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The Present paper deals with the social vices prevalent among the women in early 19th Century Punjab. During that period, Punjabi women became victims of many social rituals, vices and customs like female infanticide, sati, dowry, purdha, polygamy, prostitution etc. Due to these social evils and vices, the conditions of women became miserable in the society. However during that period Maharaja Ranjit Singh had regard for women. He had issued strict orders to his soldiers not to insult dishonour any woman of any caste creed and defaulters were punished heavily.
I. Daljit Singh, Punjab Socio-Economic Condition (1501-1700 A.D.), New Delhi, 2004,p.91.
II. Ibid., pp.166-167.
III. J.A. Dubois, Hindu Manner and Customs and Ceremonies, Oxford, 1897, p.231.
IV. Parkash Chander, Encyclopaedia of Indian History, New Delhi, 1999, Vol. I, p.612.
V. K.M. Ashraf, Life and Condition of the People of Hindustan, New Delhi, 1969, p.165.
VI. Punjab History Conference Proceedings (38th Session, Punjab on 18-20 March, 2006,Patiala, p.474.
VII. B.S. Nijjar, Punjab under the Latter Mughals, New Delhi, 1972, p.260.
VIII. Dr. Bhagat Singh, “Condition of Women in the Punjab in Early Nineteenth Century”, The Panjab Past and Present, Punjab Historical Studies, Punjabi University, Patiala, 1981,p.357.
IX. Dr. Bhagat Singh, “Social Mielcs of Guru Amardas”, The Panjab Past and Present, Punjab University, Patiala, October, 1979, p.455.
X. Bhagat Singh, Maharaja Ranjit and His Time, New Delhi, 1990, p.321.
XI. Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha, Mahan Kosh: Encyclopaedia of Sikh Literature, Language Department Punjab, Patiala, 1974, p.298.
XII. Daljit Singh, op. cit., p.98.
XIII. James Todd, Annal and antiquities of Rajasthan, Vol. II, Delhi, 1971, pp.739-740.
XIV. Government of Punjab, Selection from Correspondence, 1853, pp.402-403.
XV. Ibid.
XVI. Melville to Government, 8th July 1853, Foreign Department, No. 458.
XVII. R.R. Sethi, John Lawrence as Commissioner of the Jullundhur Doab (1846-1847), pp.29-31. Government of Punjab, Selections from Correspondence (1853), p.410.
XVIII. J.C. Browne, Indian Infanticide and Its Origin, London, pp.108-109.
XIX. Hoshiarpur District Gazetteer, 1904, p.160.
XX. Government of Punjab, Selection from Correspondence, Vol. 1, 1853, p.409.
XXI. J.C. Browne, op. cit., pp.108-109.
XXII. District Gazetteer of Jallundhar, p.60.
XXIII. District Gazetteer of Hoshiarpur (1883-84), p.36.
XXIV. Ali-ud-Din Mufti, Ibratnama, Lahore,1961, Vol. 1, Punjabi Translation available at
Punjab Historical Studies, Department Punjabi University, Patiala.
XXV. Ibbetson, Punjab Castes, Lahore, 1916, p.359.
XXVI. Ali-ud-Din Mufit, op. cit., Vol. 1, p.354,.
XXVII. Daljit Singh, op. cit., p.105.
XXVIII. Ibid., p.105.
XXIX. Mohinder Kaur Gill, Secular Sovereign Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Delhi, 2002, p.129.
XXX. Bhagat Singh, “Condition of Women in Punjab in the Early Nineteenth Century”, op. cit., p.361.
XXXI. Yusuf Husain, Glimpses of Medieval Indian Culture, Calcutta, 1962, pp.124-129, DeLaet, The Empire of Great Mogul, English translation J.S. Hoyland, Delhi, 1975, p.81, Yusuf Husian, op. cit., pp.124-128.
XXXII . Daljit Singh, op. cit., p.107.
XXXIII. Ibid., p.173.
XXXIV. District Gazetteer of Multan, p.98.
XXXV. Renu Bala, “The Position of Women in Punjabi Society, Early Nineteenth Century”, Punjab History Conference Proceedings, 38th Session, March 18-20, 2006, p.471.
XXXVI. Mohinder Kaur Gill, op. cit., p.130.
XXXVII. K.P. Sahu, Some Aspects of Northern Indian Social Life, Calcutta, 1973, p.197; P.N. Chopra, Some Experiments in Social Reforms in Medieval India, Calcutta, 1962, p.629.
XXXVIII. Bhagat Singh, “Condition of Women in Punjab in the Early Nineteenth Century”, op.cit., p.360.
XXXIX. District Gazetteer of Gurgaon, p.58.
XL. Pietro Della Valla, the Travel of a Noble Roman into East Indies and Arabian Destroy, Vol. I, Edward Gey London, 1664, pp.82-83.
XLI. Bhagat Singh, “Condition of Women in Punjab in the Early Nineteenth Century,” op.cit., p.360.
XLII. P.N. Chopra, Aspects of Society and Culture during the Mughal Age, Agra, 1963, p.134.
XLIII. Imperial Gazetteer of India, p.46.
XLIV. Gurdev Singh Hansrao, Ideology of Sikh Gurus, Chandigarh, 1999, pp.44-45.
XLV. Daljit Singh, op. cit., p.109.
XLVI. M.A. Macauliffe, The Sikh Religion, Delhi, 1963, p.381.
XLVII. M.P. Srivastava, Society and Culture in Medieval India, Allahabad, 1975, p.93.
XLVIII. M.A. Macauliffe, op. cit., p.381.
XLIX. Vigne, G.T., Travel in Kashmir and Ladakh, Vol. 1, Lahore, 1840, pp.82-83.
L. Mohinder Kaur Gill, op. cit., p.131.
LI. Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha, op. cit., p.112.
LII. ri Adi Granth, Raga Suhi, M.3, p.787.
LIII. Henry T. Prinsep, Political of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Calcutta, 1834, p.169.
LIV. Bhagat Singh, Maharaja Ranjit Singh and His Times, op. cit., p.326.
LV. Sohan Lal Suri, Umdat-ut-Tawarikh,Dafter III, Part IV, translated by Amarvant Singh, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, 2001,, pp.452-454.
LVI. Ibid.
LVII. Honigberger, Thirty Five Years in the East Calcutta, 1852, pp.90-100; Steinbach, The Punjab, pp.17-18.
LVIII. Sohan Lal Suri, op. cit., Part I, translation by Gurbaksh Singh Frank, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, 2002, pp.110-113.
LIX. W. Murray, History of the Punjab, Vol. II, London, 1846, p.306.
LX. Government of Currie, 26 September 1845 (P) 167, 36; Sohan Lala Suri, op. cit., Daftar III, pp.110-114.
LXI. Mohinder Kaur Gill, op. cit., p.130.
LXII. Ibid.
LXIII. Ibid.
LXIV. Bhagat Singh, “Condition of Women in the Punjab in the Early Nineteenth Century”, op. cit., p.364
LXV. Bhagat Singh, Maharaja Ranjit Singh and His Times, op. cit., p.328.
LXVI. H.S. Bhatia and S.R. Bakshi, op. cit., p.168.
LXVII. Bhagat Singh, op. cit., p.328.
LXVIII. Ibid
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