text_original: In the year 1817 no fewer than 700 widows, many of them mere children, had, according to this ancient custom, been sacrificed in Bengal alone, on the funeral pyres of their husbands. Vainly had the great Mughal Emperor Akbar attempted to abolish this cruel custom. It had acquired the sanctity of a religious rite, and it needed no ordinary resolution to interfere with it.
text_transcription: IN THE YEAR EIGHTEEN SEVENTEEN NO FEWER THAN SEVEN HUNDRED WIDOWS MANY OF THEM MERE CHILDREN HAD ACCORDING TO THE ANCIENT CUSTOM BEEN SACRIFICED IN BENGAL ALONE ON THE FUNERAL PIRES OF THEIR HUSBANDS VAINLY HAD THE GREAT RUGAL EMPEROR ACBAR ATTEMPTED TO ABOLISH THIS CRUEL CUSTOM IT HAD ACQUIRED THE SANCTITY OF A RELIGIOUS RITE AND IT NEEDED NO ORDINARY RESOLUTION TO INTERFERE WITH IT
phonemes: ɪnðə jˈɪɹ wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvəntˌiːn nˈoʊ fjˈuːɚ ðɐn sˈɛvənhˈʌndɹɪd wˈɪdoʊz, mˈɛnɪəv ðˌɛm mˈɪɹ tʃˈɪldɹən, hˌæd, ɐkˈɔːɹdɪŋ tə ðɪs ˈeɪntʃənt kˈʌstəm, bˌɪn sˈækɹᵻfˌaɪst ɪn bˌɛŋɡˈɔːl ɐlˈoʊn, ɔnðə fjˈuːnɚɹəl pˈaɪɚz ʌv ðɛɹ hˈʌsbəndz. vˈeɪnli hæd ðə ɡɹˈeɪt mˈoʊɡəl ˈɛmpɚɹɚɹ ˈækbɑːɹ ɐtˈɛmptᵻd tʊ ɐbˈɑːlɪʃ ðɪs kɹˈuːəl kˈʌstəm. ɪt hæd ɐkwˈaɪɚd ðə sˈæŋktᵻɾi əvɚ ɹᵻlˈɪdʒəs ɹˈaɪt, ænd ɪt nˈiːdᵻd nˈoʊ ˈɔːɹdɪnˌɛɹi ɹˌɛzəlˈuːʃən tʊ ˌɪntəfˈɪɹ wɪð ɪt.