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Women's Question and Reform Acts | ISC Class 11 History

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The Women's Question and the Four Reform Acts (ISC Class 11 History)

Updated 17 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Nineteenth-century women faced sati, child marriage, enforced widowhood, female infanticide, purdah and illiteracy. Four Acts responded: the abolition of sati (1829), Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act (1856), Female Infanticide Prevention Act (1870) and Age of Consent Act (1891, 10 to 12 years), which changed the law but society only slowly.

Follow the four laws in order from 1829 to 1891, and remember that each changed the law quickly but social practice only slowly.

Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.

Understand The Women's Question and the Four Reform Acts

Condition of women. Sati (especially in Bengal); child marriage, sometimes before ten; enforced widowhood for upper-caste Hindu widows with hardship and no remarriage; female infanticide in some communities of north and west India linked to dowry and status; purdah; polygamy among some groups; lack of property rights; illiteracy. Conditions varied by region, caste, class and religion. Reformers: Rammohun Roy, Vidyasagar, Phule, Malabari and others.

1. Abolition of Sati (Bengal Regulation XVII, 1829). Passed under Governor-General Lord William Bentinck after a long campaign by Raja Rammohun Roy; sati illegal, and those assisting could be punished for culpable homicide; extended to Madras and Bombay. Impact: sati became rare; showed reform through law; orthodox appeal to the Privy Council failed.

2. Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act (1856). Campaign led by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar using the shastras. Passed under Lord Canning: widow remarriage legal, children legitimate; a widow who remarried lost rights in her late husband's property. Impact: few remarriages because of social boycott; legal backing for Veerasalingam and Phule.

3. Female Infanticide Prevention Act (1870). Applied where the practice was suspected; made registration of births and deaths compulsory and allowed supervision and counting of girl children. Impact: reduced the practice where enforced but enforcement was uneven and dowry and status concerns remained.

4. Age of Consent Act (1891). Followed the death of an eleven-year-old child wife, Phulmoni, in Calcutta (1889) and Behramji Malabari's campaign. Raised the age of consent for girls from 10 to 12; intercourse with a girl below 12 was rape. Opposed by orthodox leaders including Bal Gangadhar Tilak as interference in religion. Impact: hard to enforce but opened public debate leading to the Child Marriage Restraint (Sarda) Act of 1929.

Pattern. Laws needed social change to be effective.

The Women's Question and the Four Reform Acts: key facts

Four Acts
1829Sati abolished
1856Widows' Remarriage
1870Female Infanticide
1891Age of Consent
People
  • Bentinck and Rammohun Roy
  • Canning and Vidyasagar
  • Malabari and Phulmoni case
  • Opposition: Tilak
Age of consent
10 years to 12 years | Below 12: rape
Later law
Child Marriage Restraint (Sarda) Act 1929 | Grew from the consent debate

How to answer The Women's Question and the Four Reform Acts questions

Questions ask for features and impact of each Act (4 marks) or a four-Act overview (8 marks).

  1. 1Name the Act, year and governor-general.
  2. 2State the campaigner and the main provision.
  3. 3Give the impact and its limit.
  4. 4End with how the laws related to social change.

The Women's Question and the Four Reform Acts in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Gaps between Acts

Suppose a student wants to know how many years separated the Acts of 1829, 1856, 1870 and 1891.

Find the gaps.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. 1856 - 1829 = 27 years.
  2. 1870 - 1856 = 14 years; 1891 - 1870 = 21 years.

Answer: 27, 14 and 21 years.

Memory hook: Subtract in turn.

Law without change

Suppose a law allows a widow to remarry, but her village boycotts any family that arranges it.

What does this show about the 1856 Act?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. The law was legal but social boycott discouraged remarriage.
  2. Few remarriages took place.

Answer: Law alone was not enough.

Memory hook: Law needs society.

Tricks to remember The Women's Question and the Four Reform Acts

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

  • 29, 56, 70, 91

    Sati 1829, widows 1856, infanticide 1870, consent 1891.

    Use it when: Four Acts.

  • Roy, Vidyasagar, Malabari

    Rammohun Roy for sati, Vidyasagar for widows, Malabari for consent.

    Use it when: Campaigners.

The Women's Question and the Four Reform Acts: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Age of consent · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

The Age of Consent Act of 1891 raised the age of consent for girls from:
(a) 10 to 12 years
(b) 12 to 14 years
(c) 8 to 10 years
(d) 14 to 16 years

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Phulmoni case.

Answer: (a) 10 to 12 years.

Example 2: Sati Act · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

Name the governor-general, the campaigner and the year of the Act abolishing sati.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Lord William Bentinck.
  2. Raja Rammohun Roy.
  3. 1829.

