{
  "bookName": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials",
  "authorName": "M. K. Kuriakose",
  "publisherName": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge",
  "publicationYear": 2011,
  "chapterNumber": 86,
  "chapterName": "c.1830. The Anti-Suttee Petition",
  "pageFrom": 117,
  "pageTo": 117,
  "pages": [
    {
      "pageNumber": 117,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n117\n86. THE ANTI-SUTTEE PETITION (c 1830 A.D.)\nAdvocates of sati (widow burning) appealed to the authorities in\nEngland against William Bentinck's abolition of the practice. The\nfollowing petition was submitted in opposition to that appeal. It is\ngenerally believed to have been written by Raja Rammohun Roy.\nCited in Jogendra Chunder Ghose, ed., The English Works of Raja\nRammohun Roy, pp. 479-480.\nThat a practice has prevailed throughout India, particularly in\nBengal, of burning those widows on the funeral piles of their deceased\nhusbands, who could be induced to offer themselves as voluntary\nsacrifices.\nThat this barbarous and inhuman practice has been happily\nabolished by the Government of the Right Honourable Lord William\nCavendish Bentinck, who has thus conferred an inestimable benefit\non the native population of India.\nThat the regulation prohibiting the practice has been received\nwith gratitude by many, while the majority of the native population\nhave remained passive and acquiescent, although nearly a twelve\nmonth has elapsed since the abolition took place.\nThat as a proof of your honourable House of the feeling enter-\ntained on the subject by a numerous portion of the native com-\nmunity, the subjoined address was presented to the Governor-General\nin Council expressive of their thanks for his benevolent interference.\n(Here is cited the Address presented to Bentinck by the inhabi-\ntants of Calcutta in January, 1830.)\nThat your petitioners have, however, learned that a number of\nnatives, professing to be attached to the ancient practice, have\nprepared a petition to your Honourable House soliciting the re-\nestablishment of the rite of burning their widows; and therefore\nto prevent your Honourable House from supposing that their\nsentiments are those of the whole native population, your peti-\ntioners respectfully present themselves to the notice of your Hono-\nurable House, and pray that the Regulation of the local government\nmay be confirmed and enforced.\nThat your petitioners cannot permit themselves to suppose that\nsuch a practice, abhorent to all the feelings of nature, the obliga-\ntions of society, and principles of good government, will receive\nthe sanction of your Honourable House, much less that, having\nbeen abolished, the British name and character will be dishonoured\nby its re-establishment.",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ]
}