Mughal Harem
The Mughal Harem (Urdu: مغل حرم) was the harem of Mughal emperors of South Asia. The term originated with the Near East, meaning a "forbidden place; sacrosanct, sanctum", and etymologically related to the Arabic حريم ḥarīm, "a sacred inviolable place; female members of the family" and حرام ḥarām, "forbidden; sacred". It came to mean the sphere of women in what is usually a polygynous household and their segregated quarters which are forbidden to men. Harems were composed of wives, female relatives, concubines, and male infants.
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.[1] Mothers, step-mothers, aunts, grandmothers, step-sisters, sisters, daughters and other female relatives that lived in the harem. There were also ladies-in-waiting, servants, maids, cooks, women official and guards.[2]
The harem of the Mughal Empire was guarded by eunuchs.
See also
External links
- Inside the Harem of the Mughals
- Rajput Ladies in Mughal Harem
- Royal Mughal Ladies and Their Contributions
- Role of Persian Noblewomen at the Mughal Court
