Bentinck's regulation abolishing sati in British India

Background. The Bengal Presidency, officially the Presidency of Fort William, was the largest of the three presidencies of British India. Sati was practiced in Bengal by the 12th century, increasing among Bengali Brahmins between 1680 and 1830 after widows gained inheritance rights. Opposition arose from evangelists like William Carey and Hindu reformers such as Ram Mohan Roy, whose campaigning ultimately led Bentinck to act.

Reform Campaigning. Ram Mohan Roy, a social reformer and founder of the Brahmo Sabha, actively campaigned against social evils. In 1829, he published a petition against sati. His efforts, alongside Christian evangelists, influenced the administration. Roy later traveled to England in 1830 to ensure the Bengal Sati Regulation was not overturned, serving as an envoy for the Mughal Emperor.

Regulation XVII. Lord William Bentinck, the first Governor-General of India, noted the dreadful responsibility of allowing sati to continue. After consultation with the army and officials, he issued Regulation XVII on 4 December 1829. This regulation declared sati illegal and punishable in criminal courts, and is known as the Bengal Sati Regulation, 1829.