The Harim and the Purdah: Studies of Oriental Women

The book surveys the lives, customs, and social positions of women across several Eastern regions, combining descriptive chapters on Egyptian, Indian, Burmese, Chinese, and Japanese women with discussions of marriage, motherhood, divorce, polygamy, seclusion, religious practice, and domestic economy. It portrays women whose identities are largely rooted in household roles and traditional rites, examines legal and property rights where they exist, and highlights variations such as greater economic participation and divorce rights in some societies. Attention is given to education, superstitions, ritual practices affecting childhood and death, and the early effects of modernization and Western influence on gender roles and family life.