(i) In the Hindu caste system, there were four Varnas-the Brahmins, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas and the Shudras. Apart from these four groups, there were people at the lowest rank of the society who were known as the untouchables by "upper caste people". They were also known to be the fifth Varnas. The social condition of the untouchables was very miserable.
(ii) The "Upper Caste" people did not allow them to enter temples, draw water from the wells or bathe in those public ponds where higher castes people used to took bath. The untouchables were seen as inferior human beings.

From the early 20th century, some Muslim women played a significant role in promoting education among women. Begums of Bhopal founded a primary school for girls at Aligarh.
A leading feminist writer and social worker Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain started schools for Muslim girls in Patna and Calcutta. Begum Rokeya criticised the conservative ideas of the religious leaders which were responsible for the inferior place of women in society.

The first schools for girls were opened in the mid-19th century.
People feared to send their girls to school as:
(i) They feared that schools would take girls away from home, prevent them from doing their domestic duties.
(ii) They felt that girls should stay away from public places. Girls had to travel through public place in order to reach school and this would have a corrupting influence on them.

An account of the discussion:
Girls were not allowed the access to education.
Fundamentalists opposed her.
She opened muslim girls schools at Patna and Calcutta.
Madame Rokeya Hossain opposed this dictum and advocated for girl education.

(i) Women were married at an early age.
(ii) Women were forced to burn themselves on the funeral pyre of their husbands. Woman who died in this manner, whether willing or otherwise, were called Sati which meant virtuous women.
(iii) Women's right to property were also restricted.
(iv) Women had virtually no access to education. In many parts of the country, people believed that if a woman was educated, she would become a widow.

(i) Balthazar Solvyn is the artist of painting 1 and Rembrandt Peale is the artist of painting 2.
(ii) Painting 1 was made in 1813.
Painting 2 was made in 1833.

Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar was a social reformer, philosopher, academician, philanthropist and a key figure of the Bengal Renaissance. His works and contribution for the upliftment of women are as follows:
(i) He did a lot for the education of women, as he believed that it was our primary duty to educate a woman because she was the real teacher of her child. He opened and ran many schools for girls at his own expense.
(ii) Vidyasagar strongly protested against polygamy and child marriage.
(iii) It was due to his effort, the Hindu Widow Remarriage Act 1856 was passed which allowed the widows to remarriage. He had also opposed the sati system.
Ishwarchandra worked endlessly to provide equal education to all men and women irrespective of their caste, religion and gender. He believed that the status of women and all kinds of injustice and inequalities that they face could be changed only through education.