Punishments for Sexual Assault 

                       and                           

                                        Rape in Ancient India

 

Namaste! 

Greetings of The Day! 

Let the magic of Law begin! 

Now, I have come up with the most sensitive topic of human society. This subject needs proper and valuable representation, while studding the Indian history of law, I came across interesting facts about Ancient Indian Punishment of Rape and Sexual Assault. 

So, I have explored this subject. The punishment that had been done for centuries but was known to very few people throughout the history.  

The law has changed incredibly but we needed to understand our roots. 

• Status Of Women in Ancient India- 

The women were given high and reupdated status in Indian history. Our Hindu Ideology Had shown women as self-scarifying and as a pure image. 

In ancient time women were contributing in social welfare, in economy, or in state affairs and politics. There are so many examples of women warrior in Indian ideology. 

But, in the mid of Vedic area, the status of woman was started declining, with the prevalence of child marriage, sati, polygamy, widow system, purdah system, prostitution, devadasi system, no education etc. 

 “Manuscript" (Ancient Indian Punishment Script) 

Dictated that “women would be depend on their father during childhood, on husband during youth, on son in old age.” 

At the end of Vedic period woman status was only Wife and Mother.  

After modernization and globalization women are started getting back their status.  

 

 Punishments for Rape and Sexual Assault in Ancient India- 

Crime against women in Vedic period considered as sin and violation of supernatural law. “Rape means an attempt to rob her of her purity/chastity”. There are some following Vedas, which provided brutal and ruthless punishment for crime of Rape and Sexual assault against woman. 

  

1.Manuscript (Vedic script of Punishment)- 

 

“Purusha nna kulina nana, narina ch visheshata| 

 Mukhya nna ch eve ratnan nna,harane vedham aharati |”8-323 

                            And 

“Purmans dahyete ,paap shayanne tapt ayase | 

Abhyadyush ch kashtani tarah,hyhet paapkrut|”8-372 

 

This is Sanskrit description of rape punishment, it means to kidnap, to wrongful restrain, and rape of women is sin. And such accused punished with brutally. 

 Manuscript says that the offender must be burnt to death and moreover this punishment should be exercised by the king or the authorized person of society. 

 2.Garud Puran- 

 

The book of punishment of Hindu Ideology. According to Garun Puran rapist should be thrown to vicious snakes or they should be crushed by animal like Hatti(elephant). Throwing out the predator from the society. 

3.Cutting Limbs(Chauranga punishment)- 

            

 This punishment was implemented in 16th, 17th, 18th centuries. “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj” ordered this punishment to set an example before society for crime like rape. In that case, “Prominent head of village was brought to his court, who was accused of raping poor widow. And Shivaji Maharaj ordered this man to cut of his hand and feet, so that this man could not do such act again.” 

So, these are some selective brutal punishments for crime like rape and sexual assault against women in Ancient India. 

4.Modern Law for rape and sexual assault- 

Section –375,376,354 and 509 Indian Penal Code Provides for Rape and Sexual assault crime. 

Do you think our current punishment Justify the crime like this? 

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"So, This is it!" I will be back with New interesting topic, stay tuned!