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Kings And Chronicles : The Mughal Courts
Examine the role of women as an important resource in the Mughal agrarian society.
The role of women in the Mughal Agrarian society:
(i) They worked shoulder to shoulder in the fields.Men tilled and ploughed, while women sowed, weeded threshed and winnowed the harvest.
(ii) Artisanal tasks such as spinning yarn, sifting and kneading clay for pottery, and embroidery were among the many aspects of production dependent on female labour.
(iii) They even went to the houses of their employers or to the markets if necessary.
(iv) They were child bearers in a society dependent on labour.
(v)Women were kept under strict control by the family and the community.
(vi) Marriages in many rural communities required the payment of bride-price rather than dowry to the bride’s family.Remarriage was considered legitimate.
(vii) In most cases when women petitioned to the panchayat, their names were excluded from the record: the petitioner was referred to as the mother, sister or wife of the male head of the household.
(viii) Wives protested against the infidelity of their husband. Amongst the landed property, women had the right to inherit property.
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What were the concerns that shaped Mughal policies and attitudes towards regions outside the subcontinent?
Discuss the major features of Mughal provincial administration. How did the centre control the provinces?
Discuss, with examples, the distinctive features of Mughal chronicles.
To what extent do you think the visual material presented in this chapter corresponds with Abu’l Fazl’s description of the taswir (Source 1)?
What were the distinctive features of the Mughal nobility? How was their relationship with the emperor shaped?
Identify the elements that went into the making of the Mughal ideal of kingship.
Find out more about any one Mughal chronicle. Prepare a report describing the author, and the language, style and content of the text. Describe at
least two visuals used to illustrate the chronicle of your choice, focusing on the symbols used to indicate the power of the emperor.
Prepare a report comparing the present-day system of government with the Mughal court and administration, focusing on ideals of rulership, court rituals, and means of recruitment into the imperial service, highlighting the similarities and differences that you notice.
Why did Akbar abolish the pilgrimage tax? Give two reasons.
Mention the significance of Sijda in the Mughal court.
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