What comes to your mind when you hear the word Mughal?
Our historians have portrayed them as some revolutionary rulers, who transformed the social system of medieval India. They call them the great Muslim Mughal emperors of the sub-continent and project them as the most powerful tribe that ruled over millions. Our historians never deny any opportunity to appreciate Mughal Architecture and Delicacy.
However, Mughals do have their own share of dark and dirty secrets, an evil code they lived by. The history of the Mughals is replete with incidents of Islamic impression, murders, loot, deceit, sectorial violence, murder of blood relatives, and physical relations with real mothers, sisters, and daughters.
Contrary to what biased historians portray, the Mughal dynasty is one such clan where relations have no value, they were nothing but sexual predators and lust mongers in the real sense.
Institutional setup of Mughal Harems
Mughals did establish an evil practice of Harem and, they went ahead and institutionalized it as well. The primary objective of the Harem was to appease the sexual appetite of the royal family. Contrary to the usual notion about the harem, it was not just a place where prostitutes used to live, it was a system where illegal babies were born and nurtured.
A usual harem used to house markets, kitchens, bathrooms, Islamic schools, and even playgrounds. Harem used to serve as a quiet spot where the royal family members could work undisturbed and sometimes slept at night. you can call it a massive domestic household, which used to house unaccompanied and unveiled prostitutes.
It was a Mughal tradition to keep multiple wives. Their wives lived inside the harem, where the women enjoyed luxurious life with numerous slaves. The Mughal emperors used to visit a different wive every night and if a slave caught their eye, she would be forced to be at their service.
Strict Circumscription of Mughal Women
Mughal daughters and Women were forced to bore the weight of purity, lineage, and chastity. They were deprived of any sort of sexual freedom and used to be perceived as being the bearers of honor. While Mughals did form matrimonial alliances with several other clans they never allowed their women to have non-Mughal partners.
They used to consider any such attempt a serious threat to their patriarchy and dealt with it with utmost sternly. Mughal women were strictly circumscribed to the household. Mughals used to suppress their daughter’s sexuality to maintain their chastity and purity. By doing this, they were maintaining the pedigree or nasab. Importantly the nasab was through the male line, hence maintaining relations with non-Mughals was a big no.
Mughals made rules to entrap their own women into sex slavery
Akbar had made a rule that the Mughal women would not get married to anyone. Several historians have given various reasons for the same. The outcome of this was that the girls of the Mughal dynasty used to illegally sleep with servants, courtiers, and even their relatives, to satiate their physical and sexual hunger. This rule was nothing but a method to entrap their own women into sex slavery
It is said that Humayun, who was a known opium addict, used to have sexual relations with his real daughter. There are various historical anecdotes that proved that Akbar used to have sexual relations with his real sister. Akbar did not marry Aram Begum, who was his real daughter. She died unmarried during Jahangir’s reign.
It is said that Shah Jahan used to rape his sister-in-law, who was Mumtaz’s brother Shaista Khan’s wife. He was so infamous for his sexuality, that many historians have held him guilty of having sexual relations with his real daughter Jahanara. The famous historian Francis Vernier stated that his elder daughter Jahanara used to look exactly like his wife Mumtaz Mahal. This was the reason why he engaged in sexual relationships with his own daughter after the death of Mumtaz.
These are a few instances, that proved it beyond any doubt that the Mughals were an evil dynasty. Contrary to what has been propagated about them, they were sexual predators and maniacs who never shy away from establishing sexual relationships with their own daughters and sisters.