With reference to the status of women in the Mughal agrarian society, consider the following statements: 1. Women were strictly barred from inheriting zamindaris in Bengal. 2. Marriages in many rural communities required the payment of bride-price rather than dowry. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Option The correct option is 2 only . Explanation In Mughal agrarian society, women played a crucial role in agricultural production, working alongside men in the fields. Their economic contribution significantly influenced social customs, including marriage practices and property rights, which were often governed by customary laws rather than strict canonical rules. Statement-wise Analysis - Statement 1 is Incorrect: Women were not strictly barred from inheriting zamindaris. Historical records from the Mughal period, particularly from Bengal and Rajasthan, provide evidence of women holding zamindari rights. Women, including widows and daughters, often inherited landed property and had the right to sell or mortgage these proprietary rights. - Statement 2 is Correct: In many rural communities, women were considered a valuable resource due to their significant contribution to agricultural labor (sowing, weeding, harvesting, and processing). Consequently, the custom of paying a bride-price to the bride’s family was prevalent in many peasant and artisan castes, contrasting with the dowry system typically observed among the upper castes. Key Takeaway: In Mughal agrarian society, women possessed property rights, including the inheritance of zamindaris, and their high economic value as agricultural laborers often led to the practice of bride-price rather than dowry in rural communities.

With reference to the status of women in… - NCERT Class 12 History MCQ

NCERT Class 12 History — Chapter 4: Peasants, Zamindars and the State - Agrarian Society and the Mughal Empire (c. 16th - 17th centuries)

mcqmedium

With reference to the status of women in the Mughal agrarian society, consider the following statements:

Women were strictly barred from inheriting zamindaris in Bengal.
Marriages in many rural communities required the payment of bride-price rather than dowry.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

NCERT textbook question

From NCERT Themes in Indian History - 2 · Page 207

Options

A1 only
B2 only
CBoth 1 and 2
DNeither 1 nor 2

Did you get this right?

Solution

Correct Option

The correct option is

2 only

Explanation

In Mughal agrarian society, women played a crucial role in agricultural production, working alongside men in the fields. Their economic contribution significantly influenced social customs, including marriage practices and property rights, which were often governed by customary laws rather than strict canonical rules.

Statement-wise Analysis

Statement 1 is Incorrect: Women were not strictly barred from inheriting zamindaris. Historical records from the Mughal period, particularly from Bengal and Rajasthan, provide evidence of women holding zamindari rights. Women, including widows and daughters, often inherited landed property and had the right to sell or mortgage these proprietary rights.
Statement 2 is Correct: In many rural communities, women were considered a valuable resource due to their significant contribution to agricultural labor (sowing, weeding, harvesting, and processing). Consequently, the custom of paying a bride-price to the bride’s family was prevalent in many peasant and artisan castes, contrasting with the dowry system typically observed among the upper castes.

Key Takeaway: In Mughal agrarian society, women possessed property rights, including the inheritance of zamindaris, and their high economic value as agricultural laborers often led to the practice of bride-price rather than dowry in rural communities.

Your note

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