International Science Community Association International Research Journal of Social Sciences 2319 - 3565 5 9 2016 09 14 Social Status of Women in the 19th Century Tamil Society 29 34 EN Mahima S. 1 Department of Economics, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India Lavanya V.L. 2 Department of Applied Economics, Kannur University, Thalassery Campus, Palayad-670661, Kerala, India Gupta Ashish 1 Department of Anthropology, Dr. H.S. Gour University, Sagar, MP, India Shimray Robert Angkang 1 North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Meghalaya–793022, India Sahni Bindu 1 VPO Ambota, Tehsil Amb, District Una, Himachal Pradesh-177205, India Papanikolaou Vasilis 1 Frederick University, Cyprus Loizidou-Ieridou Nataly 2 Frederick University, Cyprus Argyriadis Alexandros 3 Frederick University, Cyprus Karthika P. 1 Post Graduate and Research Department of History, Vellalar College for Women, Erode-12, Tamil Nadu, India Suganya K. 2 Post Graduate and Research Department of History,Vellalar College for Women, Erode-12, Tamil Nadu, India > Research Article 2016 8 22 2016 09 14 In Tamil Nadu, Women consist of fifty percent of the total population occupies a very low status in medieval and early modern society in Tamil. Lack of educational facilities, child marriages, prohibition of widow remarriages, prevalence of Devadasi system etc., were some of the social factors responsible for the low status and misery of women who were reduced to the position of glorified slaves. The women of weaker sections and low strata of society enjoyed comparatively more freedom since both husband and wife had to work to earn their livelihood, but their general condition was no better. Social barriers, Conservatism and female ignorance reigned supreme. Their economic position was pitiable. Therefore, the crusade for the emancipation of women became the first objective of the social reform movement, in the nineteenth centuries. Copyright@ International Science Community Association