How Sati Was Finally Outlawed

In colonial India, widows were burned alive and for decades, the British Empire failed to stop it.

The practice was called sati. It involved a widow burning herself on her husband’s

funeral pyre. Sati was not required by Hindu law, but it existed in some regions for

centuries. The British East India Company encountered it in the 18th century. Officials documented

cases across Bengal, Rajasthan, and central India. Many widows were pressured by families

or local elites. British authorities initially refused to intervene. They feared rebellion

if they interfered with religious customs. By 1815, thousands of cases were being officially

recorded. Indian reformers began speaking out. One of the strongest voices was Raja