The abolition of Sati in colonial India was a subject of major debate among the British as well as amongst the local people. The British questioned the validity of the custom of sati in the Hindu scriptures and this kick-started a debate between the British and the Indian regarding the status of women in India. This research paper has been undertaken to study in detail what reasons led to the passing of the sati prohibition act and how it changed the perception of people regarding the status of women in colonial India. This topic is relevant even today as even in contemporary India debates over the status of women and the paternalism of the state are alive. It also highlights the fact that British undertook the task of defining the Hindu customs and religions and this helped them to understand the society better for administration, for resolving disputes among the subjects and also played a vital role in formulating the policies in future. The researcher aims to study the official discourse on sati by the British officials during the colonial period. The objective is to understand the reasons which made the British to pass the Sati Prohibition Act.

This paper is divided into three major parts. First part discusses about Sati in Hindu Texts. In this part study of the scriptural sanction of sati has been carried out. Second part throws light on Sati in Colonial India, Social Reform and Official Discourse. The practice of sati prevalent in India during colonial period has been discussed in this part. The last part deals with Sati Prohibition Act and its impact on society.