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{{Short description|Women's quarters in the Mughal court}}
[[File:Fatehpur-Fatehpur Sikri India0002.JPG|thumb|Entrance to the [[Jodha Bai Mahal]] in the harem at the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] city of [[Fatehpur Sikri]].]]
{{Slavery}}
The '''Mughal Harem''' was the [[harem]] of [[Mughal emperors]] of the [[Indian subcontinent]]. The term originated with the [[Near East]], meaning a "forbidden place; sacrosanct, sanctum", and etymologically related to the Arabic {{lang|ar|حريم}} ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; female members of the family" and {{lang|ar|حرام}} ''[[haraam|ḥarām]]'', "forbidden; sacred".{{citation needed|date=October 2017}} It has the same meaning as the Turkish word ''[[seraglio]]'' and the Persian word ''[[zenana]]''. It is also similar to the Sanskrit word [[anthapura]], meaning ‘the inner apartment’ of the household. It came to mean the sphere of women in what was usually a [[polygyny|polygynous]] household and their segregated quarters which were forbidden to men.

The Harem, being a forbidden place, was constant topic of speculation and curiosity. It was a vibrant and large physical space where women were arranged in regard to their proximity to the Emperor.

==History==
===The women===
Harem women were composed of consorts (wives and slave concubines), female relatives of the Mughals emperors and slave maids. Most women usually entered the Harem through marriage, birth, appointments or as gifts (slaves).<ref>Karuna Sharma (2009) A Visit to the Mughal Harem: Lives of Royal Women,
South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, 32:2, 155-169, DOI: 10.1080/00856400903049457</ref>

The women were governed through strict rules of Purdah, and they could not move out of the harem as they liked, but many women travelled for affairs of pilgrimage to local shrines, hunting and sightseeing with the Emperor. Inside the Harem, they led a materially luxurious and a comfortable life.

The Harem had gardens, fountains and water channels attached to it. There were various departments within the Mughal Harem that fulfilled the basic needs of its residents. The food was provided from the Royal Kitchen known as ''Bawarchikhana'' and the ''Akbar Khanah'' provided drinking water and wine. The ''Ritab Khanah'' was in charge of supplying bread and the ''Maywa Khanah'' provided fruits to the household. Things of personal use such as dresses, jewellery, fancy articles and other household items were provided by the Imperial ''Karkhanah''.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=v2TyjzZhZEC&dq=mughal+harem+rajput&pg=PA15 Royal Mughal Ladies and Their Contributions]</ref>

== Hierarchy ==
[[File:Mughal harem.jpg|thumb|Ladies of the harem with attendants,1700-1710.]]
The harem was not just a place where women lived. Babies were born and children grew up there. Within the precincts of the harem were markets, bazaars, laundries, kitchens, playgrounds, schools and baths.

The harem had a hierarchy, its chief authorities being the wives and female relatives of the emperor and below them were the concubines.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131202194915/http://newindianexpress.com/education/student/Inside-the-harem-of-the-mughals/2013/11/28/article1915795.ece Inside the Harem of the Mughals]</ref> Mothers, step-mothers, aunts, grandmothers, step-sisters, sisters, daughters and other female relatives lived in the harem. There were also ladies-in-waiting, servants, maids, cooks, women, officials, and guards.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=v-2TyjzZhZEC&dq=mughal+harem+rajput&pg=PA15 Royal Mughal Ladies and Their Contributions]</ref>

