A fascinating story of the intersection between Christianity and Hinduism...
-- Ernie P.
http://in.christiantoday.com/articles/wiliam-carey-played-significant-role-in-abolishing-sati-system/4906.htm
"Carey was a great social reformer. When he witnessed Sati, the worst evil
which prevailed at that time, he was horrified and dismayed," says Dr.
Lalchungnunga, the principal of Serampore College, the oldest ecumenical
organisation in India, founded by missionaries Joshua Marshman, William Carey
and William Ward in 1827.
"The ‘Serampore Trio’ joined other social reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy,
and each on their own capacities vied to abolish this inhuman practice," he
told Christian Today.
It was not an easy road. Carey came through a lot of pressure and agitation by
traditional Hindus who validated the act by citing ancient Hindu scriptures.
"But, Carey was not to give up. He studied the Vedas and sacred texts for
months to be fully conversant to debate the learned pundits," says
Lalchungnunga.
"Carey finally with the same Vedas proved that their scriptures never
sanctioned it. He persistently battled against it till it was banned in 1829,"
he added.
During his campaign against Sati, Carey found that nearly 300 widows were burnt
alive around Calcutta and 10,000 all over India within a short span of time.
Sadly, the Hindu practise of polygamy compounded the problem even more. On one
occasion Carey documented 33 wives of one man burned alive at his funeral. This
practise made children orphaned without both father and mother.
Carey fought against all these, publishing articles and books, resolutely
opposing this gory practise.
See also:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Mohan_Roy#Religious_reforms_of_Rammohan
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