To Jauhar or not to Jauhar? Swara Bhasker’s words expose our obsession with women’s honour

Swara Bhasker's recent comments about Jauhar have reignited a long-standing debate surrounding the glorification of women's honour in the face of violence. The 2018 film Padmaavat sparked outrage and protests over its portrayal of medieval Rajput history, ultimately leading to mixed reactions and further discussions about Jauhar.

Bhasker questioned the romanticization of Jauhar, arguing that women who chose death over rape and enslavement should not be remembered through the lens of honour and sacrifice. While the internet accused her of insulting Rajput women and disrespecting their history, the core of her argument remains: why are we still so fixated on the idea of honour attached to women's bodies?

The debate often centers on whether those women were brave, made a desperate choice, or faced a patriarchal world that demanded they choose death. However, the more pressing question should be why death was considered the more honourable option in the first place.

Jauhar, an act of extraordinary courage, required women with little agency to make a final decision in the face of enslavement, sexual violence, and brutality. Recognizing their bravery does not mean diminishing the circumstances that forced them into such a choice. In fact, turning their deaths into something heroic may do them a disservice, as it overlooks the brutal realities they faced.

The practice of Jauhar was not isolated; it was a product of a world where women had limited control over their bodies, marriages, futures, and lives. Their choices were determined by the brutal rules of a patriarchal society, with the only remaining option often being how they would die.

While Jauhar is not a story about women being weak, it is a story of what women were forced to become strong enough to survive—and, sometimes, strong enough to die. By focusing on their choices rather than the violence that forced them, we can better understand the complexity of Jauhar and the circumstances that led to its glorification.