Answer: Bentinck; Rammohun Roy; 1829.

Example 3: Widow remarriage · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Explain the features and impact of the Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act of 1856.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Campaign led by Vidyasagar using the shastras.
  2. Passed under Lord Canning.
  3. Widow remarriage legal and children of such marriages legitimate; a remarried widow lost rights in her late husband's property.
  4. Few remarriages took place because of boycott, but reformers gained legal backing.

Answer: Legal remarriage and legitimacy of children, but social boycott limited it.

Example 4: Age of Consent · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Explain the circumstances, provisions and opposition to the Age of Consent Act (1891).

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. The death of eleven-year-old Phulmoni in Calcutta (1889) and Malabari's campaign.
  2. The age was raised from 10 to 12; intercourse below 12 was rape.
  3. Orthodox leaders including Tilak opposed it as interference in religion.
  4. It opened debate leading to the Sarda Act of 1929.

Answer: Phulmoni case and Malabari; age 10 to 12; opposed by orthodox leaders; led to the Sarda Act.

Example 5: Evaluate laws · 5 marks · Case-basedHOTS / competency

Case: A student writes that the four Acts changed the law but society only slowly. (a) Give one evidence for each of two Acts. (b) Name one Act that was hard to enforce. (c) Compute the number of years from the first to the last Act.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. (a) Sati became rare after 1829; few widow remarriages took place after 1856 because of boycott.
  2. (b) The Female Infanticide Act (uneven enforcement) or the Age of Consent Act.
  3. (c) 1891 - 1829 = 62 years.

Answer: (a) Sati rare; few remarriages (b) Infanticide Act or Age of Consent (c) 62 years.

Where students lose marks in The Women's Question and the Four Reform Acts

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

  • Mistake: Misdating the Acts

    Years are mixed.

    Do this: Sati 1829; widow remarriage 1856; infanticide 1870; consent 1891.

    Usually costs: 1 mark each.

  • Mistake: Claiming laws ended the evils

    Limits are ignored.

    Do this: Say that laws were hard to enforce and needed social change.

    Usually costs: 2 marks.

  • Mistake: Attributing the Widows' Act to Rammohun Roy

    Campaigners are swapped.

    Do this: Vidyasagar led the widow remarriage campaign.

    Usually costs: 1 mark.

Exam tips

  • List the four Acts with years first.
  • Name governor-general and campaigner for each.
  • Always give an impact and a limit.
  • Use neutral wording on religion and custom.

Practice questions on The Women's Question and the Four Reform Acts

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

  1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

    Which Act followed the campaign of Behramji Malabari?
    (a) Sati Abolition
    (b) Widow Remarriage
    (c) Age of Consent
    (d) Female Infanticide

    Hint

    1891.

    Answer

    (c) Age of Consent Act.

  2. Q2 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    Describe the condition of widows in upper-caste Hindu society in the nineteenth century.

    Hint

    Widowhood, no remarriage.

    Answer

    Even child widows could not remarry and lived lives of hardship, with shaved heads, plain dress and restricted food.

  3. Q3 · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level

    Explain the provisions of the Female Infanticide Prevention Act (1870) and its limits.

    Hint

    Registration and supervision.

    Answer

    It applied where the practice was suspected, made registration of births and deaths compulsory and allowed supervision and counting of girl children. Enforcement was uneven and dowry and status concerns remained.

  4. Q4 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    State why Tilak opposed the Age of Consent Act and what the Act led to in 1929.

    Hint

    Interference in religion.

    Answer

    Tilak and other orthodox leaders opposed it as interference in religion; the debate led to the Child Marriage Restraint (Sarda) Act of 1929.

  5. Q5 · 4 marks · Case-basedHOTS / competency

    Case: A reformer wants to argue for a law using the shastras rather than only modern ideas. (a) Name the reformer who did this in 1856. (b) Name the Act. (c) Say why this approach mattered.

    Hint

    Vidyasagar.

    Answer

    (a) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. (b) Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act. (c) It answered orthodox objections by showing that the shastras permitted widow remarriage.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

  1. 1.Governor-General for sati?Show answer

    Lord William Bentinck.

  2. 2.Campaigner for widow remarriage?Show answer

    Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.

  3. 3.Phulmoni died in?Show answer

    Calcutta, 1889.

  4. 4.Sarda Act year?Show answer

    1929.

  5. 5.Age of consent after 1891?Show answer

    12 years.

The Women's Question and the Four Reform Acts: frequently asked questions

Why was the 1870 Act local?

It applied where infanticide was suspected.

Did sati end at once?

It became rare but the change was gradual.

Why did a remarried widow lose property rights?

The 1856 Act provided that she lost rights in her late husband's property.