Empowered Queens and Wealthy Empresses: Unraveling the Role of Mughal Women in Controlling Trade-Generated Wealth in Mughal India

Rohan Mathur

ABSTRACT

The role of Mughal women in medieval India extends far beyond traditional perceptions, encompassing significant influence over trade and economic wealth. This paper aims to investigate the pivotal roles that Mughal queens and empresses played in shaping and controlling trade networks and managing the empire’s wealth during the 16th and 17th centuries. Understanding these roles is crucial for a comprehensive view of Mughal economic history, as it reveals how influential women contributed to the empire's prosperity and stability in a patriarchal society. Through a detailed review of existing scholarship, this research essay highlights the contributions of Mughal women to economic policies, trade practices, and wealth accumulation, challenging conventional narratives that focus mainly on male figures. The findings demonstrate that Mughal women were not only passive figures but active participants in economic and political spheres, wielding substantial control over trade and wealth. This research contributes to a more nuanced understanding of Mughal history and the complex roles of its female figures.

Empowered Queens and Wealthy Empresses_ Unraveling the Role of Mughal Women in Controlling.

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