To the Freedom of the Woman
Although, the constant journey of the times has changed most of our values. However, there are people today who are skeptical about new values. The Feudal System has created such a mentality in our country that it has made it difficult to compromise on social changes. In some circles, the most liberal movement is feminine. According to their thinking that the woman is only born to raise her children by remaining in their houses and for that it is important to keep in mind the role of men as part of social change and their role in the decision-making process are not same. In proof of this theory, they mention the physical weakness of a woman. They say because nature has made women naturally inferior to men, that is why women are rarely seen in the great figures of history. So let’s review the history to test the authenticity of this claim.
In the modern age, anthropology specialists have discovered a revolution based on prehistoric history. Today, all the experts of anthropology agree that the condemnation of women started after the agricultural revolution.Before the agricultural revolution, human society was a maternal society and women was the center of it, Morgan's investigation of the American tribe of Red Indians proves that in the maternal system the child was not named after his father but they used to name them after their mother and they were the heir of their mothers. Moreover, none of them knew the child's father's name. As a result of the increase in agricultural production, a man and a woman started farming and raising cattle and so all the tribes became sovereign. In this way, the woman became the personal property of the man and her conviction began.
The Fredrick angels’ book “the origin of the family private property and the state” with moving forward he carries on with Morgan’s debate that in the back to the Stone Age when the land was owned by the tribe. Due to the production of the ancient tool (hoes) it was not possible to have agriculture farming on the higher scale. Men go hunting and women participate in the production process through gardening and letter making at home. Since the male profession was subject to daily changes, the woman played a very important role in the production process even while at home. That is why she was central in society.
The discovery of copper, bronze, tin and iron and the agricultural revolution caused by the invention of Plough, changed the situation radically. The intense hard work requirement for the agricultural production was not the cup of tea of the women. Moreover, by increasing these economic outputs, the tribes lost in the wars, it was more profitable to enslave them rather than to fry them. Therefore, as a result of the slavery and personal property start, the woman fell from her position, what was once the cause of a woman's social superiority, the Home Affairs now became a disgrace. The transformation of the non-class mother community in the class-based society became the great historical defeat of the woman and which plunged it into the depths of social unrest.
Angle's words prove that the reason for a woman's subjection is not actually her physical weakness, but her change in productive relationships. Although the agricultural revolution destroyed the maternal system of society, it still has its roots in the agricultural society religion. So, in ancient religions, the goddesses are seen everywhere, since the woman was giving childbirth and the earth was producing crops from the womb, so the earth began to be called as Mother Land. And like a biological mother, production became a symbol of growth and recurrence.
After the agricultural revolution, the thoughts of her husband, The Heavenly Father and The Son appeared with The Mother Land. In some countries, The heavenly Father or The Son became a basic sign. He would have been killed in a winter and his wife or mother would go to search for him everywhere. During this time the drought would have been widespread and upon its recovery the fertility of the land would be restored.
The honor and dignity of the woman continued even after the agricultural revolution in Egypt. Like their husbands the wives of the Pharaohs were independent. According to Egyptian law, the property of a man used to be transferred to his wife's relatives upon his death. So for the protection of property, Pharaohs used to marry their sisters. However, in most countries, the status of a female was totally worthless. Bondwoman's markets were commonplace where they were usually sold by bid; kings used to keep Hundreds of bond women under the supervision of castrated men in their harem. Kings used to send bondwoman's as gifts to their friends.
With the domination of Christianity, the institution of bondwomen was abolished and prostitution became a business. Prostitutes were divided into two categories. Literate, beautiful and humble prostitutes and ordinary prostitutes were specific to the kings first, while others were for the public entertainment. Civilized Gentleman of the upper class used to go to civilized prostitutes for elitism. These included the castrated of Greece, the Geisha of Japan, the Whore of India, and the Duchess of Lucknow.
In addition to bond women and prostitutes, enslaved women were also the victims of male oppression. The husbands could kill their wives as they used to consider their wives as their properties, they could have sold her as a slave or they could have even cut off her nose or ear.
In the Old middle times, the priests of the West invented a strange way of keeping pockets warm. They used to accuse women with witchcraft and made them confess by torturing them that the devil came to them, after that they were handed over to the fire and their wealth was seized. Similarly, in India, Brahmans also encouraged the women of the wealthy to be SATI (offers herself on the funeral pyre alongside her husband's dead body), So that after their death their wealth can be seized.
Aristotle says “when power fails to make a man, it turns him into a woman”. As Shupenhayar says, power has armed lions with paws and teeth, elephants with trunk and teeth, and bulls with horns, similarly, he has given the woman a weapon of deception. But there are also many thinkers who preach the true equality of women and men. Ibn Rashad says that “this was also one of the reasons for the recent past that the man had made the woman “home cattle” and the “Bouquet of flowers”.
In modern times, Karl Marx has promoted social equality and women's equality; He says that since a woman is subjected to private ownership, the woman will also be free to abolish personal property. These ideas are still being practiced in countries such as China and Cuba today and women are working side by side with men in every field. In the Western countries, feminism is a regular movement and its effects are also affecting Eastern countries. This movement is more of a political movement than a social movement. Social movement refers to social reform whereas the political movement is the process of becoming the first political force and consequently moving towards social change. The role of women in us is also going through a phase of change. Until now the identity of women in politics and art of the industry is because of the men, but with the rapid spread of communication and the spread of education the mindset of women is changing. Now they appear to be more active in society than ever before. This discussion illustrates a few points. In the first peripheral society, women have been the victim of male oppression. Secondly the oppression of the woman made her feel self-conscious and that is why the names of great women are rarely seen in history. Thirdly, the true basis of a woman's subjection is not in her physical weakness; rather, the relationship lies in productive relationships and the change in these productive relationships will make a woman equal to a man. But how will the system of the society maintain his health this question is a question right now
References:
1- Rashid Mahmood langrial, “story of the fair sex “
2- Frederick Engels, “the origin of the family, private property and the state” in K. Marx/F. Engels: selected works, Moscow , Foreign language publishing house 1962.
3- Ali Abbas Jalalpuri “Common intellectual confusion” 1999.
In the Old middle times, the priests of the West invented a strange way of keeping pockets warm. They used to accuse women with witchcraft and made them confess by torturing them that the devil came to them, after that they were handed over to the fire and their wealth was seized. Similarly, in India, Brahmans also encouraged the women of the wealthy to be SATI (offers herself on the funeral pyre alongside her husband's dead body), So that after their death their wealth can be seized.
© 2020 Ahtesham Soomro