=== ''Padshah Begum'' ===
{{Main|Padshah Begum}}
The highest position within the harem was that of the [[Padshah Begum]], which, in most cases, was bestowed as a title to the Empress or chief wife, though in some cases it could be an imperial princess or a sister of the emperor. It was considered the most important title in the Mughal Harem. <ref>{{Citation |last=Findly |first=Ellison Banks |title=Nur Jahan and Religious Policy |date=1993-03-25 |work=Nur Jahan |pages=184–217 |url=https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195074888.003.0009 |access-date=2025-12-19 |publisher=Oxford University PressNew York, NY |doi=10.1093/oso/9780195074888.003.0009 |isbn=978-0-19-507488-8|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Some concubines would make their way to the top and eventually become empresses and possess immense power, like [[Lal Kunwar]], the favorite of Emperor [[Jahandar Shah]] who was bestowed the prestigious title of Imtiaz Mahal (lit. ''Distinguished one of the Palace'')<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mukhia |first=Harbans |date=April 2001 |title=Book Reviews : D.N. Marshall, Mughals in India: A Bibliographical Survey, vol. I—Manu scripts, Supplementary, Part I, New Delhi Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers and Indian Council of Historical Research, 1996, pp. xxiii + 148; and Mansura Haidar, Mukatabat-i-Allami (Insha'i Abul Fazl), Daftar I, New Delhi, Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers and Indian Council of Historical Research, 1998, pp. xxii + 130 |url=https://doi.org/10.1177/097194580100400109 |journal=The Medieval History Journal |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=138–141 |doi=10.1177/097194580100400109 |issn=0971-9458|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
[[File:Idealized Portrait of the Mughal Empress Nur Jahan (1577-1645)? LACMA M.81.271.7.jpg|thumb|Empress Nur Jahan, Padshah Begum.]]The empress was second in power to the Queen Mother, and had the ability to issue [[Firman|''farmans'']], (imperial decrees) and ''hukms.'' Empresses could play important roles in the politics of the empire, could influence diplomatic relations, and could oversee and maintain trade with foreign lands.

=== Consorts ===
Emperors and princes could have up to four chief consorts and an unlimited amount of consorts and concubines. These consorts were legal wives married to the emperor through [[Nikaah|''nikaah'']] marriages. Upon their arrival to the harem, all women and girls would be taught the palace etiquette and court manners by experienced governesses and instructors. The chief consorts occupied a position directly under the Empress in the hierarchy.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wink |first=André |title=Al-Hind: The Making of the Indo-Islamic World: Volume IV: Age of the Great Mughals, 16th-17th Centuries. Part One: Afghans and Mughals in the Struggle |date=2024 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-69680-8 |series=Asian Studies E-Books Online, Collection 2024 |location=Leiden Boston}}</ref>

=== Concubines ===
Under the consorts were the concubines, who could be of an unlimited number. Women entered the harem as concubines through multiple ways, such as being captured as spoils of war, being captured from defeated kingdoms, imperial appointment, and as part of the dowers from political marriages.<ref>Indian Feminism: Class, Gender & Identity in Medieval Ages</ref> After entering the harem, they were given new names that matched their looks or personality.

They lived in shared living quarters in the harem called the Sunday Palace, Tuesday Palace, and Saturday Palace, each palace's name corresponding to which day in the week the Emperor could choose to visit them. Important, favoured concubines were permitted to be the mistresses of their own palaces. A concubine could further her status and gain privileges by bearing the Emperor's children, especially by bearing a prince. The children of concubines could be entrusted to be raised by the higher rank consorts, who had the ability to adopt them as their own.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bano |first=Shadab |date=1999 |title=Marriage and Concubinage in the Mughal Imperial Family |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44144101 |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=60 |pages=353–362 |jstor=44144101 |issn=2249-1937}}</ref> Upon the death of the ruling emperor they could choose to retire, thus the numbers were regularly renewed. After the emperors death they were treated with respect and honor conferred upon them as the concubines of the previous emperor.<ref>{{Cite web |title=We now know what went inside the Mughal harems |url=https://www.dailyo.in/variety/mughal-royal-harem-voyeurism-erotic-instincts-shah-jahan-14650 |access-date=2026-03-13 |website=www.dailyo.in |language=en}}</ref>

'''The ''Kanchani''''': Within the harem were the accomplished ''kanchani'' or ''kanjari'' who worked as palace dancers and singers and provided entertainment. They were highly skilled in singing, music, and dance, and performed on special occasions such as the birth of a imperial child, the royal weddings, and festivals. The [[Ain-i-Akbari|Ain-e-Akbari]] states that "their extraordinary performances are beyond description" and that "each of them offers a special style of vocal accompaniment." They had the high chance of becoming concubines if they gained enough favor.
[[File:Dancers at the wedding of Dara Shikoh.jpg|thumb|Dancers at the wedding of Prince Dara Shikoh, by court painter ''Bulaqi'', from the ''[[Padshahnama]].'']]

