Women in Eighteenth Century Oriya Literature

In Odisha history women are invisible. Their role and contributions have not been adequately documented in historical records. The Bhoumakkar period was marked by women taking over ruling roles and one-third of rulers were women. Following this Odisha has witnessed the deterioration of women's positions and status in society. They started treating it as an inferior and luxurious commodity. She became an important source of entertainment and service providers. Women were deprived of political economic and cultural status during the eighteenth century. A number of rules regulations and religious principles were created for her. This book attempts to evaluate their position status and function during the eighteenth century in Odisha. The main focus of this book is how the literature of the period has depicted them. The historical depiction of women in literature is analyzed.