Had I not read several books on the Mughal Empire before and had a rudimentary knowledge of the main personages at the height of its power I would probably have floundered and got lost in the jungle of characters who often not only had several names but also all kinds of titles.
Giving an account of the lives of women in the Mahal (harem, zenana, etc.) was not an easy task as there was very little information, personal or official, on the females behind the elaborately carved screens or brocade curtains. A lot of this information was based on bazaar gossip enthusiastically picked up and spread by foreigners, either travellers or residents at the Mughal court. The only voice that speaks to us directly is that of Gulbadan, the Rose Princess, who lived through the reigns of the first three Mughal Emperors. She was the daughter of Babur, sister of Humayun and aunt of Akbar who requested her to write the Humayun-Nama. The only other outstanding women were Nur-Jahan, Mumtaz Mahal and Jahanara.
Nur-Jahan, a Shia and the 20th wife of Jehangir, despite being in purdah, practically ran the empire while her husband slowly succumbed to alcohol and opium to which most of the Mughal emperors, apart from ascetic Aurangzeb, were addicted.
Mumtaz Mahal’s only claim to fame is that her inconsolable widower Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in her memory.
Shah Jahan’s daughter Shahanara was a rich, brilliant and very capable woman who, among other things, founded Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi) and who chose to accompany her father when Aurangzeb imprisoned him for life in the Red Fort in Agra.
We learn that under Babur and Humayun, in Ferghana and Kabul, life for the women had been so much freer and easier than later in Delhi, Agra and Fatehpur Sikri when Akbar adopted the traditions of the Rajputs who were obsessed with their women’s purity. At least, under the Mughals, widows were allowed to remarry and Sati and child marriage were disapproved of. Unfortunately, princesses were prevented from marrying as any son-in-law might harbour aspirations to the throne, the Mughals being famous for eliminating fathers, brothers, sons, cousins or any male remotely perceived as a threat.
Through the centuries, most Westerners apparently pictured the Mahal as a place where beautiful, seductively-dressed women languidly lounged on silk cushions waiting for their lord and master to take them to bed. Partly, of course, that was true but by the end of Akbar’s reign there were supposedly around 5.000 women in the zenana which was more like a small town, a world in itself, with a very strict hierarchy, bureaucracy and security. There were his various queens, wives, concubines (who were possessions and could be transferred), mothers (who were most highly regarded as were foster mothers), grandmothers, sisters, cousins, adopted mothers, princesses, ladies-in-waiting, wet nurses, teachers, spiritual guides, astrologers, maids, slave girls, cooks, gardeners, tailors, entertainers, singers, dancers, magicians, etc. They all were jealously guarded by eunuchs or female warders and anyone discovered trying to enter the Mahal could be sure of a cruel death. Small boys were kept with their mothers or given to a favourite queen.
Several times in the book the author raises the obvious question of what exactly all those women did all day. The ones higher up in the hierarchy were often intellectual and highly educated, they were accomplished poets, business women, administrators, advisors, even mathematicians. To keep themselves entertained they organised all kinds of festivities and as Akbar was very tolerant and also had Hindu wives who were not forced to convert to Islam, festivals of both religions were celebrated. Also, there were of course endless beauty rituals, endless gossip and endless intrigues. Only Mumtaz Mahal and Nur-Jahan managed to have a close relationship with their husbands.
This short, poignant quote well sums up the book : “The Mughals ruled for three centuries and we know about a minuscule number of royal women, thousands are forgotten.”
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card
Popular titles by this author
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Top reviews from other countries
Amit Kumaar
Less talk about the main topic and book title
Reviewed in India on December 11, 2019Akshay
A potentially good topic riddled with disappointments
Reviewed in India on August 12, 2021