India, with its rich cultural heritage and ethnicity has always aided the women to stand apart whilst showcasing their talent and knowledge. Right from the remote past of the ancient rimes till the recent era women in India stands as the logo of the term `equality`. India, always attempted to usher in an era of righteousness and morality for all, irrespective of men and women.

Women in Ancient India
Women held an important position in the ancient society and were even superior to men. Women were then believed as the incarnation of `shakti`. Historical evidence illustrates the verity that woman power ruled the then society. They even destroyed mighty rulers and conquered kingdoms. Women had independence and had equal position in the society. In the then society women had the permission to get education and to get married with their chosen husbands. The ancient Hindu scriptures mention the names of Maitreyi and Gargi as the recognised women of the era.

Though the women of early Vedic period enjoyed freedom and power, with the time, majorly after the Muslim invasion and Smritis, the status of the women worsened. The final blow came to the women with the Christianity that curbed the rights and independence of the women of India. Though the reformatory movements of Jainism granted the Indian women the freedom of religion, the women could not come out from the limitations that once set on them. As per the history, the child marriage was started from an early period of sixth century and it was the time when women were undergoing confinement and were compelled to follow the crude rules of society.

Women in Medieval India
During the medieval period, the position of women in India further devolved. The social life was cursed with child marriages, Sati practice, Jauhar, confinement of widow marriage, ban on girl education, sexual exploitation, Purdah system. This time was mentioned as the `dark age` for the women of the then society as they had to undergo a lot of troubles and confinements. The worse position of the women were worsened by the foreign conquests, Muslim invasions etc. Though the society was poisoned by these adversities, women managed to revamp their position by taking part in religion, politics, education and literature and proving themselves excellent in those fields. In the societies of Christians, Jainism and Buddhism the position of the women were not that bad as the women of those societies enjoyed education, freedom, religious freedom and in other sectors they enjoyed much freedom in comparison to Hindu society. Later during the Bhakti movements, the position of the women became a bit stable due to the contribution of some of the renowned female figures namely Rami Janabai, Akka Mahadevi, Mirabai, Lal Ded et al. After the Bhakti movement, some religious reformers namely Guru Nanak tried to establish equality among men and women. The position of women in South India was better than the status of the women in North India as in the South India women use to take care of the administration, accounting and some other works related to the kingdom management.

Women In Mughal Era
The position of women during the Mughal period illustrates the heritage of the then India. Be it in art, science, and technology or be it in the artistry of cooking women excelled during this time. Many women especially the royal women then played active part in the ultimate production of art and also in propagating literature. The political authorities of women also witnessed a new dawn during the Mughal period.

Women In British era
The wave of western feminism crafted the position of Indian women during the British Raj. In the nineteenth century, the influence of the British colonialism for the very first time imbedded the igneous seed of the `woman question` whilst making women to stand out and to raise their voice. With the tremendous development of women literacy issues like early marriage, practice of Sati etc were strongly dealt even by the women in British India.

Women After Independence
The position of women after independence supported the fact that the Indian constitutional law etc endorsed the qualities like equality and righteousness. A major achievement on the part of women after independence is the granting of franchise or voting rights to women. Hindu laws of marriage and divorce, adoption, and inheritance have also witnessed a major alteration, which again proves the noteworthy place of women in independent India.

Women in Modern Era
Women in the modern era stand as the insignia of India`s development and equality. Be it in career development or in the seamless majestic development of women empowerment, women in modern India has explicated as `separate individuals` whilst playing a crucial role in the modern society.