Why Women of India has to undergo torturous rituals after husband dies?

1. Why women of India has to undergo torturous rituals after husband dies? When did it all started and why? Is those rituals relevant today? Why are we continuing these still , blindly? 
2. What we practice in India , is a midieaval custom  or practice , may be. Women are treated well and as equals in earlier to vedic periods. All these practices and customs started in the medieaval period , ie. when foreigners started attacking indus civilisation and later, to protect the women . This is only an idea of mine. My question is , why we are continuing these customs. Customs basically means a traditional and widely accepted way of behaving or doing something that is specific to a particular society, place, or time. I think , time has come ,for all of us to think with open minds and route out this evil practice of torturing women. Even in well educated families , also , women has to undergo, those rituals, against their will. If any women stands against these, we should stand by them. But most of the time/cases , women themselves, force other women to undergo all those dated customs ! If any one opposes , such a thing, every one springs up with  100s of theories and customs , to back it. Who has made these customs and traditions? We have made those customs!. Customs are time and period specific. Why continue them eternally, without any understanding and a rethink. Shouldn't we break them.