The Social Status of Women in Bhakti Literature: With Special Reference to Rajasthan.

Abstract

The Bhakti movement marked a significant turning point in the socio-cultural landscape of medieval India, as it challenged traditional orthodoxies and gave rise to a new spiritual and social discourse. The objective of the present research is to analyze the reflection and transformation of women’s social status in Bhakti literature, with particular reference to Rajasthan. This study explores the expression of female consciousness in the works of prominent saints such as Meera Bai, Dadu Dayal, Charandas, and Haridas.

Adopting qualitative and analytical approaches, the research undertakes an in-depth examination of primary sources (such as Meera’s devotional songs and Dadu’s verses) as well as secondary sources through literary-sociological and feminist cultural analysis. Preliminary findings suggest that the Bhakti movement provided women with an opportunity to develop a distinctive agency and identity within patriarchal structures through personal devotion and spiritual freedom. It presented women not merely as social entities, but also as spiritual seekers and voices of resistance.

This research highlights the transformed role of women embedded in Bhakti literature and underscores its modern feminist and cultural significance, which can offer guidance toward gender equality in contemporary society.