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Satbees Deora, Chittorgarh; a large Jain temple southwest of Fateh Prakash Mahal and east of Kumbha's Palace's Bari Pol; ('satbees' is '27'; 'deora' are 'shrines'). It is thought to have been built in the 11th century, then renovated by Swetamber (Vishnu) Jains in 1942. Satbees Deora is quite an attractive temple, its architectural beauty reminiscent of the Dilwara Jain Temple at Mt. Abu and the Jain temples of Ranakpur. Nearby are two more Jain temples, facing east; all of them are adorned with many sculptured images.
sati (Sanskrit) true wife, (British: suttee), the act of a widow committing suicide by burning herself on the funeral pyre either with the body of her husband or separately, if he had died elsewhere. This traditional act began after India's Vedic period. Classical authors mention it as early as 316 BC. It appears at first to have been a royal custom and privilege, afterwards taken up by the masses and became an accepted social practice. Theoretically, the act of sati was voluntary. Rajput women have always been famous for being as brave as their men, wives being passionately devoted and loyal their husbands-even to the horrifying ritual of sati. When the husband died, the woman no longer cared to live without him. Often without a sign of fear, she ascended husband's funeral pyre and died with him.
Bernier, in his Travels in the Mughal Empire, observed that Muslims, who governed much of India, did all in their power to suppress the barbarous custom of sati. They did not forbid it by a positive law because it was part of their policy to leave the "idolatrous population", so much more numerous than their own, in free exercise of its religion. The practice was checked by indirect means. No woman could sacrifice herself without permission from the governor of the province in which she resided, and he never granted that permission until she showed that she was not to be turned aside from her purpose. Often the governor reasoned with the widow and made enticing promises. If those methods failed, he sometimes sent her "among his women, that the effect of their remonstrances may be tried." Notwithstanding, the number of self-immolations was still very considerable, particularly in the Rajput territories, where there were no Muslim governors. Superficially, an excess of affection was the given reason why women cremated themselves with their deceased husbands. However, the practice was the effect of early and deeply rooted prejudices; every mother taught her daughter that it was virtuous and laudable in a wife to mingle her ashes with those of her husband. No woman of honour would refuse to comply with an established custom that was said to be an easy mode of keeping wives in subjection, of securing their attention in times of sickness, and of deterring them from administering poison to their husbands.
The BRITISH banned the practice in India in 1829. Maharana SWAROOP SINGH (1842-1861) was also forced to ban sati in Mewar, which did not prevent one of his concubines from throwing herself upon his funeral pyre. Isolated instances persisted in remote parts of India until well into the 20th century.
Satola (Choondawat), a town 125 km. from Udaipur near Bari Sadri; the jagir Maharana Jagat Singh II (1734-1751) gave to the descendants of Ror Singh, fourth son of Kesri Singh of SALUMBAR. Their title is 'Rawat'.
Genealogy: Ror Singh; Umaid Singh; Pratap Singh; Chaman Singh; Chatarsal; Takhat Singh; Dalpat Singh.
satrap, a governor of a province under the ancient Persian monarchy; a subordinate ruler, often a despotic one.
Satrunjaya, one of the five sacred mountains of the Jains, near Idar.
Saura, (Hindi) Sun-worshippers, from Surya, the Sun God.
Saurashtra (Kathiawar), (country of the Sauras or Sun-worshippers), the peninsula that forms a major part of Gujarat. It was settled by nomadic Rajputs (ca 2nd century AD). One of its capitals was the city of VALLABHI, thought to be the ancestral home of Rawal GUHIL, founder of the GUHILOT Dynasty (forerunner of the Mewar Dynasty).
Sawai Singh Mehta, brother of Sher Singh Mehta, both of whom were ministers under Maharana BHIM SINGH (1778-1828).
Sawar, the Mughal term for military horsemen (or, simply, horse).
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