Purdah

Taken from the word for veil or curtain in Hindu, purdah involves a complex set of rules followed in some Islamic and Hindu communities. Meant to confine, the purdah dictates that a woman must veil her body or sit in seculsion behind a screen and stay inside the house for most of her life. The custom emerged in the Assyrian and Persian cultures, but was adopted by the Muslims when they conquered the Assyrians. This influence also spread to India, where many of the Hindus put it into practice.

http://www.fashionencyclopedia.com/fashion_costume_culture/The-Ancient-World-India/Purdah.html

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