the history of parda system and its advantages and disadvantages
Answers
Answer:In ancient Indian society, like elsewhere around the world, "practices that restricted women's social mobility and behavior" existed but the arrival of Islam in India "intensified these Hindu practices, and by the 19th century purdah was the customary practice of high-caste Hindu and elite communities throughout India."[2]
Although purdah is commonly associated with Islam, many scholars argue that veiling and secluding women pre-dates Islam; these practices were commonly found among various groups in the Middle East such as Druze, Christian, and Jewish communities.[6] For instance, the burqa existed in Arabia before Islam, and the mobility of upper-class women was restricted in Babylonia, Persian, and Byzantine Empires before the advent of Islam.[7] Historians believe purdah was acquired by the Muslims during the expansion of the Arab Empire into modern-day Iraq in the 7th century C.E and that Islam merely added religious significance to already existing local practices of the times.[8]
Later history
Muslim rule of northern India during the Mughal Empire influenced the practice of Hinduism, and the purdah spread to the Hindu upper classes of northern India.[8] The spread of purdah outside of the Muslim community can be attributed to the tendency of affluent classes to mirror the societal practices of the nobility; poor women did not observe purdah. Lower class women in small villages often worked in fields, and therefore could not afford to abandon their work to be secluded.[3] During the British colonialism period in India, purdah observance was widespread and strictly-adhered to among the Muslim minority.[8]
In modern times, the practice of veiling and secluding women is still present in mainly Islamic countries, communities and South Asian countries.[8] However, the practice is not monolithic. Purdah takes on different forms and significance depending on the region, time, socioeconomic status, and local culture.[9] It is most commonly associated with some Muslim communities in Afghanistan and Pakistan, along with Saudi Arabia.[10] Purdah has been more recently adopted in northern Nigeria, especially in areas affected by the Boko Haram uprising.[11] It is also observed by Rajput clans of India and Pakistan as a social practice regardless of religion.[12]
Rationale
Protection and subjugation
Some scholars argue that purdah was initially designed to protect women from being harassed, but later these practices became a way to justify efforts to subjugate women and limit their mobility and freedom.[6] However, others argue that these practices were always in place as local custom, but were later adopted by religious rhetoric to control female behavior.[13]
Respect
Photograph of a Rajput royal silver zenana carriage in the princely state of Baroda, India. 1895, Oriental and India Office Collection, British Library
Proponents of the practice view purdah as a symbol of honor, respect, and dignity. It is seen as a practice that allows women to be judged by their inner beauty rather than physical beauty.[14]
Economic
For Ammi, my grandmother, purdah meant almost never venturing out of the house. On the rare occasions when she did, it was always an elaborate ritual. Visiting a family in the neighbourhood -- only on the occasion of some tragedy, ... she used a doli. The little stool slung from a pole that two men carried would be brought to our back door -- the door to the zanana or the ladies' section -- and the two carriers would step away behind the curtain wall. Ammi would wrap herself in a white sheet and squat on the flat stool, and a heavy custom-made cover would be thrown over her and the doli. The two bearers would then come back and carry the doli away on their shoulders. ... When Ammi traveled in my father's car, she covered herself the same way, while the back seat of the car where she sat was made completely invisible by pieces of cloth hung across the windows.
Apa, my mother, belonged to the next generation. She used a burqa. Hers was a two piece ‘modern' outfit, as opposed to the one-piece -- derisively called ‘the shuttlecock' by my sisters -- that was preferred by the older or more conservatively spirited in the family. I also remember that the older generation's burqas were usually white, while the new burqas were always black