CHAPTER X MOHAMMEDAN WOMEN IN INDIA
MOHAMMAD BARAKATULLAH, in her survey of Indian
women under Moslem rule, writes :
" To say that a Muslim harem is a pandemonium
of misery, where women are caged like wild beasts, to
toil and be tortured, is an assertion no less imaginary
than a freak of fiction."*
This writer offers a tenable theory of Mohammed's
sanction for isolation of women and polygamy. The
Prophet found that, in Arabia, the sexes were living
in considerable promiscuity and sexual disorder. He
foresaw that the promulgation of a doctrine of strict
monogamy would be sure to fail amongst a people so
long habituated to licence, and he hoped that moral
reform would follow the secluded life of women.
There is no precise encouragement of polygamy in
the teaching of Islam. The Koran states that plurality
of wives is permissible, under certain clearly defined
and stringent regulations. A man must be sure, be-
Vol. " India." 119
fore marriage with more than one woman, that he will
love one as well as the other ; and this injunction is, in
itself, of the nature of a deterrent. It means simply
that a man must achieve a very powerful mastery over
his natural preferences. Human nature being, as it is, such an impartial order of conjugal love, is not within the attainment of every man.
So strong is the insistence upon this absolutely
equal distribution of a husband's affection, that men
are warned of severe punishment in a future state of
being, if they love one wife more than another. Recog-
nising the risks of favouritism, Mohammed directs : If you are afraid that you could not treat the wives with justice and equality, then marry only one."
Nothing could be plainer than this. And no doubt
every devout Mohammedan strives to obey this im-
perative counsel. Probably, the monogamous Mos-
lem is often swayed by this teaching. He fears that
he may offend Allah by failing to love all his wives
alike, and therefore he contents himself with one
only.
Islamism is a comparatively new faith in India. Hinduism is not a propagandist religion. The creed of the Moslems is different; missionary zeal is one of the characteristics of the faithful. With the sword and suasion, and the use of the temporal powers, Moham- medanism spread over Persia, Turkistan, India, and into Malacca.
1 20
Some inquirers hold the view that Islam triumphed
in India through a dissatisfaction with the caste sys-
tem, and that converts were attracted by the more
democratic temper of the alien religion. The question
need not be discussed here. It is enough to say that
the Indian Empire contains more followers of Islam
than any other part of the globe.
The Moslem women of India hold a somewhat dif-
ferent position from that of the women of Arabia, North Africa, and Turkey. Unquestionably Moham- medan women enjoy numerous rights and privileges, though their sphere is limited practically to the home.
But in family life, they are supreme. In some
households, the wife exercises much higher authority
than the husband, who hands over to her, not only the
domestic sovereignty, but the conduct of important
business affairs. If he wishes to sell property, he
takes his wife's advice. Even in the matter of his
dress, an Indian Moslem husband is under the direc-
tion of his spouse, and the most fashionably-attired
men are those who rely upon their wives' taste.*
Christian missionaries in India have drawn dark
pictures of the " terrible degradation of Mohammedan
women." The Rev. Joseph Cook, preaching in
Boston, declared that there are 80,000,000 women in
" The Empire Series: India and Ceylon." 121
Moslem harems. " There are uncounted millions of
men and women and children growing up in the most
degrading superstitions, and suffering in mind, body
and estate from inherited Pagan customs."
Sir Lepel Griffin stated some years ago that women
'in the past held, and still hold to-day in India " a
great and often dominating influence in the domestic
and political life of the country." Yet we are con-
stantly assured by missionaries that Hindu and
Mohammedan women are treated little better than
animals.