Sister of My Heart

Any examination of what it means to be a woman in India reveals multiple, apparently contradictory truths. The Hindu pantheon abounds in powerful feminine deities who have their own temples and elicit a respect equal to that received by their male counterparts. In ancient India, women also appear to have enjoyed an elevated social status, with many tribes having matriarchal power structures and matrilineal patterns of inheritance. However, with the beginning of the Muslim conquests of the Indian subcontinent in the Middle Ages, the position of women began to deteriorate. This period saw the rise of Jauhar: self-immolation by women and children to avoid loss of honor when male warriors faced defeat on the battlefield. The custom known as zenana, whereby separate parts of the house were set apart for women, was also imported at this time.

Under the British Raj (1858-1947), women’s education and rights were promoted by both Indian reformers and British missionaries. For example, the 1829 Bengal Sati Regulation criminalized the practice of burning or burying alive Hindu widows, and the Female Infanticide Prevention Act was passed in 1870. The first free school for girls was set up by Peary Charan Sarkar in a suburb of Calcutta in 1847, and Martha Mault and her daughter Eliza Caldwell played a key role in pioneering women’s education in the South of India. The 1929 Child Marriage Restraint Act raised the minimum age of marriage to 14 for girls. Overall, the reception and acceptance of such legislation were problematized by the fact that many saw it as a foreign ideological imposition—as a form of cultural imperialism, seeking to erode traditional family structures. Mahatma Gandhi, to some extent, redressed these issues by incorporating women’s organizations into the independence movement and promoting the unique character of Indian feminine identity. The All India Women’s Conference (established in 1927) also played an important role in the independence struggle.

Throughout this long period, women nonetheless consistently played vital roles as leaders. From the 2nd to the 12th century B.C.E., the region saw the rise to power of several warrior queens, including Queen Nayanika (or Naganika), Queen Orrisa, Queen Kumaradevi of Mewar, and Queen Jawahirabi. The 16th century saw the Gond Rani Durgavati, who died on the battlefield in 1564; Chand Bibi, who successfully battled the Mughal forces of Akbar in the 1590s; and Abbakka Chowta, who fought the Portuguese in the second half of the century. In the 19th century, female leaders played a key role in resisting colonial annexation under the so-called Doctrine of Lapse (1848-1858). Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi, whose story inspires Sudha to assume the persona of “Queen of Swords,” lost her kingdom as a result of the Doctrine of Lapse and died in battle.

Post-independence, the situation of women in India remains complex. Indira Gandhi was the world’s longest-serving woman prime minister, holding office from 1966 to 1977 and then again from 1980 until her assassination in 1984. India has also had two female presidents: Prathibha Devisingh Patil from 2007 to 2012 and Droupadi Murmu from 2022 through to the time of this guide’s writing in 2024. Important legislation has been passed in recent years, seeking to safeguard women from sexual violence. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act was passed in 2013. In the same year, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act made sexual harassment a criminal offense, introduced specific legislation on stalking and acid attacks, and updated the definition of rape.

However, between 1991 and 2001, the female-to-male ratio decreased significantly, an indication that sex-selective abortion (another issue that arises in the novel) was on the rise. This is partly due to the expense of providing a dowry for daughters, a practice that became illegal in 1969 but remains prevalent in rural areas. Illiteracy rates remain high among women. Religious and traditional clothing constraints, which Divakaruni also explores, continue to be a significant issue. In 2014, an Indian court ruled against a husband trying to force his wife to wear a sari, declaring that his behavior could be grounds for divorce.