sati

Sati, also called suttee, is a historical practice in the Indian subcontinent in which a widow would self-immolate on or beside her husband’s funeral pyre. The term comes from Sanskrit sati, meaning a virtuous or chaste woman. The practice has been reported in various regions and among several communities, but it was not universal and its prevalence varied over time.

Historically, accounts of sati appear in medieval and early modern texts and were interpreted in differing ways by religious and social authorities. Some descriptions framed it as an act of devotion or honor for a deceased husband, while others associated it with coercion, social pressure, or ritual purity concerns. The ritual, and its perceived legitimacy, varied by region, caste, and era, and it declined markedly after the 18th and 19th centuries.

Under British rule in India, authorities actively sought to suppress sati. Regulation XVII of 1829, enacted under Governor-General William Bentinck, banned the practice in most territories. After India’s independence, the practice remained illegal, and the Indian Parliament enacted The Sati (Prevention) Act in 1987, criminalizing the performance, coercion, or glorification of sati and prescribing penalties for those involved.

Today, sati is extremely rare and widely condemned. Isolated incidents have generated significant legal and social backlash. Scholars generally view sati as a social practice rooted in historical contexts of coercion and patriarchal norms rather than a universal religious obligation, and modern discourse emphasizes women’s rights, welfare, and autonomy. See also: Suttee.