In this landmark essay, Uma Chakravarti argues that caste hierarchy and gender hierarchy are mutually reinforcing systems embedded within brahmanical social order. The article moves beyond the limited framework of “status of women” and instead examines the structural mechanisms that subordinated women, particularly upper caste women, through the regulation of sexuality and the maintenance of caste purity.
Chakravarti situates patriarchy within broader intersections of caste, class, and state formation, demonstrating how control over women’s sexuality became central to preserving patrilineal succession and caste boundaries. The text remains essential for understanding how gender oppression operates within caste society and why feminist analysis in South Asia must remain structurally anti-caste.