The Reform of the Legal Status of Hindu Widows in the 19th Century

　　ABSTRACT: This paper focuses on Hindu widows’ self-immolation and remarriage. Firstly, it analyzes the causes of Sati and describes the process of abolition of the custom. Secondly, it makes an introduction of the contents of the Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act of 1856 and analyzes its social effects. Though codification during colonial time opened a door for social change in India, it was also true that there was a sense of alienation between the legal system and the social lives of Indian people.