Author: K S Lal
Publisher: Aditya Prakashan
Year: 1988
Language: English
Pages: 224
ISBN/UPC (if available): 81-85179-03-4
Description
In this work, Mughal harem means the harem of the Mughal emperor, the seraglios of royal prices and important nobles, but primarily the harm of the King. By King is meant al the M
The locale of the harem was Agra, Delhi, Fatehpur Sikri and Lahore, where the Kind and the important nobles lived. It was also Ahmedabad, Burhanpur, Daultabad, Mandu, and Srinagar in Kashmir as well as in so many other towns, cities, and camps; for the harem had to be wherever the Kind was.
The Mughal harem was not a magic arbour full of lovely females. It was a queer establishment wherein mothers and aunts, sisters and cousins, wives and concubines, princesses and minor princes, dancing-girls and maids, besides of course choicest beauties for the master's pleasure all lived under one roof as in a joint family. Each lady a distinct role to play, and each was treated with deference, admiration, adoration and strictness as was her due.
This work attempts a study of these women - queens, concubines, princesses, dancing and slave-girls. Thus in contrast to the history of the Mughal kings and nobles, which hitherto has been the main area of study by scholars of medieval Indian history, this volume deals with the life of the ladies of the Mughal royalty and nobility.