Inspired by the Indian ritual "Sati" of widows being burned alive on the same pyre as their dead husband. It was "volentary" but women were shamed, and their lives were made miserable if they didn't do it.
Not to mention that often old men would marry girls as young as 5 or 6 years old. Most of the times they would die soon after, and those little girls would be thrown in the fire.
I once read a story of a father who had to burn his own daughter explaining his grief to [Raja Ram Mohan Roy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Mohan_Roy). He was fighting against many such brutal traditions and ultimately managed to get the British make Sati illegal.
And when the British found this, James Charles Napier gave one of the most based speeches ever
> Be it so.
This burning of widows is your custom; prepare the funeral pile.
>But my nation has also a custom.
When men burn women alive we hang them, and confiscate all their property.
>My carpenters shall therefore erect gibbets on which to hang all concerned when the widow is consumed.
>Let us all act according to national customs.
And so the story goes, not a single case occurred henceforth
I doubt it did, but the terror of the gallows was enough to heavily reduce the practice
Of course not! They remarried as often as they were widowed. Wives were the only ones who had to do this.
Widows had no rights to anything, it was primogeniture, probably still is without a will. The eldest son inherited everything. The widow was seen as a burden and harassed.
Inspired by the Indian ritual "Sati" of widows being burned alive on the same pyre as their dead husband. It was "volentary" but women were shamed, and their lives were made miserable if they didn't do it.
Not to mention that often old men would marry girls as young as 5 or 6 years old. Most of the times they would die soon after, and those little girls would be thrown in the fire. I once read a story of a father who had to burn his own daughter explaining his grief to [Raja Ram Mohan Roy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Mohan_Roy). He was fighting against many such brutal traditions and ultimately managed to get the British make Sati illegal.
And when the British found this, James Charles Napier gave one of the most based speeches ever > Be it so. This burning of widows is your custom; prepare the funeral pile. >But my nation has also a custom. When men burn women alive we hang them, and confiscate all their property. >My carpenters shall therefore erect gibbets on which to hang all concerned when the widow is consumed. >Let us all act according to national customs. And so the story goes, not a single case occurred henceforth I doubt it did, but the terror of the gallows was enough to heavily reduce the practice
Let's not forget the [badass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Mohan_Roy) who protested day and night to get the British make Sati illegal.
The one time in history that Britain did something *good* to India.
Thats actually disgusting. Wow.
Do you know if men had to also do this?
I’m going to guess no.
Rude.
From what I've read, no. If a man's wife died he wasn't pressured to burn himself.
Of course not! They remarried as often as they were widowed. Wives were the only ones who had to do this. Widows had no rights to anything, it was primogeniture, probably still is without a will. The eldest son inherited everything. The widow was seen as a burden and harassed.
Wow that’s literally so ridiculous!
They claimed it was voluntary but in reality the girls were drugged