=== Role of the Eunuchs ===
The harem was managed by the legion of eunuchs known as the ''Khwajasara'', who were castrated men recruited to serve the members of the imperial family and the ladies of the harem. They acted as guards, attendants, informants, and were tasked with watching over the women of the harem. Eunuchs were employed in the harem because they couldn't pose a threat to the royal lineage and were thus free of any dynastic ambition. They were the trusted servants and confidantes of their mistresses and served them loyally.

'''''Nazir-e-Mahal:''''' The head eunuch of the harem was called the Nazir-e-Mahal (chief eunuch of the palace) and held considerable power and influence.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mukherjee |first=Soma |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v-2TyjzZhZEC&dq=nazir+i+mahal&pg=PA39 |title=Royal Mughal Ladies and Their Contributions |date=2001 |publisher=Gyan Books |isbn=978-81-212-0760-7 |language=en}}</ref> The head eunuch was in charge of initiating new entrees to the harem and overseeing both trivial and important affairs within the harem. They were permitted to have their own servants and maids, and had access to material luxuries and wealth.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Findly |first=Ellison Banks |title=Nur Jahan: empress of Mughal India |date=2023 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-771507-9 |series=Oxford scholarship online |location=New York}}</ref>

''[[Daroga|'''Darogha''']]'': A legion of female superintendents called Darogas (matrons) were assigned to handle the administration of the harem, maintaining order, and ensuring proper palace etiquette. The women who were chosen came from educated and respectable families and were often times appointed by the emperor himself.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mukherjee |first=Soma |title=Royal Mughal ladies and their contributions |date=2001 |publisher=Gyan Pub. House |isbn=978-81-212-0760-7 |location=New Delhi}}</ref> Being employed as a daroga in the palace was considered a great honor for the woman and her family.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lal |first=Kishori Saran |title=The Mughal harem |date=1988 |publisher=Aditya Prakashan |isbn=978-81-85179-03-2 |location=New Delhi}}</ref>

For the protection of the ladies of the harem, female warriors called ''[[Urdubegis]]'' were put in charge.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Women in the medieval Islamic world: power, patronage, and piety |date=1999 |publisher=St. Martin's Press |isbn=978-0-312-22451-6 |editor-last=Hambly |editor-first=Gavin |edition=1. paperback |series=The new Middle Ages |location=New York}}</ref>

'''''[[Mahaldar]]''''': The Mahaldars (chief female officer) were selected from among the darogas. They acted as spies, reporting conflicts, intrigue, and any possible scheming within the harem to the Emperor's ears, ensuring that the harem remained peaceful. Because of the Mahaldars provided direct service to the Emperor, they occupied an prestigious position and were highly ranked among the servants.<ref>Misra, Rekha (1967). ''Women in Mughal India''. Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal. p. 78. [[OCLC (identifier)|OCLC]] 473530.</ref>

== Reform of Akbar ==
[[File:Akbar's Harem Complex 02.jpg|thumb|The Harem complex at Fatehpur Sikri.]]
Akbar's imperial harem was re-organized into a fortress-like institution which is quite in contrast to the image of the reigns of Babur and Humayun. Harbans Mukhia attributed this change to the growing influence of [[Rajput]] cultural ethos on Akbar ever since his marriage in 1562 to [[Mariam-uz-Zamani]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mukhia |first=Harbans |title=The Mughals of India |date=2004 |publisher=Blackwell Pub |isbn=978-0-470-75830-4 |location=Malden, MA |pages=132–133 |oclc=214282198}}</ref> With the construction of [[Fatehpur Sikri]], Emperor [[Akbar]] saw the need to organize the administration of his [[Zenana]]. This portion of the palace was reputably home to about five thousand women.<ref name="Abu 'l-Fazl Allami">{{cite book|last1=Abu 'l-Fazl Allami|last2=Blochman|first2=H|editor1-last=Phillot|editor1-first=Lieut. Colonel D.C.|title=The Ain-i Akbari|date=1977|publisher=Munishram Manoharlal|location=New Delhi|pages=45–47|edition=3rd|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ICSaMQAACAAJ}}</ref> While [[Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak]] claims in the [[Akbarnama]] that each woman had her own suite of rooms, it is more likely that only members of the royal family and favorites of the emperor had their own apartments.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Domesticity and Power in the Early Mughal World|last=Lal|first=Ruby|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2005|isbn=0521850223|location=Cambridge|pages=166}}</ref>

