old, explores the significant role women played in ancient India, highlighting their contributions to education, administration, and societal decisions. It emphasizes the respect and empowerment women held historically, contrasting it with modern views on women’s empowerment.
Was Women Empowerment A Debatable Topic in Ancient India?
A wise man once said, “The best way to know one’s self is to know their roots.” The wise man is none other than Swami Vivekananda. So let me take you on a tour to delve into our roots to a sign in ancient India before the time of invasions.
Was education given to women?
Yes indeed, if we have a look at our scriptures, the divine entity for knowledge and wisdom is personified as a feminine deity who is none other than Saraswati and Gayatri Devi. Major women who played a crucial role in the Vedic period were Maitreyi, Gargi, Lopamudra and many more. In the field of arts, we have Meera Bai, Vengamamba and Andal, commonly known as Goda Devi, who have composed such great works in different languages like Tamil and Telugu; they too were women. If they were bereft of education, they wouldn’t have inscribed their name in our history.
Did women take part in physical activities and administration?
If we have a look at the Rig Veda, there is a mention of a woman who took part in a war and lost her leg. From the inscriptions of the Chola period, there is mention of women who were an integral part of the army. Kundavai, a famous character from Ponniyin Selvan, was the mentor for the great king Raja Raja Chola and was an important stakeholder for the flourishing of the Chola Dynasty.
Last but not least, we have goddess Durga, a feminine deity who had vanquished the demon Mahishasura who was not defeated by the male deities. Adi Shankaracharya composed an entire compendium known as Soundarya Lahari, which speaks about the great qualities and valour of the goddess Lalitha Tripura Sundari.
Were women’s opinions valued in the decisions of the family?
We have the Adi-Purana Ramayana, which mentions great female characters. Sita was the wife of Rama and was very transparent with her opinions. When she was told not to come to the forest, she was adamant to come and indeed, Rama gave value to her words. Tara, the wife of Bali, warns him before going for the dual fight with Sugriva. Bali admits that he didn’t listen to his wife’s words, which led to his defeat. Ravana too gave importance to his wife Mandodari’s opinion. Hence, indeed, women were not chained by not allowing them to voice their opinions in ancient India.
Hence, we can come to a conclusion with the historical references that women played an important role in ancient India. They were already empowered. In fact, the respect they had in society was indeed a level higher than that of men. All these changed after the continuous trail of invasions started in India. But now it’s indeed a debatable topic whether women should be empowered or not. But women like Sindhu Tai and Sudha Murthy are empowering themselves in today’s society. Hence, we must be the change we want to see in the world.
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