A Just Measure of Death?: Hindu Ritual and Colonial Law in the Sphere of Widow Immolations

Sarkar’s article looks at the Hindu ritual of widow immolation, which colonial law abolished in 1830. It explores the administration of the ritual before abolition and how, in the process of governance, the widow’s consent emerged as a prominent keyword in colonial bureaucratic discourses. It shows the ramifications of the concept of consent, the problem of establishing it, and the consequences of applying it.