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Sati, the burning of a Hindu widow on her husband’s funeral pyre, has fascinated Europeans for centuries. For both early modern and eighteenth-century observers, there was as much to admire as to condemn in the rite. Far from being the practice that defined Hindu cultural ‘otherness’, for many, sati resonated strongly with their own patriarchal preconceptions and concerns. Exploring the interconnections between the iconic image and the observers’ own ...
Sati, the burning of a Hindu widow on her husband's funeral pyre, has always been a sensational issue and a highly controversial act. 'Western' accounts of India since the fifteenth century, as well as the significance of sati's 'ethos', if not its actual practice, within Indian culture, have assured its place in the public eye for several centuries. This anthology explores some of the multiple meanings of sati by bringing together a wide range of both Indian and ...