Cultural Transformation of the Status of Women in Ancient, Medieval and Modern India

Abstract

The status of women has drastically transformed in the contemporary era. In the ancient period women were given due respect, for instance, the practice of ‘Gandharava Vivah’ is a feature of ancient India that demarcates gender equality on a high note. On the contrary, in modern India, the practice of honour killing in ‘Khap Panchayat’ reflects the patriarchal mindset prevalent in the contemporary period. The role of women has been confined to the domestic boundaries whereas women have remarkably contributed to traditional warfare practices. The constitutional values are not internalized, in letter and spirit.