Woman in Modern India

Abstract

The first historical account of Indian woman dates from the nineteenth century and is a product of the colonial experience. These accounts tell of an ancient time when woman were held in high esteem followed by a long period when their status declined. Then Europeans came into the scene. The foreign rulers, according to these narratives, introduced new ideas about woman’s roles and capabilities and these ideas were adopted by enlightened Indians. It was slow but progressive march towards  “modernity”  following a long period of stagnation and decline .Both British missionaries and those Indian reformers who welcomed the opportunity to put forth a critique of their own society hypothesized a “golden age” followed by centuries of corruption and betrayal.