Can we call Tulsidas misogynist

ढोर, गँवार, शूद्र, पशु नारी

सकल ताड़न के अधिकारी

Rationalising ताड़ना here as section of neopurists started to explain to bail out Tulsidas is itself irrational. He indeed meant treating women not just worthy of reprimand (only meaning of ताड़ना in context of this couplet) but he also grouped women along with animals and other human whom people of those times treated like animals and that’s fact from our culture followed even today to some extent. This malice of dogmatism is so entrenched today in class of people that even women come forward to defend the indefensible.

Given this, Tulsidas was one of the finest poets humanity has seen. Ramcharitramanas is epical poem with no parallel. But somewhere we forget such great literature should be treated as work of art and respected accordingly whether of Kalidas or of Homer or of Shakespeare. In india we tend to merge literary work with religious beliefs and treat that as testimony of mythology. People may have different view on this and like to disagree which I respect as their right.

When Tulsidas wrote his version of story of Ram in language spoken by people during his time, he was very naturally penning to include sentiments of society during his time. Those were medieval times when Indian society was fragmented more strongly into castes and women were treated little with respect barring very few examples primarily from royals. Which erroneously is sometimes used to project women as free emancipated part of society of those times. They were not free. Tulsidas’s work was reflection of society during his time. He can’t be held responsible for those words as this was normal during his upbringing period. Standards of morality keep changing with time. 

Tulsidas can’t be blamed for what he wrote. Also it is no point defending that with irrational logical explanations as is being done with word ताड़ना. When we were growing up certain crass words we used as abuses are now used in common parlance and in family too. That’s example how society changes and adapts to new standards of morality. The book written by Tulsidas still needs to be respected as great literary work.