<P> The Rajput practice of Jauhar , known from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh , was the collective suicide of widows who preferred death rather than being captured alive and dishonored by victorious Muslim soldiers in a war . According to Bose , jauhar practice grew in the 14th and 15th century with Hindu - Muslim wars of northwest India , where the Hindu women preferred death than slavery or rape they faced if captured . Sati - style jauhar custom was observed only during Hindu - Muslim wars in medieval India , but not during internecine Hindu - Hindu wars among the Rajputs . </P>
<P> The Rajput practice of Jauhar , known from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh , was the collective suicide of widows who preferred death rather than being captured alive and dishonored by victorious Muslim soldiers in a war . According to Bose , jauhar practice grew in the 14th and 15th century with Hindu - Muslim wars of northwest India , where the Hindu women preferred death than slavery or rape they faced if captured . Sati - style jauhar custom was observed only during Hindu - Muslim wars in medieval India , but not during internecine Hindu - Hindu wars among the Rajputs . </P>
in the medieval period in india the term sati meant
in the medieval period in india the term sati meant
collective suicide of widows who preferred death rather than being captured alive and dishonored by victorious Muslim soldiers in a war
collective suicide of widows who preferred death rather than being captured alive and dishonored by victorious Muslim soldiers in a war