Whenever the Mughal period is mentioned, the name of harem is often heard. During the Mughal rule, the harem was the place where the royal women lived. Here they were provided with all kinds of comforts and facilities. During the reign of many Mughal emperors, thousands of royal women used to live in the harem. Especially, during the rule of Akbar, there were about 5 thousand royal women in the harem.
Who looked after the harem?
The job of looking after the harem was with the eunuchs. Entry of any man was forbidden in it. This rule was strictly enforced so that the safety and privacy of the royal women was maintained. This rule is also mentioned by Abul Fazal, the author of Akbarnama. Many people think that the harem started in the Mughal period, but this is not so. The harem started during the Ottoman Empire, which was the empire before the Mughals.
Why was the harem called "harem"?
There is an interesting story behind why the place where the royal women lived was called a harem. The word "harem" is derived from the Arabic word "haram", which means "forbidden" or "prohibited". Since men were forbidden from entering the harem, this place was called "harem". Only the king was allowed to enter the harem, and entry of any other man was strictly prohibited here.
Harem started from Ottoman Empire
The first mention of the beginning of the harem is found in 1299, when Usman Ghazi laid the foundation of the Ottoman Empire. This empire was also called the Usmani Empire. The Ottoman Empire's harem also had strict rules like the Mughals. Women and maids of the royal family used to live here. And eunuchs were deployed for security.
Beginning of harem in Mughals
The Mughal harem was started by Babur. Later, this tradition of harem continued under the rule of other Mughal emperors. The number of women in the harem kept increasing and decreasing during the reign of each emperor. But the harem always remained a special and secure place, where only royal women could live and there were no men but eunuchs to take care of them.
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