Gender roles in history: women as hunters

The traditional anthropological view of man as the sole hunter is being questioned today and women's role in hunting is being highlighted. The evidence from India supports the view of women as hunters, no matter how restricted this role may be. The archaeological evidence shows that hunting involved...

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Main Author: Singh, K.S.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: 2001
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/18341
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author Singh, K.S.
author_browse Singh, K.S.
author_facet Singh, K.S.
author_sort Singh, K.S.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description The traditional anthropological view of man as the sole hunter is being questioned today and women's role in hunting is being highlighted. The evidence from India supports the view of women as hunters, no matter how restricted this role may be. The archaeological evidence shows that hunting involved women-men partnerships. Folklore and puranic myths represent mother goddesses as killers of major wild animals. There are many historical examples of queens shooting tigers and panthers. In the colonial period when shooting a tiger became a status symbol, there were sportswomen, both Indian and British, who shot major mammals. Also, women from rural and indigenous communities, with their simple instruments and techniques, killed major mammals to save life and property. A unique tribal hunt that survives as a remnant of women's role as hunters is known as jani shikar, held every 12 years by indigenous women when they go out to hunt wild animals, mainly minor ones today as ideas of conservation seep in. Thus, in spite of general reservations about and prohibitions on women, there is still a role for women in hunting.
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spelling CGSpace183412025-01-24T14:13:12Z Gender roles in history: women as hunters Singh, K.S. gender relations women hunting history The traditional anthropological view of man as the sole hunter is being questioned today and women's role in hunting is being highlighted. The evidence from India supports the view of women as hunters, no matter how restricted this role may be. The archaeological evidence shows that hunting involved women-men partnerships. Folklore and puranic myths represent mother goddesses as killers of major wild animals. There are many historical examples of queens shooting tigers and panthers. In the colonial period when shooting a tiger became a status symbol, there were sportswomen, both Indian and British, who shot major mammals. Also, women from rural and indigenous communities, with their simple instruments and techniques, killed major mammals to save life and property. A unique tribal hunt that survives as a remnant of women's role as hunters is known as jani shikar, held every 12 years by indigenous women when they go out to hunt wild animals, mainly minor ones today as ideas of conservation seep in. Thus, in spite of general reservations about and prohibitions on women, there is still a role for women in hunting. 2001 2012-06-04T09:06:21Z 2012-06-04T09:06:21Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/18341 en Singh, K.S. 2001. Gender roles in history: women as hunters . Gender, Technology and Development 5 (1) :113-124.
spellingShingle gender relations
women
hunting
history
Singh, K.S.
Gender roles in history: women as hunters
title Gender roles in history: women as hunters
title_full Gender roles in history: women as hunters
title_fullStr Gender roles in history: women as hunters
title_full_unstemmed Gender roles in history: women as hunters
title_short Gender roles in history: women as hunters
title_sort gender roles in history women as hunters
topic gender relations
women
hunting
history
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/18341
work_keys_str_mv AT singhks genderrolesinhistorywomenashunters