Women in Dharmasastras: A Phenomenological and Critical Analysis

The book presents the critiques of women’s position in the social philosophy of Dharmasastras coming from both the east and west. It challenges the authoritative status of the western philosophical interpretation, and an imperfect understanding of the orient. The book does not aim at eulogizing the Dharmasastras, but at making a candid analysis of women’s position in Dharmasastras. It does not acquiesce in all that the socio-philosophical texts say about women, nor reject it impatiently in toto. An attempt has also been made to historicize and to put them in the context of the times. The book will be of interest both to general readers as well as scholars of social sciences, humanities and gender studies.