Rajput Hindu Girls as concubines in Muslim Harems

The Rajput are known for bravery, yet they gave their daughters and princesses to the Moslem harems as concubines.

Moslem Rule

The Moslem rule is a watershed in the history of India. Right from the Khilji dynasty and the Mughul rule the forefront of the action was against the Rajputs. However, it is fact of history,that mostly the Rajputs were bested by the Moslems. Despite their bravery,the end result was defeat and more defeat.

All this really commenced from the time Ghori faced Prithviraj in the battles of Tarain. Ghori won and the Rajputs were a demoralised lot. Again the advent of Babur saw the Rajputs unable to defeat him and he occupied the throne at Delhi. Akbar followed  and the Rajputs decided to give him battle under Rana Sangha. But he was defeated and fled from the battlefield. All this makes  sad reading and one cannot help concluding that these defeats played on the psyche of the Rajputs.

Rajput Defeat and Repurcussions

The so called brave Rajputs , hit upon a novel plan. Perhaps it was thrust on them.In effect it really meant to use sex as a means to achieve their position,what they had not achieved on the battlefield. Thus the Rajput Rajas and Cheftains started giving their daughters into marriage and as concubines into the Harems of the Moslem rulers. These poor Hindu princesses were ushered into these harems and became part of hundreds of other women to a life of purdah and seclusion till they died. In addition  many of them had to convert to Islam. It is worth noting that the liberal Akbar had over 500 women in his harem,a large number of them Hindus.

There are also cases where in the Mughul ruler when he heard of the beauty of a Rajput Hindu princess sent his emissary with a message that the girl be given into his harem. Woe betide a Rajput who desisted. But history records that this phase of the Rajput Moslem rulers relationship had the end point of their women being given to the Moslem harems as concubines and hand maidens. In return for this the Rajput Cheftains were allowed to keep their small Jagirs and kingdoms on payment of tributes to the imperial ruler.

Last word

Social scientists must study this aspect of Rajput behaviour. It is difficult to visualize what prompted the Rajputs to do this i.e. to hand over their girls to the Moslem harems , when the Moslems never allowed the reverse to happeni.e. marry Moslem girls into Rajput households.

This was certainly a dark period in India's history and one can feel for the poor Hindu princesses who had to spend their lives in Moslem harems as sex objecst of the Moslem rulers.  Perhaps we must have a fresh look at the so called bravery of the Rajputs