Today In Indian History (4th December)

1661 - Murad Baksh, son of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, was executed on the 4th December, 1661 on the orders of Aurangzeb for murdering Ali Naqi who was Murad’s one time Divan.

Murad has sided with his brother Aurangzeb in the deadly war of succession in which all the brothers were killed.

1829 - On 4th December in 1829 Sati practice was banned in all jurisdictions of British India by Governor-General Lord William Bentick under the Bengal Sati Regulation. Sati (written Suttee by older English writers) was the practice of self-immolation by a widow on her husband's funeral pyre.

Sati was never a widespread practice. It has been sporadically been referred to in history. The first datable reference to sati is found in the Greek accounts of Alexander invasions and the first memorial, dated 510 AD to the custom is found at Eran near Sagar in the state of Madhya Pradesh. In medieval India, the practice became very common.

The practice of sati was disapproved of by Bana, the court poet of Harsha.

During the Vijayanagar period, the Sati or Sahagaman was performed only by royal women.

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