Arts Commentary & Writing, No. ❶❸
April 13, 2023
Women of the Mughal Harem
A Book Review of Mahal (Power and Pageantry in the Mughal Harem) by Subhadra Sen Gupta
Edited by Malini Narayan and Pradyumna Sapre
Vividly imagined as an abode for sexual appetite and pleasure, the royal harems of Mughal India continue to be an unearthed mystery in most history books, an exciting figment of our imaginations. Unlike the conventional depictions of royal harems in popular culture, the haramsara is not a sexual playground, but a sacred familial space. Transcending the rivalry of the tumultuous outside world, they served as sanctuaries to women and children. Subhadara Sen Gupta gives us an insight into these lives: a rare glimpse behind the veil.
Portrait of Arjumand Banu Begam, commonly known as Mumtaz Mahal, painted on the cover of a mirror case, ca. 1628, attributed to ‘Abid Aqa Riza Shah Jahini. Image Credit: Freer Gallery of Art
In the book, we travel through time, and witness the constant dynamism of the harem: the perennially evolving roles of the women. The independence of the women deteriorated as the empire shifted its epicenter from Ferghana to Kabul, and later, to the heart of modern-day North India. The seclusion of women started as a mere matter of security but turned into an oppression of movement and freedom, making revolution harder for Mughal women, particularly during the later periods of Akbar and Jahangir’s rule.
Despite the tightened security, women like Nur Jahan shattered glass ceilings from behind the purdah. She was the de facto ruler of the empire and ‘ minted coins, traded with foreign merchants, managed promotions, and finances at the court, orchestrated new developments in arts and religions, and laid out many of the Mughal gardens we now know ,’ all from the enclosure of the harem.
Jahangir and Prince Khurram with Nur Jahan, ca. 1624, opaque watercolor and gold on paper. Image Credit: Google Arts & CultureLadies on a Terrace, ca. 1700-1710, opaque watercolor and gold on paper. Image Credit: Brooklyn MuseumThis books unravels untold reality of Mughal women like Nur Jahan, Babur’s grandmother Ehsan Daulat Begam and Shah Jahan’s eldest daughter Jahanara Begum, who were instrumental in chartering the path of the Mughal Empire in India and in changing the course of history, but rarely are mentioned in any books or historical records. Sen Gupta collects snippets of information from sources such as the original translations of the Babar-Nama and the Humayun-Nama (which was written by Humayun’s sister Gulbadan Begum); contemporary writings by European scholars and travelers such as Ralph Fitch, Francois Bernier and Niccolao Manucci; and biographies of the royalty to weave together a credible and thoroughly researched account of the stories of the unsung heroes (or rather, heroines) of the Mughal era.
Jahanara Begum beside Shah Jahan as he passes, 1902, oil on board, Abanindranath Tagore. Image Credit: Victoria Memorial Hall, KolkataNur Jahan holding a portrait of Emperor Jahangir, ca. 1627, opaque watercolor and gold on paper. Image Credit: The Cleveland Museum of ArtThe reader is taken on a journey across the landscape of the Mughal dynasty through the watchful eyes of Mughal women like Bega Begum, the first Mughal woman to become a builder and lay the path for the next generation of women to create mosques, madrasas, and mausoleums. We also see Maham Begum, the only woman to be seated on a throne beside the emperor; and Jahanara Begum, a connoisseur of literature and poetry, as well as a merchant and philanthropist. Jahanara Begum was also the only woman in the Mughal period to write her own biography.
The reader witnesses the role that each of these women played in the construction of the Mughal empire and its legacy. Sen Gupta provides a compelling case on the manner in which the firm but gentle hand of these women shaped the course of Indian history: a new retrospective insight into the mysterious lives within the harems, hidden behind the veil of modesty, a vehicle of oppression and simultaneous emancipation. A must read for any and every one.