India's Intelligent Women

1895

Mrs. Annie Besant's observations of women in India, during a recent visit to that country, led her to think them very intelligent, and while their standards and methods of education differ materially from those in other countries, according to their own estimate of learning, many of the women are highly educated.

Reading and writing are not a part of their education, however, as all their knowledge is acquired from "pundits," who go from house to house every week to give oral instruction in philosophy and literature to the entire household, so the memory is wonderfully strengthened by this process of training the mind quickly to grasp and retain all the information entirely independent of books for reference.

Indian women are peculiarly simple and childish in character, yet very different from Europeans of the same class. Northern and southern India, says Mrs. Besant, are two distinct countries in all the laws and customs which affect women. In the north the "Purdah" is in full power, and the women look upon any publicity as an outrage, while in the south their position is quite different, yet men and women do not meet freely in society.

Mothers and grandmothers have great influence and authority in the family and home life, and in outside affairs as well, for an Indian will not act in a public matter against the advice of either one. In southern India very young children are married, and if the infant husband dies his youthful widow can never marry again.