Welcome to the NCERT Solutions for Class 12 History - Themes in Indian History - II - Chapter Kings and Chronicles. This page offers a step-by-step solution to the specific question from Exercise 1, Question 3:
Assess the role played by women of the imperial household in the Mughal Empire.
. With detailed answers and explanations for each chapter, students can strengthen their understanding and prepare confidently for exams. Ideal for CBSE and other board students, this resource will simplify your study experience.Assess the role played by women of the imperial household in the Mughal Empire.
(i)The term “haram” is used to describe the domestic world of the Mughals. This word is taken from the Persian word haram, which means a sacred place.
(ii)The Mughal household consisted of the emperor’s wives and concubines, his near and distant relatives (mother, step- and foster-mothers, sisters, daughters, daughters-in-law, aunts, children, etc.), and female servants and slaves.
(iii)Polygamy was practised widely in the Indian subcontinent, especially among the ruling groups. Both for the Rajput clans as well as the Mughals marriage was a way of cementing political relationships and forging alliances.
(iv)The gift of territory was often accompanied by the gift of a daughter in marriage. This ensured a continuing hierarchical relationship between ruling groups. It was through the link of marriage and the relationships that developed as a result that the Mughals were able to form a vast kinship network that linked them to important groups and helped to hold a vast empire together.
(v)In the Mughal household a distinction was maintained between wives who came from royal families (begams), and other wives (aghas) who were not of noble birth.
(vi)The begams, married after receiving huge amounts of cash and valuables as dowry (maahr), naturally received a higher status and greater attention from their husbands than did aghas. The concubines (aghacha or the lesser agha) occupied the lowest position in the hierarchy of females intimately related to royalty.
(vii)The agha and the aghacha could rise to the position of a begam depending on the husband’s will, and provided that he did not already have four wives.
(viii)Love and motherhood played important roles in elevating such women to the status of legally wedded wives. Apart from wives, numerous male and female slaves populated the Mughal Household. The tasks they performed varied from the most mundane to those requiring skill, tact and intelligence.
(ix)Slave eunuchs (khwajasara) moved between the external and internal life of the household as guards, servants, and also as agents for women dabbling in commerce.
NCERT questions are designed to test your understanding of the concepts and theories discussed in the chapter. Here are some tips to help you answer NCERT questions effectively:
Stay updated with our latest educational content and study tips
It’s not about starting over if you took a break to care for children, take care of yourself, be healthy or for any other reason. This is a realistic strategy for the recovery of skills, selection of the right job, and overcoming the resume problem. One year, three years or 10 years of a career … Read more
Read MoreThere’s no need to score 95% or achieve a JEE/NEET rank. You don’t need to score 95% or rank in JEE/NEET to build a solid career. A candid and pragmatic guide to the routes that actually work for students who have an average mark and what to do when faced with the options. If … Read more
Read MoreAI tools, online platforms that are much cheaper than coaching centres and the changing idea of what “structure” even means have upended this argument more in the past two years than in the decade preceding it. Here’s what is really the case for 2026 – and what has actually stayed the same. If you look … Read more
Read MoreStarting to make a new career after 30 isn’t a start from scratch. Marketing, teaching, financial, retail, healthcare, sales and other professionals can pursue careers in technology by applying the existing knowledge and skills they have acquired to new technology skills. There are various ways to enter the technology industry, such as in IT support, … Read more
Read MoreCalculate percentage from obtained marks and total marks.
Welcome to the NCERT Solutions for Class 12 History - Themes in Indian History - II - Chapter . This page offers a step-by-step solution to the specific question from Excercise 1 , Question 3: Assess the role played by women of the imperial household in the Mughal Empire.....
Fresh educational articles and updates.
Most-read articles from SaralStudy.
Fast access to frequently used study resources.
Recently viewed articles based on SaralStudy activity.
Add Comment