A History of the Veil

This chapter explores the changing boundaries of women’s lives, as shaped by themselves and others. It considers women’s strategies for evading danger in a warlord-dominated ancient world, and their chosen or imposed restrictions on interactions with men. It examines how women could view seclusion as a privilege. It shows how concern for female security shaped the built environment of Persia. The chapter explores the double standards of “protection” for wealthy or powerful women and hazardous labor for ordinary working women. It surveys the prevalence of both sexual abuse and veiling for women across Eurasia in pre-modern times and explores how standards for male and female clothing became major political issues.