La inmolación de las viudas en la India: Historia, simbolismo y abolición del Sati (1829)

Iván Jaramillo

doi:10.5565/rev/indialogs.350

The Immolation of Widows in India: History, Symbolism, and the Abolition of Sati (1829)

Authors

Iván Jaramillo phd candidate https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0679-621X

PDF (ES)

Abstract

The practice of Sati, understood as the ritual self-immolation of Hindu widows on their husbands’ funeral pyres, has been one of the most controversial and symbolic traditions within Hinduism. This article analyzes its mythological origins through the figure of the goddess Sati and her connection with the god Shiva, as well as its integration into sacred Hindu texts as a demonstration of chastity and conjugal devotion. The article also examines the perspectives of Greco-Roman chroniclers, the British colonial appropriation of the phenomenon, and the instrumentalization of its abolition as part of the British Empire's civilizing discourse. Special attention is given to the role of reformer Ram Mohan Roy and the influence of the British East India Company within the broader context of 19th-century social reforms. Despite its formal prohibition in 1829 by Lord William Bentinck, sporadic cases still occur today, highlighting the deep cultural roots of this practice. The article proposes a multidisciplinary reading of Sati as a site of negotiation between religion, gender, politics, and colonialism.

Keywords

Cultural History, Colonialism, 19th Century, Gender History, British Raj, Indian Studies

References

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Author Biography

Iván Jaramillo, phd candidate

Iván Jaramillo is a doctoral candidate in History at Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, and a member of the editorial board of Entremons. His research explores the history of capitalism and commodities, with a particular focus on the rubber industry and slavery in the Amazon during the late nineteenth century.