The origin and development of the moral ideas

Among the nomadic Tangutans the women’s rights in the household seemed to Prejevalsky to be equal to those of the men.82 Of the Todas of India it is said that their women “hold a position in the family quite unlike what is ordinarily witnessed among Oriental nations. They are treated with respect, and are permitted a remarkable amount of freedom.”83 Among the Kandhs women “are uniformly treated with respect; the mothers of families generally with much honour. Nothing is done either in public or in private affairs without consulting them, and they generally exert upon the councils of their tribes a powerful influence.” A wife may quit her husband at any time, except within a year of her marriage, or when she expects offspring, or within a year after the birth of a child, though, when she quits him, he has a right to reclaim immediately from her father the whole sum paid for her.84 Among the peasants of the North-Western Provinces of India the wife is an influential personage in the household, not a mere drudge. Little is done without her knowledge and advice. If she is badly wronged the tribal council will protect her, and on the whole her position is, perhaps, not worse than that of her sisters in a similar grade of life in other parts of the world.85 Among the Káttis the men are much under the authority of their wives.86 Among the Bheels women “have much influence in the society,” and married men have always had the credit of allowing their wives to domineer over them.87 “A Kol or Ho,” says Dr. Hayes, “makes a regular companion of his wife.

She is consulted in all difficulties, and receives the fullest consideration due to her sex”;88 and Colonel Dalton adds, “As a rule, in no country in the world are wives better treated.”89 The Garos are “kind husbands, and their conduct generally towards the weaker sex is marked by consideration and respect.”90 The Bódo and Dhimáls “use their wives and daughters well, treating them with confidence and kindness.”91 The Santal “treats the female members of his family with respect.”92 Among the Kukis women are generally held in consideration; “their advice is taken, and they have much influence.”93 Mr. Colquhoun observes that among the Indo-Chinese races equality of the sexes prevails, and prevailed long before Buddhism took any hold upon the country.94

Among the Nicobarese “the position of women is, and always has been, in no way inferior to that of the other sex. They take their full share in the formation of public opinion, discuss publicly with the men matters of general interest to the village, and their opinions receive due attention before a decision is arrived at. In fact, they are consulted on every matter, and the henpecked husband is of no extraordinary rarity in the Nicobars.”95 Mr. Crawfurd thinks that in the Malay Archipelago “the lot of women may, on the whole, be considered as more fortunate than in any other country of the East”; they associate with the men “in all respects on terms of such equality as surprise us in such a condition of society.”96 In Bali they are on a perfect equality with the men.97 The Dyak shows great respect for his wife, and always asks her opinion;98 he regards her “not as a slave, but as a companion.”99 Among the Bataks the married women often have a great influence over their families.100 In Serang they have in all matters equal rights with the men, and are, consequently, treated well.101 The women of Sulu “have the reputation of ruling their lords, and possess much weight in the government by the influence they exert over their husbands.”102

In Melanesia the women generally have to work hard, supplying the place of slaves;103 but at least in various islands their condition is otherwise fairly good. In the Western islands of Torres Straits “the women appear to have had a good deal to say on most questions and were by no means downtrodden or ill-used.”104 In some parts of New Guinea their position is described as one of high esteem.105 “They have a large voice in domestic affairs, and occasionally lord it over their masters”; and their influence is felt not only in domestic matters, but also in affairs of state.106 In Erromanga, of the New Hebrides, although the women did all of the hard plantation work, they were on the whole well treated by their husbands.107 The same is said to be the case in the Solomon Islands;108 in the eastern part of New Georgia they do not even seem to do much work.109 In Micronesia the position of woman is decidedly good.

In the Marianne Group “the wife is absolute mistress in her house, the husband not daring to dispose of anything without her consent”; nay, the men are said to be actually governed by their wives, “the women assuming those prerogatives which in most other countries are invested in the other sex.”110 In the Pelew Islands the women are in every respect the equals of the men; the oldest man, or Obokul, of a family can do nothing without taking advice with its oldest female members.111 In the Caroline Group the weaker sex “enjoys a perfect equality in public estimation with the other.”112 Among the Mortlock Islanders the wife is quite independent of her husband.113 In the Kingsmill Islands very great consideration is awarded to the women: “they seem to have exclusive control over the house,” whilst all the hard labour is performed by the men.114 Among the Line Islanders “no difference is made in the sexes; a woman can vote and speak as well as a man, and in general the women decide the question, unless it is one of war against another island.”115 In many Polynesian islands, also, their position is by no means bad.116 In Tonga “women have considerable respect shown to them on account of their sex, independent of the rank they might otherwise hold as nobles”; they are not subjected to hard labour or any very menial work,117 and their status in society is not inferior to that of men.118 In Samoa they “are held in much consideration, … treated with great attention, and not suffered to do anything but what rightfully belongs to them.”119 In the valley of Typee, in the Marquesas

Group, the women are allowed every possible indulgence, the religious restrictions of the taboo alone excepted; they are exempt from toil, and “nowhere are they more sensible of their power.”120 Rochon wrote of the Malagasy:—“Man here never commands as a despot; nor does the woman ever obey as a slave. The balance of power inclines even in favour of the women.”121 At the present day, in Madagascar, the woman “is not scorned as essentially inferior to man,” but enters into her husband’s cares and joys, and shares his life, much in the same way as a wife does amongst ourselves.122