International Journal of Social Science Research (IJSSR)

Evolving Significance of Ornaments as Streedhan in Indian Society: A Journey between Dominance and Freedom

In the Indian subcontinent, there are prehistoric evidences of people wearing ornaments regardless of gender. But over time, ornaments became more associated with women. Heterosexual patriarchy, like many other cultural norms, used the relationship of women and ornaments in order to maintain its own hegemony. The patriarchy, for its own sake, constructed the concept of ‘Streedhan’. Patriarchy sometimes presented women with independent right over their Streedhan, and also controlled and seized the right when needed. The ancient Brahminical law-cods worked as the protector of the hegemony of the Heterosexual Patriarchy. That’s why these scriptures contain a large number of regulations related to Streedhan. This was the initial construction of the significance of ornaments as Streedhan. But with the change of time and circumstances, when Indian women have enlightened by the light of education and have stepped into the outer world beyond the domestic world, the relationship of women and their ornaments gained new relevance. The enlightened women sometimes clung to the Streedhan as the source of their own economic support and the weapon of building their own identity, and sometimes women made their own contribution to the wider world using their Streedhan. Just as many women directly participated in the freedom movement of India, many also played an indirect role in strengthening the movement by donating their ornaments to the fund. These roles are very important from the perspective of gender history. Because, by this, using their ornaments women were able to break the chain of the domestic world and advanced their role in the larger sphere of national politics.