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Zenana
Zenana ( fa, زنانه, ur, , bn, জেনানা, hi, ज़नाना) literally meaning "of the women" or "pertaining to women", in Persian language contextually refers to the part of a house belonging to a Muslim, Sikh, or Hindu family in the Indian subcontinent which is reserved for the women of the household. The ''zenana'' are the inner apartments of a house in which the women of the family live. The outer apartments for guests and men are called the ''mardana''. Conceptually in those that practise purdah, it is the equivalent in the Indian subcontinent of the harem. Christian missionaries were able to gain access to these Indian girls and women through the zenana missions; female missionaries who had been trained as doctors and nurses were able to provide them with health care and also evangelise them in their own homes. Mughal court life Physically, the zenana of the Mughal court consisted of exceptionally luxurious conditions, particularly for princesses ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zenana Missions
The zenana missions were outreach programmes established in British India with the aim of converting women to Christianity. From the mid 19th century, they sent female missionaries into the homes of Indian women, including the private areas of houses - known as ''zenana'' - that male visitors were not allowed to see. Gradually these missions expanded from purely evangelical work to providing medical and education services. Hospitals and schools established by these missions are still active, making the ''zenana'' missions an important part of the history of Christianity in India. Background Women in India at this time were segregated under the purdah system, being confined to women's quarters known as a zenana, which men unrelated to them were forbidden to enter. The zenana missions were made up of female missionaries who could visit Indian women in their own homes with the aim of converting them to Christianity. The purdah system made it impossible for many Indian women, es ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harem
Harem (Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A harem may house a man's wife or wives, their pre-pubescent male children, unmarried daughters, female domestic servants, and other unmarried female relatives. In harems of the past, slave concubines were also housed in the harem. In former times some harems were guarded by eunuchs who were allowed inside. The structure of the harem and the extent of monogamy or polygamy has varied depending on the family's personalities, socio-economic status, and local customs. Similar institutions have been common in other Mediterranean and Middle Eastern civilizations, especially among royal and upper-class families, and the term is sometimes used in other contexts. In traditional Persian residential architecture the women's quarters were known as ''andar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Purdah
Pardah or purdah (from Hindi-Urdu , , meaning "curtain") is a religious and social practice of female seclusion prevalent among some Muslim and Hindu communities. It takes two forms: physical segregation of the sexes and the requirement that women cover their bodies so as to cover their skin and conceal their form. A woman who practices purdah can be referred to as or . The term ''purdah'' is sometimes applied to similar practices in other parts of the world. Practices that restricted women's mobility and behavior existed among all religious groups since ancient times and intensified with the arrival of Islam. By the 19th century, purdah became customary among Hindu elites. Purdah was not traditionally observed by lower-class women. Physical segregation within buildings is achieved with judicious use of walls, curtains, and screens. A woman's withdrawal into purdah usually restricts her personal, social and economic activities outside her home. The usual purdah garment worn is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tehwildar
Tehwildars in the Mughal Empire, Mughal court, were the female financial officers assigned to the zenana. The majority of the consolidation of Mughal court etiquette occurred under the reign of Emperor Akbar. Differing accounts of the size of his harem range anywhere from 300 to 5,000 wives. Residing within the zenana were also eunuchs, concubines, members of the royal household, servants, and entertainers, all of which comprised a massive community within itself. As such, the necessity for organizing the administration of zenana life led to the creation of several official posts within the harem. Among these positions was the Tehwildar. Described as the "lady accounts officer and cashier to whom all officials, including daroghas, had to apply for their salaries," she was responsible for all of the financial transactions related to the zenana and its residents. The disbursement of salaries may have been the primary responsibility of the cash-keeper. However, other duties included ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Urdubegis
During the Mughal Dynasty, urdubegis were the class of women assigned to protect the emperor and inhabitants of the zenana. Because the women of the Mughal court lived sequestered under purdah, the administration of their living quarters was run entirely by women. The division of the administrative tasks was dictated largely by the vision of Akbar, who organized his zenana of over 5,000 noble women and servants. The women tasked with the protection of the zenana were commonly of Habshi, Tatar, Turk and Kashmiri origin. Kashmiri women were selected because they did not observe purdah. Many of the women were purchased as slaves, and trained for their positions. They are mentioned as early as the reigns of Babur and Humayun, and were proficient in weapons combat, specifically lance, and archery. Mughal emperors spent a great deal of their leisure time in the zenana, and slept there at night, therefore the women assigned to protect the women's quarters were also part of the larger syst ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mahaldars
