Domesticity and Power in the Early Mughal World PDF

Domesticity and Power in the Early Mughal World In a fascinating and innovative study, Ruby Lal explores domestic life and the place of women in the Mughal court of the sixteenth century. Challenging traditional. Orientalist interpretations of the lwram that have portrayed a domestic world of seclu...

Domesticity and Power in the Early Mughal World In a fascinating and innovative study, Ruby Lal explores domestic life and the place of women in the Mughal court of the sixteenth century. Challenging traditional. Orientalist interpretations of the lwram that have portrayed a domestic world of seclusion and sexual exploitation, the author reveals a complex society where noble men and \Vomen negotiated their everyday life and public-political affairs in the "inner" chambers as well as the "outer" courts. Using Ottoman and Safavid histories as a counterpoint. she demonstrates the richness, ambiguity, and particularity of the !'viughal haram. which was pivotal in the transition to institutionalization and imperial excellence. Ru HY 1.,H is Assistant Professor in the Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian studies at Emory University. Her research focuses on issues of gender relations in Islamic societies in the pre-colonial world. Cambridge Studies in Islamic Ch'ilisation Editorial Board David Morgan (general editor) Virginia Aksan, Michael Brett, Michael Cook, Peter Jackson, Tarif Khalidi, Chase Robinson Puhlislwd titles in the series are listed at the hack ol the hook D01nesticity and Power in the Early Mughal World RUBY LAL Emory L'11frersit_r gCAMBRIDGE V UNIVERSITY PRESS CAMBRIDGE lJNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge. New York. Melbourne. Madrid. Cape Town. Singapore, Sao Paulo CAMBRIDGE lJNIVERSITY PRESS The Edinburgh Building. Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press. New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org 9780521615348 © Ruby Lal 2005 This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2005 Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge A catalogue record.for this book is al'ailahlefrom the British Library ISBN-13 978-0-521-85022-3 hardback ISBN-IO 0-521-85022-3 hardback ISBN-13 978-0-521-61534-8 paperback ISB::--1-100-521-61534-8 paperback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of U RLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this book. and docs not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. 3 ot,,11r2o1S1 LJS-d To Prahha an