What were the elements of the practice of sati that drew the attention of Bernier?
François Bernier, a 17th-century French physician and traveller, wrote extensively about his experiences in India, including his observations on the practice of sati. Sati was a Hindu funeral practice where a widow would immolate herself on her husband’s funeral pyre. Bernier’s attention was drawn to several elements of this practice: Voluntariness vs. Coercion: Bernier noted…