The zenana was divided into sections, with (female) ''[[daroghas]]'' tending to the organizational needs of the residents and working to keep the peace. Other administrative positions within the zenana included the tehwildars, or accounts officers responsible for the salaries and financial requests of the zenana inhabitants. The ''[[mahaldar]]'', the female servant of the highest authority, often acted as an intelligence source from the zenana directly to the emperor. The ''anagas'', or royal wet-nurses, were elevated to positions of rank though their purpose was not strictly administrative.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Mughal Harem|last=Lal|first=K.S.|publisher=Aditya Prakashan|year=1988|isbn=8185179034|location=New Delhi|pages=14, 52}}</ref>

== The harem quarters and the inner palace ==

The Zenana was the size of a small city. Within it were the palaces and apartments of the women of the harem, usually allocated to the empress, empress dowager, princesses, or especially favoured concubines.

[[File:Fatehpur-Fatehpur Sikri India0019.JPG|thumb|Mariam-uz-Zamani's [[Jodha Bai Mahal|palace]] in Fatehpur Sikri.]]

Empress [[Mariam-uz-Zamani]] had her own palace in the harem of Fatehpur Sikri called the Raniwas. it was the largest palace in the zenana complex. All the palaces and apartments were heavily guarded by the ''[[Urdubegis]]'', skillful armed female warriors that were assigned to offer protection to the ladies of the harem.<ref>{{Citation |last=Perkiss |first=Abigail |title=Hurricane Sandy on New Jersey's Forgotten Shore: An Origins Story |date=2022-07-15 |work=Hurricane Sandy on New Jersey's Forgotten Shore |pages=91–100 |url=https://doi.org/10.7591/cornell/9781501709852.005.0002 |access-date=2025-12-20 |publisher=Cornell University Press |doi=10.7591/cornell/9781501709852.005.0002 |isbn=978-1-5017-0985-2|url-access=subscription }}</ref> They were highly proficient in combat, such as lance and archery.
[[File:Jehangir Mahal Agra Fort 1.jpg|thumb|The [[Jahangiri Mahal]].]]
[[File:Anguri-Bagh-1.JPG|thumb|The pleasure garden Anguri Bagh.]]
[[File:Rang Mahal - Red Fort.JPG|thumb|The [[Rang Mahal (Red Fort)|Rang Mahal]], built for the rest and relaxation of the ladies.]]
== Business activity ==
Mughal women had control over the financial resources and were involved in various economic activities. They enjoyed annual incomes and used eunuchs as agents of commerce. Many women also commissioned buildings and gardens. Akbar's favourite wife, [[Mariam-uz-Zamani#As an entrepreneur|Mariam-uz-Zamani]], is the earliest recorded woman of the Mughal empire who engaged in inland and overseas trade.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mukherjee |first=Soma |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v-2TyjzZhZEC&dq=Rahimi+ship&pg=PA238 |title=Royal Mughal Ladies and Their Contributions |date=2001 |publisher=Gyan Books |isbn=978-81-212-0760-7 |pages=238 |language=en}}</ref> During the reigns of Akbar and Jahangir, she built the largest ships that carried [[Hajj|pilgrims]] to and from the Islamic holy city [[Mecca]], ran an extensive trade of silk and several spices to international borders, and oversaw the trade with [[Arab states of the Persian Gulf|Gulf countries]] and nations. In the words of Findly, she had, in the larger arena, helped chart the role of Mughal women in the newly expanding business of foreign trade. Shah Jahan's daughter, [[Jahanara Begum]] contributed to many architectural projects of Shah Jahan's new capital, Shahjahanabad and she as well as her sister, Roshanara enjoyed an annual income often equal to that of high imperial mansabdars.<ref>National Council of Education Research and Training. Themes in Indian History. Publication Division, Secretary.</ref> They also had a strong administrative control over the domestic trade and gained large revenues from various towns. Jahanara received revenues from the port city of [[Surat]], which was a profitable centre of overseas trade. Nur Jahan by system of tolls from internal trade had an income of 230,000 mahmudis. They combined their Economic sense with Political Activities to strengthen the monarchy and the empire.<ref>Karuna Sharma (2009) A Visit to the Mughal Harem: Lives of Royal Women, South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, 32:2, 155-169, DOI: 10.1080/00856400903049457</ref>

