The Mughal period is that period of Indian history, when the court, royal life, Islamic customs and local Indian traditions were mixing with each other and taking the form of a special culture. In today’s time, when the debates about hijab, purdah and women’s freedom are intense, the question naturally arises that what hijab or purdah did the Begums wear during the Mughal era, and how important was hijab at that time?
This issue is in the news after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar tried to remove the hijab of a female doctor while giving her the appointment letter in Patna. Statements are coming one after the other against Nitish. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah gave a statement on Mehbooba Mufti regarding hijab. Lyricist Javed Akhtar expressed his views on purdah system. In this way this issue remains under constant discussion.
Mughal court and tradition of purdah
In the Mughal period, the word ‘Purda’ was more popular than the word ‘Hijab’. Purdah was not just covering the face or head with cloth, but was a comprehensive system in which women remained separate from common life,These included limited access to them, control over their movement in and out of the palace, special living space for women i.e. harem or zenana.
Many countries of the world including France and Belgium have banned hijab.
Women of the royal family, such as the emperor’s concubines, princesses, and other relatives, generally lived within strict purdah. She could not move freely among the general public. If they had to go out, they were taken under tight security in palanquins, closed chariots or special vehicles covered with curtains. This purdah system was not only related to religion but also to the concept of power, prestige, security and respect. At that time, keeping the women of the royal family veiled was considered a part of dignity and decorum.
Did Begum wear hijab?
There was no standard style of hijab in the sense in which we use it today, that is, a scarf or scarf that covers the head and sometimes the neck and shoulders, in the Mughal period. But Shahi Begum used to come to the court or any formal occasion only with her head covered. Even within purdah, older and relatively traditional women wore odhnis, chunari, or purdah over their heads.
During the Mughal era, keeping the women of the royal family veiled was considered a part of dignity and decorum.
Clothing forms coming from many Persian, Turkish and Central Asian traditions like long ghagra, kurti, odhani etc. were used, which we later came to call Mughlai attire. What needs to be understood is that Hijab is more of a religious legal term, which is related to the rules of Haya, Satar and veil between man and woman in the Quran. In Mughal society, in practical terms, purdah and head covering were also associated with cultural and social dignity. Therefore, it is fair to say that royal queens and upper-class Muslim women generally covered their heads and bodies adequately, but limiting this to today’s hijab clothing is not historically accurate.
How important was hijab or purdah?
It would be wrong to consider the Mughal period as uniform and uniform. During the period of almost 300 years from Babar to Bahadur Shah Zafar, the nature, religious understanding, political needs and social conditions of the rulers kept changing. Akbar adopted a relatively liberal religious outlook, while Aurangzeb showed greater Islamic asceticism in his personal life.
During the Mughal era, upper class women, whether Muslim or queens from Hindu royal families, were often kept veiled. Photo: Getty Images
The need for purdah can be understood from a religious, social, political or protective point of view. Modesty, simplicity and covering of the body have been taught in the Islamic tradition. But its practical form varied in different societies; somewhere it was burqa, somewhere it was niqab, somewhere it was just a scarf, somewhere it was loose-fitting clothes. This diversity was visible even during the Mughal period. Upper-class women, whether Muslim or queens from Hindu royal families, were often veiled. This system was also prevalent in many Rajput courts of North India.
When daughters of Rajput noble families came into the Mughal harem through marriage alliances, the Rajputi purdah tradition and the Mughal purdah tradition began to influence each other. Purdah was also considered important because it had become a symbol of respect and high nobility. The empire was vast, its enemies were also many. The safety of women of the royal family was important for the state system.
Therefore, strict restrictions were imposed on their movement and public presence. But keep in mind, this requirement was not completely equally applicable to every class. The strictness of purdah among the urban middle class, traders, artisans and Muslim women of rural areas was generally not as strict as in the royal harem. In many areas, local Indian clothing—veil, scarf, odhni—were prevalent, combined with Islamic teachings of modesty.
In the name of purdah, patriarchal control was also strengthened, the effect of which is visible till today.
Did all women wear veil under compulsion?
History also tells us that many royal women, like Noor Jahan, Jahanara Begum, Zebunnisa, etc., were active in politics, literature, architecture and charity. She was the center of power even while being behind the scenes. Many times she used to influence court policy from behind the scenes, got orders issued, and patronized businesses. On the other hand, it is also true that the practice of purdah limited education, social participation and direct participation of women with the outside world.
In the name of purdah, patriarchal control was also strengthened, the effect of which is visible till today. Therefore, it would be wrong to assume that every woman happily accepted the strict purdah. There are very few records of women’s personal dissent in history, because the authority of writing and documentation was mostly in the hands of men.
Today’s debate and history
In the Patna incident, where an attempt was made to remove the hijab of a female doctor while giving her appointment letter, the basic question is whether a person holding a constitutional post should interfere in the right of an adult citizen to choose his/her religious/cultural attire? Shouldn’t it be a personal choice in modern India, where the Constitution grants freedom of expression and religious freedom, to wear or not wear hijab?
Citing the Mughal period and putting pressure on anyone to impose hijab or to remove hijab today would only be a partial and convenient interpretation of history. It is clear from history that the forms of purdah and hijab have been changing with time. There has never been any single ideal or uniform model, neither in the Mughal period, nor today. Religion, culture, politics and patriarchy have all played a combined role in defining the need for hijab and purdah.
Also read: From how many countries did Mughal clothes come from, where were the designs made?