Status and Position of Women in Medieval Indian Society
Medieval History › Medieval Society & Social Structure · Topic 7.4
Women in medieval India were honoured within the home but distrusted and kept dependent on male relatives. Purdah spread among upper-class women under Turkish and Arab influence, sati was practised and debated, early marriage continued, and Hindu law improved a widow's property rights even as practice denied them. Raziya ruled Delhi (1236 to 1239), Bhakti saints like Mira opened devotion to women, and on balance their position worsened.
6 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Medieval Society & Social Structure
At a Glance
- Seclusion Purdah widespread among upper-class women
- Marriage Early marriage; widow remarriage barred for upper castes
- Sati Approved by some writers, permission needed
- Property Widow’s rights better in law than in practice
- Ruler Raziya, 1236 to 1239
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Medieval History: Medieval Society & Social Structure
Where Does It Fit?
This is the fourth topic of the category on medieval society and social structure. The previous topic covered artisans, and this one covers women. The next topic covers servants and slaves. Previous topic: Artisans and Master-Craftsmen in Medieval India.
What Was the Social Position of Women?
In short: women were honoured at home but distrusted outside it, and their lives were regulated by their male relatives.
In general, women were distrusted. They were to be kept in seclusion and their lives regulated by the male relations: father, brother, husband or son. Within the home they were honoured, and a husband who abandoned even a wife guilty of offensive behaviour had to give maintenance. The smriti writers prescribed that girls be given in marriage between six and eight, or between eight and puberty. Under the Sultanate the old rules enjoining early marriage and the wife’s duty of service and devotion continued, and annulment was allowed in special circumstances such as desertion or loathsome disease, though not all writers agreed. Widow remarriage was among practices prohibited in the Kali Age, apparently for the three upper castes only. We know little of ordinary women’s lives, who worked hard beside their men while running the household and tending children.
What Was the Position on Property and Sati?
| Issue | Position |
|---|---|
| Property | With the growth of private property in land, women were given a right to inherit from male relatives; a widow was entitled to the entire estate of a sonless husband, with reservations, and daughters could succeed to a widow’s property; commentators upheld the widow’s right to a sonless husband’s divided property, with full right to dispose of it, so Hindu law improved their rights |
| Sati | Some writers made it obligatory, others condemned it, and some allowed it with conditions; Ibn Battutah mentions with horror a woman burning on her husband’s pyre with beating of drums and says the sultan’s permission was needed |
| Muslim women | Had rights of remarriage and a share in their father’s property, but these tended to be denied more and more even to them |
How Did Purdah Spread?
Earlier, upper-class women lived in seclusion but there was no purdah as such; a tenth-century Arab traveller noted that Indian princes let their women be seen unveiled by all men present. Under the Sultanate the practice of seclusion and veiling became widespread among upper-class women. It existed among upper-class Hindus and also in ancient Iran and Greece, and the Arabs and Turks brought it to India, where their example spread it, particularly in north India. It has been linked with fear that women would be captured by invaders in an age of violence, but the most important factor was social: purdah became a symbol of the higher classes, and all who wanted to be thought respectable copied it. It was also given religious justification. It affected women adversely and made them even more dependent on men. Almost every sultan kept a haram with queens and many slaves, and the royal women lived there in separate quarters.
Which Women Rose Above These Limits?
| Woman or group | Detail |
|---|---|
| Raziya (1236 to 1239) | Nominated by Iltutmish in preference to his sons, a novel step; she had to contend with her brothers and the Turkish chiefs; she discarded female apparel, held court unveiled, hunted and led armies; she fell when nobles opposed her promotion of a non-Turk; defeated and killed by bandits in flight |
| Earlier queens | Queens like Prabhavati Gupta and Didda of Kashmir, who ruled for fifty years, in the early period |
| Bhakti saints | Mira and others, and Surdas, opened the way of bhakti to women, allowing them to rise above the duty of service to a husband |
| Akbar’s reforms | Sati allowed only if the widow persistently desired it, young widows who had not shared the husband’s bed not to be burnt, widow remarriage legalised, polygamy discouraged and marriage age raised to 14 for girls and 16 for boys, though with limited success |
Akbar’s reforms are described in Din-i-Ilahi and Akbar’s Policy of Religious Toleration (Sulh-i-Kul). The saints are in Impact of the Bhakti and Sufi Movements on Medieval Indian Society and Religious Syncretism.
What Is the Verdict?
On balance, the position of women worsened. Seclusion became more widespread, and Hindu women could not claim the right of remarriage or a share in their father’s property that Muslim women had in law, while even the latter’s rights were more and more denied. As an analytical point, improved property rights in the commentaries did not alter everyday dependence, since law and practice diverged, and the example of upper-class customs became the model for those aspiring to respectability.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Dual themes Law versus practice
- Facts Raziya, purdah, sati permission
- Link Akbar’s reforms and Bhakti women saints
What Came Next?
The next topic describes servants and slaves in medieval society. Next topic: Servants and Slaves in Medieval Indian Society.
Key People and Terms
- Purdah Seclusion and veiling of women
- Sati Widow’s self-immolation
- Haram Women’s quarters
- Didda Queen who ruled Kashmir for fifty years
- Widow remarriage Remarriage after husband’s death
- Mira Bhakti woman saint
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Purdah spread under the Turks.
- Raziya ruled 1236 to 1239.
- Sati needed the sultan’s permission, said Ibn Battutah.
- Akbar: marriage age 14 and 16.
- On balance, women’s position worsened.
Do Not Confuse With
- Seclusion and purdah Keeping women away from public gaze versus veiling
- Law and practice Widow’s property right versus denial in practice
- Raziya and Nur Jahan Sultan in her own right versus an influential empress
Memory Hook
Honoured in the home, veiled outside, sati debated, Raziya reigns, Mira sings.
Mains Angle
Questions on women ask for continuity and change. These points add depth.
- Customs Purdah, early marriage, sati
- Law Property rights
- Exceptions Raziya, Mira, queens
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Assess the status of women in medieval Indian society.”
How to Answer
- Position Honoured but dependent.
- Customs Purdah and sati.
- Law Property rights.
- Verdict Worsened, with exceptions.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
How did purdah spread in medieval India?
Purdah spread among upper-class women under the Sultanate because the Arabs and Turks brought the custom and it became a symbol of the higher classes. Fear of capture in an age of violence is also suggested as a cause.
Who was Raziya?
Raziya was the daughter of Iltutmish, whom he nominated in preference to his sons. She ruled Delhi from 1236 to 1239, held court unveiled, led armies, and was opposed by the Turkish chiefs. She was killed by bandits while fleeing.
What was the practice of sati in medieval India?
Sati was approved emphatically by some writers, allowed with conditions by others and condemned by some. Ibn Battutah says permission from the sultan was needed. Akbar later restricted it to cases where the widow persistently wished it.
What were women's property rights?
Commentators on Hindu law upheld a widow's right to a sonless husband's divided property, with full right to dispose of it, and daughters could succeed to a widow's property, but in practice these rights were denied more and more.
What was the overall position of women?
Women were honoured in the home but distrusted, secluded and dependent on male relatives. Seclusion grew and legal rights were increasingly denied in practice, so that on balance their position worsened over the whole period.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Purdah became widespread among upper-class women under the Sultanate.
The Arabs and Turks brought the custom.
2 Raziya ruled Delhi from 1236 to 1239.
She was Iltutmish's daughter.
3 Widow remarriage was universally allowed in medieval Hindu law.
It was barred in the Kali Age, at least for upper castes.
4 Akbar raised the marriage age to 14 for girls and 16 for boys.
His social reforms had limited success.
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