=== Political activity and power ===
Many women of the Mughal Dynasty were ardent participants in political affairs, acting as mediators, peacemakers, and playing important roles in wars of succession. The imperial harem and imperial court had many times intersected in more ways than one. When [[Khusrau Mirza]] was imprisoned by Emperor [[Jahangir]] in 1605, Queen mother [[Mariam-uz-Zamani]], [[Salima Sultan Begum]], Jahangir's sisters, and Khusrau's stepmothers and sisters, had secured a pardon for the implicated prince. [[Nur Jahan]] is noted to have faked tears in front of the queen mother in hopes of the possession of Khusrau's charge, whom she considered a powerful contender to the throne, but was unsuccessful.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Findly |first=Ellison Banks |date=1993-03-25 |title=Nur Jahan |url=https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195074888.001.0001 |doi=10.1093/oso/9780195074888.001.0001|isbn=978-0-19-507488-8 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Princesses [[Jahanara Begum|Jahanara]] and [[Roshanara Begum|Roshanara]] played an important role in the Mughal War of Succession in 1658 to 1659, choosing to support different princes- Dara Shikoh and Alamgir, as the future emperor.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lal |first=Ruby |title=Domesticity and power in the early Mughal world |date=2005 |publisher=Cambridge university press |isbn=978-0-521-85022-3 |series=Cambridge studies in Islamic civilization |location=Cambridge (GB)}}</ref>

== Humayun Nama ==
The ''[[Humayun Nama]]'' provides an insight into the lives of Mughal women. It was written by [[Gulbadan Begum]], who was Humayun's sister. She describes in great detail the conflicts and tensions in the empire and how women played a mediating role in resolving them.<ref>Gulbadan Begum, Humayun Nama.</ref>
For instance, [[Hamida Banu Begum|Hamida Bano]] and [[Salima Sultan Begum]] brought about peace in the household when Salim revolted against his father in 1601.<ref>SAI Tirmizi, Edicts from the Mughal harem.</ref> She also indicates that women knew about the political changes going on in their world and how they played a role in them. For example, she was approached by the traitor Mirza Kamran to write a letter to his brother asking him to join Kamran's campaign against the emperor.<ref>Gulbadan Begum, Humayun Nama.</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Seraglio]]
* [[Anthapura]]
* [[Zenana]]
* ''[[The Mughal Harem]]'' by [[K. S. Lal]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20131202194915/http://newindianexpress.com/education/student/Inside-the-harem-of-the-mughals/2013/11/28/article1915795.ece Inside the Harem of the Mughals]''
* ''[https://www.amazon.ca/Rajput-Ladies-in-Mughal-Harem/dp/8173413746 Rajput Ladies in Mughal Harem]''
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=v-2TyjzZhZEC&dq=mughal+harem+rajput&pg=PA15 Royal Mughal Ladies and Their Contributions]''
* ''[http://prr.hec.gov.pk/chapters/343s-6.pdf Role of Persian Noblewomen at the Mughal Court]''

{{Mughal Empire}}

[[Category:Mughal Harem| ]]
[[Category:Women's quarters]]
[[Category:Purdah]]
[[Category:Slavery in India]]

Mughal Harem - Revision history

Bikram Rout: put up some pg v1