Indian womanhood and its role in the national resurgence has long been a controversial field of research. But the bulk of published literature on women, with different subject-slants, has not yet been systematically surveyed and arranged for the use of scholars in the field. The present volume decidedly fills in a big gap in the bibliographic compilation on the subject. This annotated bibliography is a maiden venture that subject-wise organizes 823 published monographs, books, reports and research papers in English. A statistical analysis of the trend of research on women in India from the ancient times to the present offers an overview of the research already done, and in the process, it also identifies the gaps that await further scholarly research. The bibliography has been arranged under the broad categories of: General survey; Society and women; Economic status; Political status; Legal status; Education Women in Art and Culture; Biographies of eminent women. The subject divisions are then classified period-wise : (A) Ancient to Modern; (B) Ancient of Medieval; © Modern. A further classification is according to the type of material, i. e. books, reports, monographs and research papers. The appendices carry lists of unpublished theses submitted to universities during the last few years and a chronologically arranged list of legislations that have affected the lives of women in this country.

The status and position of Indian women have undergone many changes since the high status they enjoyed in the Vedic era yielded to forced suicide during the dark ages, female infanticide, purdah, child marriages and the denial of property and political rights. This book, first published in 1985, provides a comprehensive annotated bibliography to hose years, and the years that followed of the relentless liberation struggle by women on the socio-political and legal fronts.