Myth, Politics and British Propaganda

The authors question colonial narratives and open a door for debate on a sensitive issue

- Satish Jhunjhunwala and Ananda Mukherji

Satish Jhunjhunwala and Ananda Mukherji's Sati: The Myth of Widow Burning in British India sets out to challenge one of the most disturbing and controversial narratives often associated with Indian history the practice of Sati, or widow burning. Through a blend of historical analysis, mythological references, and critique of colonial interpretations, the authors claim in the book that the history of Sati has been distorted, exaggerated. It suggests that the propaganda was a nefarious design used as a political tool by the then British administration.

Divided into seven chapters, the central thesis of the book states that Sati-far from being a mainstream or widely accepted religious custom was never a sanctioned ritual according to the Hindu shastra. The authors argue that the "British colonial government wove a fictitious story of widow burning" based on the tales of stray murders for inheritance. The authors assert that its portrayal as a common practice was part of a colonial narrative designed to justify British moral and administrative intervention in India—stressing that the "barbaric Hindus" were not capable of administrating themselves.