Domesticity and Power in the Early Mughal World

By Ruby Lal

Book Overview

In a fascinating and innovative study, first published in 2005, Ruby Lal explores domestic life and the place of women in the Mughal court of the sixteenth century. Challenging traditional, orientalist interpretations of the haram that have portrayed a domestic world of seclusion and sexual exploitation, the author reveals a complex society where noble men and women 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 Mughal haram, which was pivotal in the transition to institutionalisation and imperial excellence.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521615348
• ISBN13: 9780521615341
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 260 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 9.0"