Posted:
What a mind probing topic Donjas. Well done.
So agree with Prem & Devki.
Mogul Princesses were married mainly within family to avoid unwarranted conflict for the Mogul throne, as it was the most coveted one in that era.
As some have pointed out Hindu religious practice were & considered rigid for married women in that era compared to what we see currently. Married women had no option to divorce or was considered a taboo and then they were left with sati or jauhar on the death of the better-half. While Islam was deemed to provide freedom to women. They had the option to divorce n also remarry.
Further Mogul Emperors including Akbar and others did not want their daughters n sisters to be placed in marriages with lower ranked princes than their audha, again trying to avoid torture for the throne, as we have see on JA by Shareefuddin and Abumaali.
Although Rajputs and others would have married the Mogul princesses, there was the fear of family mutiny for the throne.
Poor gals had to endure loneliness amidst the life of grandeur. They hearts died void of love and feelings for a dear one and not to mention the experience of becoming a mother.
I couldn't say Rajputs threw away their princesses just to amass wealth or Jagirs. It's more to join hands, create synergies to collaborate against uproar and seek protection. We can't forget the mighty Mogul rulers were heartless warriors who loved war and were many a times ruthless even after forming an alliances. Akbar was or could be considered an exception to this as he tried to create harmony in the later years of his rule. But who can forget the likes,of Shahjahan who butchered every hand that created the Taj Mahal.
Also we can't forget that Rajput girls/ women were a bit more feisty and trained for rough roads due to the inherent rugged environment they lived in as compared to Agra where the Princesses never probably ventured outside the harem. But we can't ignore that women could have considered or is still considered as "Paraya Dhan" which I loathe to hear and read about. But...
But yes, I have heard and read that there were wars within harems be it in any kingdom to please the King and bear an heir. There were conspiracies and schemes to overthrow each other.
It must be hard for an inter religion Princess to successfully seduce her King and bear his children let alone bear the Heir. Jodha Bai or Harka Bai must have endured umpteen number of incidents/conspiracies to become MuZ. But must have received unconditional love &support from Akbar and other close family members.
Behind the rustle and bustle of silk and grandeur I'm afraid the Mogul Princesses lived a lonely, loveless lives.
Read this interesting blog on this very topic long ago. It's a good read if interested.
http://madhukidiary.com/life-of-moghul-princesses-lonely-and-yet-not-so-lonely
Originally posted by: myviewprem
Even in 21st century majority consider daughter as paraya dhan and do not teach her as much as a son(as its waste of money). Also a daughter is usually expected to help in house hold chores apart from studies or work. A son only plays or studies after school/college. And this happens in cities in posh areas. There are different yardsticks for a son and daughter even today, if son misbehaves or marries without permission etc forgiveness is easy to get as he is khul ka deepak but a daughter shall be banned for life from family circle.I read a recent news in Dubai a father refused the life gaurd to touch his daughter hence she drowned. I have read some books on middle east etc where a father drowned his daughter in pool as she was swimming and seen by neighbours boys etc.If you go to many villages in india even today no matter how educated you are, you cannot dare go out without a ghunghat on head or wear pants, skirts etc and go out on streets- it shall not be tolerated by both family and society. There are actually two-three society existing among our midst each with different mindsets. It will take a lot of travel to open our mind to reality, not many travel widely to know what exactly takes place in other parts of country or world. I have heard people say that if you are in Delhi and a girl return back by 6pm after that its unsafe and anything can happen, in UP its adviced not to go out at all without a male accompanying you.If you think India and middle east is dangerous, you have to travel to US where if you go in certain areas you will be mugged for sure, walking is definetly no no, sitting in garden unsafe etc.Today girls have been prime ministers and astronauts and business woman etc and yet attitude exists. In those days woman had only one major role give birth to heir(for king) and keep him happy. They hardly went out of house or palace and never were considered equal to men by any standards.In mughal harem book its stated majority wives and cocubbines if sick or dead would not even have their husbands in attendance at funeral. Emperor would not even be aware which wife or cocubbine died. That is why woman were so crazy to have an heir of the emperor or prince because that guaranteed a certain surety of future that at least son or granson shall take care of you if not husband or his family. That is why woman murdered other wives kids in womb, it was survival of fittest. That is why a jodha or nur jahan or mumtaz took so much pain to please the husband. Mumtaz had 14 kids from shah jahan as she did not want him to have kids from other wives and that killed her as she was too weak to give birth at age of 39. Nur jahan learned archery and rifle shooting just to please jehangir and win over jodha(jagat gosain) who was jehangir fav wife at that time. Nur Jahan and Mumtaz were childhood friends or know to their husbands and put such effort so how much more effort an hira kunwar or jagat gosain must have put to become husband favourites.Hira kunwari also must have done many things to please a casanova like akbar to get his attention. Otherwise why would akbar bother to get attracted to her when he has thousands of beauty vying for attention till even his 50s. And in those times husbands had upper hand they had many wives vying for one husband, not like our age one wife one husband. So wife had to try and be extra special to attract her husband by hook or crook.So in 16th century it may be even worst. All this glossy love stories are fine, but reality may be quiet different from the fiction.
CID