Mahaldars in the Mughal Empire were the chief officers of the imperial harem. Chosen from the ranks of the darogha administrators of the zenana, the mahaldar was responsible for maintaining order in this large community of women. Niccolao Manucci writes that "the way in which these kings are waited on deserves mention. For just as the king has his officers outside, he has the same among the fair sex within the Mahal". Duties Already having been honored by selection for duties within the women's quarters, a mahaldar was exalted above the others for her special services to the emperor. These special services included the management of the other ranking administrators, and reporting conflicts and intrigues from the zenana directly to the Emperor. In that way, she served as a kind of spy on behalf of the Emperor. She was also given the task of reading out daily reports from the public and secret news court writers to the emperor. The emperor's spy Often, princes in the royal entoura ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shahjahanabad
Old Delhi or Purani Dilli is an area in the Central Delhi district of Delhi, India. It was founded as a walled city named Shahjahanabad in 1648, when Shah Jahan (the Mughal Empire, Mughal Mughal emperors, emperor at the time) decided to shift the Mughal capital from Agra. The construction of the city was completed in 1648, and it remained the capital of the Mughal Empire until its fall in 1857, when the British Raj took over as paramount power in India. It was once filled with mansions of nobles and members of the royal court, along with elegant mosques and gardens. It serves as the symbolic heart of metropolitan Delhi and is known for its bazaars, street food, Shopping, shopping locations and its Islamic_architecture#Indian subcontinent, Islamic architecture; Jama Masjid, Delhi, Jama Masjid being the most notable example, standing tall in the midst of the old city. Only a few havelis are left and maintained. Upon the 2012 Municipal Corporation of Delhi#Trifurcation, trifurcat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wetnurse
A wet nurse is a woman who breastfeeds and cares for another's child. Wet nurses are employed if the mother dies, or if she is unable or chooses not to nurse the child herself. Wet-nursed children may be known as "milk-siblings", and in some cultures, the families are linked by a special relationship of milk kinship. Wet-nursing existed in cultures around the world until the invention of reliable formula milk in the 20th century. The practice has made a small comeback in the 21st century. Reasons A wet nurse can help when a mother is unable or unwilling to breastfeed her baby. Before the development of infant formula in the 20th century, wet-nursing could save a baby's life. There are many reasons why a mother is unable to produce sufficient breast milk, or in some cases to lactate at all. For example, she may have a chronic or acute illness, and either the illness itself, or the treatment for it, reduces or stops her milk. This absence of lactation may be temporary or permane ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chandni Chowk
The Chandni Chowk, also known as Moonlight Square is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, India. It is located close to the Old Delhi Railway Station. The Red Fort monument is located at the eastern end of Chandni Chowk. It was built in the 17th century by Mughal Emperor of India Shah Jahan and designed by his daughter Jahanara. The market was once divided by canals (now closed) to reflect moonlight and remains one of India's largest wholesale markets. History The market's history dates to the founding of the capital city of Shahjahanabad when Emperor Shah Jahan established the Red Fort on the banks of the Yamuna River besides his new capital. Original Chandni Chowk The original Chandni Chowk, half-moon-shaped square, was located in front of the Municipal Townhall and its reflection used to shine in the moonlit water pool located in front of it. A shallow water channel was built from Yamuna, which ran through the middle of the straight road currently know ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Abu'l-Fazl Ibn Mubarak
Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak, also known as Abul sharma, Abu'l Fadl and Abu'l-Fadl 'Allami (14 January 1551 – 22 August 1602), was the grand vizier of the Mughal emperor Akbar, from his appointment in 1579 until his death in 1602. He was the author of the ''Akbarnama'', the official history of Akbar's reign in three volumes, (the third volume is known as the '' Ain-i-Akbari'') and a Persian translation of the Bible.Abu al Fazl Biography and Works persian.packhum.org. He was also one of the Nine Jewels ( hi, script=Latn, Navaratnas) of Akbar's royal court and the brother of , the poet la ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Timurid Dynasty
The Timurid dynasty ( chg, , fa, ), self-designated as Gurkani ( chg, , translit=Küregen, fa, , translit=Gūrkāniyān), was a Sunni Muslim dynasty or clan of Turco-Mongol originB.F. Manz, ''"Tīmūr Lang"'', in Encyclopaedia of Islam, Online Edition, 2006''Encyclopædia Britannica'',Timurid Dynasty, Online Academic Edition, 2007. (Quotation: "Turkic dynasty descended from the conqueror Timur (Tamerlane), renowned for its brilliant revival of artistic and intellectual life in Iran and Central Asia. ... Trading and artistic communities were brought into the capital city of Herat, where a library was founded, and the capital became the centre of a renewed and artistically brilliant Persian culture.") descended from the warlord Timur (also known as Tamerlane). The word "Gurkani" derives from "Gurkan", a Persianized form of the Mongolian word "Kuragan" meaning "son-in-law". This was an honorific title used by the dynasty as the Timurids were in-laws of the line of Genghis Khan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Safavid
Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the beginning of History of Iran, modern Iranian history, as well as one of the gunpowder empires. The Safavid List of monarchs of Persia, Shāh Ismail I, Ismā'īl I established the Twelver denomination of Shia Islam, Shīʿa Islam as the Safavid conversion of Iran to Shia Islam, official religion of the empire, marking one of the most important turning points in the history of Islam. An Iranian dynasty rooted in the Sufi Safavid order founded by Kurdish people, Kurdish sheikhs, it heavily intermarried with Turkoman (ethnonym), Turkoman, Georgians, Georgian, Circassians, Circassian, and Pontic Greeks, Pontic GreekAnthony Bryer. "Greeks and Türkmens: The Pontic Exception", ''Dumbarton Oaks Papers, Vol. 29'' (1975), Appendix II "Geneal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
