Volume-II, Special Issue, March 2026
Novel Insights A Peer-Reviewed Quarterly Multidisciplinary Research Journal |
Volume-II, Special Issue, March 2026 |
Re-evaluating the status and roles of Courtesan in Buddhist Literature with special reference to Jatakas in Early India Sweta Jha, Research Scholar,University of North Bengal, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India Email: swetajha391@gmail.com |
Received: 08.03.2026 | Accepted: 21.03.2026 | Published Online: 31.03.2026 |
Page No: 66-71 | DOI: 10.69655/novelinsights.vol.2.issue.specialW.89 | |
Abstract | ||
Women have gained a new arena of visibility as a topic of historical discussion in recent times. The exercise of rewriting the past has been confined to invisibilising women; their presence has been registered only negatively, mainly through an extensive silence. However, here, an attempt will be made to re-evaluate the status and roles of the Courtesan with special reference to the Jataka. Courtesans in early Indian Buddhist literature were wealthy, strong and independent, often acting as key patrons of the faith. They held a high status for being cultured, educated artists who were outside domestic constraints, thereby challenging traditional gender roles. While often depicted as tempting, their conversion signifies the triumph of Buddhist teaching over worldly desire. In early Buddhist literature, courtesans played an important role. Many courtesans were rich enough to give groves, food, houses, and wealth to Buddhist monks and even to the Buddha. However, in this article, an attempt will be made to re-evaluate and rethink the position of courtesans, the reality of society, and their place within the collective control of man. Keywords: Courtesan, Independence, Stereotype, Passive, Prestige, Control | ||