Real and Imagined Women: Gender, Culture and Postcolonialism

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35 q qz^s Filll publsh.d 1993 by Rdrtcdcc

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l.scxrcl^ lndu.2. Frminnm-tnd,lr. S,n...I Wom.n India Hisro^ I InL HOt075.! 14586 1993 305.42' 0954.dc20 93_6923

Iranli\titt Ajfann C^!t, How S@t

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(i98i)

rsBN 0315-08503-9 06k)

0,4t5 {8504_7 ipbk)

CONTENTS

Ii,t

"JIE,,"

INTRODUCTION: Subj(tivity, reprentalion md the politics of

I

THE SIJBJECI OF SATI: Pain

dd

death in tlle contsnporary

dd discontinurties RAP| Nmrive, dd frninjs 'apr

UTt

AFTTR

I5 40

2 REPRESENTING SATI: Continuities 3

I

64

4 THE NAME OF THE HUSBAND: Testinony and &boo in the

83

tde,

103

6 RI-AL AND ll!tr GINED WOMEN: Poliths andlofreprcscntation

t29

5 GENDER, LEADERSHIP AND REPRESENT,dTION:

The

of Indira Gandhi

t+7

FIGURES

fffd$i€c€ &paoa Cdr, H@ Susa H@ I and 2 PhoroMtages of Roop Kdwar\'.ari' 3 P.]m prints of quees who becme stis. 4 Suicide of$r€e sister+ Kdpur. 5 Giaphic Oon eti&d poser, ilsued by da R4as$aD Adult

EdErion ColMiftee

ACKNOWLEDGBMENTS

2a 29 30

I hrw had t}f, suppon, fricnd{'tr dd ditical advi6 of 'rEy 6idd3 sd colcagucs whm I ra| rhis opportunity to name €lrd *drL RiDli Bh*iaA.rfa Vrvdr Dhaftshftar, Margar€! Isgonn€t, ShaGd.Jai', Aria laonba, T€javtui

32

Ikmd.\4s.su"ta

Mranjana'Judi& notz, Allird RalEo,pal, Venlat Rm, .&'dt &tui'asa'!

&d

Dr G.I{" Das, Dir€cno. of *c sdfi Cslps of lhe Unirrsity of D€lhi, gta.ioudy garr m. pc'Bisi@ to n!. fte library at tl€ Sotnh Carp'B To ftos€ s{rc hdped rr'€ rope wilh dI€ n}Fteri$ ol the @mputcr -

& Chandnmouli, R- Partnrsanrhy, v - my hcardclt rhanl(!. My cditon at

Krislmmooldty atd

AL

l 1

I

Cho6h

RoudedgE hai€ teen unfaningty hdpful.

My par!n6, my brc6cr., my listlrio-law ed my niece v€r€ dcr,tling th.t otly r family can b. dudng a dne of cris:.; dlis adnowl€d8.m.nt of my 8r.titldc ir orly a m€ag€ tlnm fo' aI dE1$cy haE givta t!€. My son Ikuthil typcd, criticirrd rld dic!€d ih. tcd@ of oy no& he b.s b€en d' lnl'slulblc aly. I €ould not haw wittcn this b@k ait}out my husbard! luppon, cricouragrmcnt and lm. lt is th.rcfore joinrly d€dicar€d to him and