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Tamil Nadu (TNBSE)Class 8 Social Studies★ 5-8 marks in the TN Class 8 annual exam through book-back MCQs, fill-ups and short answers

Status of Women in India through the Ages

Samacheer Kalvi (TN State Board) Class 8 Social Science — History Chapter 8, Status of Women in India through the Ages. The social evils faced by women (sati, child marriage, female infanticide, the purdah system), the reformers who fought them (Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Periyar, Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy) and the key laws (Abolition of Sati 1829, Widow Remarriage Act 1856, Sarda Act 1930). Notes with the actual book-back questions, common mistakes and quick revision.

⏱ 16 min readEasy difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

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By the end of this chapter you'll be able to…

1List the social evils faced by women
2Match reformers to their contributions
3Recall the key reform laws and their years
4Explain the abolition of sati
5Describe the role of Tamil reformers

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Why this chapter matters

Status of Women in India through the Ages covers the social evils women faced and the reformers and laws that improved their lives. The abolition of sati (1829), the Widow Remarriage Act (1856) and the Sarda Act (1930) are directly tested book-back content in the TN Class 8 exam.

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Chapter 4 — People's Revolt

Social change under British rule.

Status of Women in India through the Ages — Class 8 Social Science (Samacheer Kalvi)

TN State Board (Samacheer Kalvi) Class 8 Social Science, History — Chapter 8. Social evils against women and the reformers who fought them.

1. About this lesson

This lesson studies the social evils that women faced, the reformers who worked for their upliftment, and the laws passed to protect women's rights.

Some of the social evils that existed in Indian society were:

Sati (a widow burning herself on her husband's pyre),
child marriage,
female infanticide,
the purdah (veiling) system, and
the ill-treatment of widows.

3. Reformers and their work

Reformer	Contribution
Raja Ram Mohan Roy	Pioneer of social reform; got sati abolished in 1829 (with Lord William Bentinck); opposed child marriage and female infanticide
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar	Worked for female education and widow remarriage; helped pass the Hindu Widow Remarriage Act (1856)
Periyar E. V. Ramasamy	Fought for women's equality and self-respect in Tamil Nadu
Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy	First woman legislator in India; worked for women's health and against the devadasi system
Jyotirao Phule & Pandita Ramabai	Promoted education and rights for women

4. Important laws

Abolition of Sati Act, 1829 — banned sati.
Hindu Widow Remarriage Act, 1856 — allowed widows to remarry.
Sarda Act, 1930 — raised the minimum age of marriage for boys and girls.

5. Worked examples

Example 1. Who got sati abolished in 1829? Raja Ram Mohan Roy (with Lord William Bentinck).

Example 2. Which Act allowed widows to remarry? The Hindu Widow Remarriage Act, 1856 (Vidyasagar's effort).

Example 3. What did the Sarda Act of 1930 do? It raised the age of marriage for boys and girls.

6. Book-back questions (Samacheer Kalvi)

I. Choose the correct answer

Sati was abolished in the year — (a) 1829 / (b) 1856. Ans: (a) 1829.
The pioneer of the Indian social reform movement was — (a) Raja Ram Mohan Roy / (b) Vidyasagar. Ans: (a) Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
The Hindu Widow Remarriage Act was passed in — (a) 1856 / (b) 1930. Ans: (a) 1856.
The age of marriage was raised by the — (a) Sarda Act of 1930 / (b) Charter Act. Ans: (a) Sarda Act, 1930.
The reformer who worked for widow remarriage and female education was — (a) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar / (b) Albuquerque. Ans: (a) Vidyasagar.

II. Fill in the blanks 6. Raja Ram Mohan Roy got sati abolished with the help of Lord William Bentinck. 7. The practice of veiling women was called the purdah system. 8. Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy was the first woman legislator in India.

III. Answer briefly 9. Name any three social evils faced by women. 10. What was the contribution of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar?

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Confusing the years of the reforms. Fix: Sati abolished 1829; Widow Remarriage Act 1856; Sarda Act 1930.
Mistake: Crediting the wrong reformer with abolishing sati. Fix: Raja Ram Mohan Roy (with Bentinck) got sati abolished.
Mistake: Thinking only the British reformed society. Fix: Indian reformers like Roy, Vidyasagar, Periyar and Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy led the change.

8. Quick revision

History Ch 8 · status of women.
Social evils: sati, child marriage, female infanticide, purdah, ill-treatment of widows.
Reformers: Raja Ram Mohan Roy (sati abolished 1829), Vidyasagar (widow remarriage, female education), Periyar, Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy.
Laws: Abolition of Sati 1829, Hindu Widow Remarriage Act 1856, Sarda Act 1930 (raised marriage age).

