The ancient tradition of Sati

Sati was a Hindu funeral custom, now very rare and a serious criminal act in India, in which the dead man’s widow would throw herself on her husband’s funeral pyre in order to commit suicide.

The act of sati was supposed to take place voluntarily, and from the existing accounts, most of them were indeed voluntary. The act may have been expected of widows in some communities.

The extent to which any social pressures or expectations should be considered as compulsion has been the matter of much debate in modern times.

It is frequently stated that a widow could expect little of life after her husband’s death, especially if she was childless.

However, there were also instances where the wish of the widow to commit sati was not welcomed by others, and where efforts were made to prevent the death.