Sati was declared illegal and punishable by the Regulation XVII during the Governor Generalship of

The practice of Sati was declared illegal and punishable by the Bengal Sati Regulation XVII of 1829 during the Governor-Generalship of Lord William Bentinck [2]. Bentinck, who served as the Governor-General of Bengal from 1828 to 1833 and later as the first Governor-General of India, enacted this law to end the inhuman practice of burning widows alive [c1][t4]. The regulation, passed on December 4, 1829, declared the practice revolting to human nature and made it a criminal offense to aid or abet such acts [t1][t7]. This landmark social reform was significantly influenced by the persistent campaigns of Indian reformer Raja Rammohan Roy, who highlighted the lack of scriptural sanction for the practice [c1][t2]. While previous administrators were hesitant to interfere in religious customs, Bentinck's humanitarian approach led to this decisive legislative action [c1][c3].

Sources

1. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 17: Effects of British Rule > Abolition of Sati > p. 271
2. [2] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > 9. Lord William Bentinck 1828-1835 > p. 817