Why did the British Parliament and Company authorities initially avoid abolishing Sati in India?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is option 2 i.e. They feared religious backlash and wanted local judgment.
The British authorities initially avoided abolishing Sati primarily because they feared a severe religious backlash from the orthodox Hindu population.
Operating under a policy of non-interference in local customs, the East India Company worried that banning the practice would trigger widespread civil unrest and destabilize their political control. They preferred to leave social matters to local judgment and internal reform, prioritizing political stability and profitable trade over social intervention until intense pressure from reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy forced a change.