Economic Status of Women in Ancient India

The present work is a historico-analytical account of women’s economic rights in ancient India. In it an attempt has also been made to co-relate the changes in their economic rights with social factors and forces. The central argument of the study is that there has been a gradual evolution in the proprietary rights of women in ancient India. They had no formal rights during the Rgvedic period, but their family and social status was very high. Later, as the moral fibre of the society became weak their formal property rights gradually came to be recognized, though their social status declined. The Aryan customs belonging to a patriarchal society were significantly modified under the pressure of matriarchal customs prevailing in several parts of spiritual benefit were given the highest importance. Yet, women were never reduced to destitute. There has always been a liberal trend highly favourable to women. The study takes into consideration all the available literature on the subject from the Vedic texts to the Dharmasutras, Smrtis, Puranas, the standard commentaries on the Smrtis and the digests and Nibandhas on the Smrti law. Attempt has been made to utilize as far as possible only the authentic editions of various texts, commentaries and digests. Besides these texts, other literary works have been utilized wherever helpful and necessary. This is undoubtedly a major contribution to the study of the position of women in Indian society, a subject which is gaining more and more importance in the recent years.