Describe the role played by women in agricultural production.

(a) Women worked shoulder to shoulder with men in the fields. While men tilled and ploughed the lands, the women sowed, weeded and threshed the harvest. Agricultural production at this time depended on the labour and resources of the entire household.

(b) Certain tasks like spinning yarn, kneading clay for pottery and embroidery were done only by women. In fact the peasant and artisan women worked not only in the fields but even went to their employer’s houses and even to the markets if necessary.

(c)    Women’s role in an agrarian society was of great importance as the children they produced provided the required labour. High mortality rates due to various factors led to a shortage of wives. This led to the system of bride-price given to the bride’s family.

(d)    Among the landed gentry, women had the right to inherit property. Women, including widows, participated in the rural land market selling property which they had inherited especially in Punjab.

(e)    Both Hindu and Muslim women inherited zamindaris which they were free to sell or mortgage. In eighteenth century Bengal had many women-zamindars. In fact, the Rajshahi zamindari which was one of the most famous of the time was headed by a woman.