Key formulas & results

Everything you need to memorise, in one card. Screenshot this for revision.

Social evils

sati · child marriage · female infanticide · purdah

Faced by women.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy

abolition of sati, 1829 (with Bentinck)

Pioneer reformer.

Vidyasagar

Hindu Widow Remarriage Act, 1856; female education

Widow remarriage.

Sarda Act

1930 · raised the age of marriage

Against child marriage.

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Common mistakes & fixes

These are the exact errors that cost students marks in board exams. Read them once, save yourself the trouble.

WATCH OUT

✗ Confusing the years of the reforms

✓ Sati abolished 1829; Widow Remarriage Act 1856; Sarda Act 1930.

WATCH OUT

✗ Crediting the wrong reformer with abolishing sati

✓ Raja Ram Mohan Roy (with Bentinck) got sati abolished.

WATCH OUT

✗ Thinking only the British reformed society

✓ Indian reformers like Roy, Vidyasagar, Periyar and Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy led the change.

NCERT exercises (with solutions)

Every NCERT exercise from this chapter — what it covers and how many questions to expect.

Choose the correct answer

Book-back MCQs on sati, the reformers and the reform laws.

Questions

Fill in the blanks

Bentinck, purdah and Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy.

Questions

Answer briefly

Social evils, Vidyasagar's contribution.

Questions

Practice problems

Try each one yourself before tapping "Show solution". Active recall > rereading.

Q1EASY· MCQ

Sati was abolished in the year ____.

▶ Show solution

1829.

Q2EASY· MCQ

The pioneer of the Indian social reform movement was ____.

▶ Show solution

Raja Ram Mohan Roy.

Q3EASY· MCQ

The age of marriage was raised by the ____.

▶ Show solution

Sarda Act of 1930.

Q4EASY· Fill in the blanks

The Hindu Widow Remarriage Act was passed in the year ____.

▶ Show solution

1856.

Q5MEDIUM· Answer briefly

Name any three social evils faced by women.

▶ Show solution

Sati, child marriage and female infanticide (also the purdah system and ill-treatment of widows).

Q6MEDIUM· Answer briefly

What was the contribution of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar?

▶ Show solution

He campaigned for female education and the remarriage of widows and was instrumental in passing the Hindu Widow Remarriage Act of 1856.

5-minute revision

The whole chapter, distilled. Read this the night before the exam.

•History Chapter 8 of Samacheer Kalvi Class 8 Social Science.
•Social evils: sati, child marriage, female infanticide, purdah, ill-treatment of widows.
•Raja Ram Mohan Roy: pioneer reformer; got sati abolished in 1829 (with Bentinck).
•Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar: female education and the Hindu Widow Remarriage Act (1856).
•Tamil reformers: Periyar E. V. R. and Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy.
•Sarda Act (1930) raised the minimum age of marriage.

Tamil Nadu (TNBSE) marks blueprint

Where the marks come from in this chapter — so you can plan your prep.

Typical chapter weightage: 5-8 marks across book-back MCQ, fill-ups and short answers

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
MCQ / Fill	1	3-5	Evils, reformers, laws
Short Answer	2-3	1-2	Reformers' contributions
Match	1	1	Reformer with reform

Prep strategy

Make a reformer–contribution table
Memorise the three reform years (1829, 1856, 1930)
List the social evils
Note the Tamil reformers (Periyar, Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy)

Where this shows up in the real world

This chapter isn't just an exam topic — it lives in the world around you.

Women's rights

These reforms underpin today's laws on marriage age and equality.

Education

Vidyasagar's work began modern female education.

Tamil Nadu pride

Periyar and Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy are state icons of reform.

Exam strategy

Battle-tested tips from teachers and toppers for this chapter.

Pair each reformer with one clear contribution
Quote the three reform years exactly
List at least three social evils
Mention Bentinck with the abolition of sati

Going beyond the textbook

For olympiad aspirants and curious learners — topics that build on this chapter.

Trace how the marriage age has changed from the Sarda Act to today.
Research Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy's work against the devadasi system.

Where else this chapter is tested

CBSE board isn't the only one — other exams test this chapter too.

TN Class 8 Annual ExamHigh

TNPSC Foundation / HistoryHigh

School unit testsHigh

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Questions students ask

The real ones — pulled from the Q&A community and tutor sessions.

Sati cost countless widows their lives; banning it in 1829 was the first major legal reform that recognised a woman's right to live, and it inspired further reforms.

They exposed social evils, spread female education, supported widow remarriage and pressed for laws — gradually winning women more rights, dignity and opportunities.

Practice more, ask doubts, find a tutor

Tamil Nadu (TNBSE) Class 8 mock tests

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