Gender Roles In The Aztec Empire And Gupta Women In Gupta India

According to feminist scholar Bell Hooks, “we live in a world of crisis-a world governed by politics of domination, one in which the belief in a notion of superior and inferior, and its concomitant ideology-that the superior should rule over the inferior-affects the lives of people everywhere…” (Hooks, 1952, p.464). This ideology can be studied by examining women from distinctive ethnic, social, and religious groups and their role in a patriarchal society. A society where men took center stage and women were mere supporters. While, most cultivations encouraged male superiority certain civilizations allowed women to exert some control, power, and participation in certain societal sectors. For example, women in both the Aztec Empire and Gupta

In terms of marriage and motherhood, women were expected to marry and have a son, as having a daughter was not as important. Preadolescent matrimonies were common as girls as young as eight were married off to men a lot older than them. This practice is supported in the Laws of Manu, which states, “A thirty year old man should marry a twelve-year old girl who charms his heart, and a man of twenty-four an eight-year old girl; and if duty is threatened, [he should marry] in haste” (Buhler). Due to the young age of marriage, women did not have any choice in their spouse in which they were marrying. Although, in the Gandharva marriage the couple chooses each other but it is low ranked and spiritually unacceptable (Callahan, 2018). The young marriage age was opportune with the civilization as it focused on preserving a girl’s virginity before marriage; young brides were more socialized to remain docile and loyal, and maternal mortality rates were high (Clay et al., 2009, p. 71). As for motherhood, women were expected to get pregnant within the first three years and expectantly bear a son. Becoming a mother to a son allowed her to gain social status and approval (Callahan, 2018). This shows that women were quite restricted in marriage and motherhood in what they were able to do. Women were trained to become good, obedient, and efficient housewives never to be

From the investigation of literature from this time period, women in lower class systems worked and participated in activities like farm cultivation, spinning, pottery making, painting, basket weaving, and embroidery (Clay, Paul, & Senecal, 2009). Different from upper-caste women, lower class women needed to work for health benefits. Women in the upper-caste system were not allowed to participate in public economic activities. As for political power, women were largely excluded from political affairs but had an indirect role typically related to their sons. For example, the Mahabharta contains examples of several women who went to great lengths to secure positions for their sons like Kunti, mother of the five Pandava brothers, who was consulted on every mission that the brothers commence (Clay, Paul, & Senecal, 2009). Literary sources like the Mahabharta sanction the idea of women in power but men still had a more prominent role in politics as they served as kings and