Quite in contrast to the global trend, in India, prejudice against women, particularly in ancient times, was never very strong. Women enjoyed high status in both the spiritual and temporal activites of society. Though they rarely became rishis or sages, women as the wives of the sages, enjoyed as much importance and respect as he sages themselves.
The case with royalty was also similar. Epics like the Mahabaratha and Ramayana are replete with instances of women playing crucial roles is shaping the destinies of their lands. It is a tribute to the status of womanhood of the time, that the legacy of a Sita, a Kunthi or a Draupadi endures to inspire modern women and society .
However, at some time in the past, privileges like liberty and respect, that had been the hallmark of woman;s status untill then, were weakened by certain unhealthy prejudices that developed in the society. These prejudices, which caused a period of exploitation that spread over several centuries, substantially sapped the vitality of Indian womanhood, seemingly beyond the scope of redemption No natural reason can be attributed to such a collapse from a status of confidence and respect to a state of misery and hopelessness. Obviously, as a majority of modern historians believe, the exploitation that women endured was due to the deliberate design of certain vested interests.