Indian society represented a conflicting position of women vacillating between patriarchal and matriarchal extremes. While Sati - the barbarous practise that denied woman life on its own, tying her to the innate presence of her husband even in his life after death - dominated the core of Hinduism. On the other hand emphasis was placed on female goddesses like Laxmi, Shakti and Sati to narrate the stories of courage sacrifice and compassion.The Hindu women became an ideal symb

A new stream of nationalist ideology began to emerge during World War I. (1914-1918). This was a period when an educated younger generation of Muslims, as well as a sector of traditional religious intellectuals, had become increasingly nationalist. This period saw political unity cutting across religions and active participation for the freedom of India. Political Unity Across Religions The Lucknow Pact in 1916 had already established a framework for Hindus and Muslims to wor