Women in Eighteenth-Century Oriya Literature: Subordination and Patriarchal Norms
By Sankarsan Malik
Summary
Eighteenth-century Oriya literature, particularly the Riti school, prominently featured women but often depicted them through a patriarchal lens, emphasizing beauty, sexuality, and subordination. Works like *Kotibrahmandasundari*, *Premasudhanidhi*, and *Lavanyavati* centered on elite women, reflecting the feudal society's focus on royal and aristocratic lives. Women were idealized as divine figures in public spheres but treated as inferior in private life, subject to strict traditions and patriarchal norms. Marriages, often arranged before puberty, were common, especially among lower classes, driven by fears of moral deviation. Puberty rituals, like *heripura* confinement and elaborate ceremonies, symbolized a girl's transition to reproductive readiness, reinforcing her role as a future wife. Literary works detailed rituals such as *Sasirekha Kavya*, which celebrated a princess's puberty with astrological consultations and communal worship, highlighting society's obsession with fertility and purity. Women faced severe restrictions, including sati practices, celibacy mandates, and stigmatization for childlessness or producing only daughters. The literature, influenced by religious and feudal structures, perpetuated gender inequality, portraying women as objects of male desire or vessels for tradition, with little agency beyond domestic or ritual roles.
Conclusion
This analysis of eighteenth-century Oriya literature reveals the deeply patriarchal societal structures that governed women's lives, portraying them primarily as objects of beauty and sexuality confined to domestic roles. While elite women from royal and feudal families were central to literary narratives, common women remained largely invisible in these works, reflecting the socio-political marginalization of the majority. The emphasis on pre-puberty marriages, restrictive rituals, and the commodification of women's bodies—highlighted through works like *Premasudhanidhi* and *Kotibrahmandasundari*—underscores their subordination. The study exposes how literary tropes, influenced by the Riti school's romantic themes, perpetuated gendered norms, reducing women to symbols of male desire or religious virtue. These narratives, shaped by feudal and colonial influences, not only mirrored but also reinforced the oppressive traditions governing women's autonomy, marriage, and social status, offering a stark lens to examine historical gender dynamics in Odisha