The MYTH of 5000 women in Akbar's Harem

Hi friends,

Since many of you have asked a question regarding the size of Akbar's harem. Here is a piece of reality check. It seems you want to confirm about the 5000 women in Akbar's harem.

So, as per HISTORY, following is the answer.

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Akbar DID NOT have 5000 women/concubines there.

Just see how things are blown out of proportion, by writing any non-sense in the name of history, hatching any story.

This issue of 5000 concubines aroused from Digital Media and some books, which "claim" that Abu'l Fazl mentioned this in his accounts.

Abul Fazl DID Not say that these are concubines/or for his service. He just mentioned the total number of ALL THE FOLKS present in the Imperial Harem. He DID put the number at 5000, but he did say NOT say these are concubines. 

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Actually, Abul Fazl in Ain-e-Akbari, I, 44, said that, these harem folks include the following:

1. Darogahs
2. Superintendents
3. Writers of Harem
4. Accountant of Cash
5. Accountant of Stores
6. Taha-wil-daars
7. General Treasurers
8. Sub - Taha-wil-daars
9. Eunuchs for guard
10. Other Administrators
11. Cooks
12. Menials

Finally, add to this :

13. Foster mothers
14. Foster sisters
15. Own wives
16. So called "other" wives
17. Other Royal Princesses(daughters)
18. And, the progeny of ALL above
19. Point to be noted --> "Each Royal Lady ALSO had Multiple guards / maids".

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Inside Fatehpur Sikri

Along with this, seeing the size of the Imperial Harem complex, that is the architecture which is present in Fatehpur Sikri, this number is vastly exaggerated by Abul Fazl, just for showing the "might/praise" of His Majesty/Akbar. He wanted to show that so many people have been employed in the service of the harem.

If one reads government accounts, this issue is clearly sorted out there. That, Fazl has given a highly exaggerated number, because keeping in mind the architecture of the place, such a number is not possible. I am giving the reference, where ^^^this is mentioned:

Reference:

Page-40
Fatehpur Sikri, By Archaeological Survey of India, Gov. of India

Published by
The Director General
Archaeological Survey of India
New Delhi, 2002

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I hope this clears the issue of perception of "5000" and won't haunt us again.!.
Neither Akbar had 5000 concubines. Nor he had hundreds of wives. Infact, as mentioned above, the size of the palace/architecture at Agra dismisses that there could have been so many ladies staying there. Normally Internet sites give a list of approx. 36 wives. The myth of his 300 wives was generated by the Christian missionary in Akbar's court. That could have been the total number of royal ladies present there. The list of his wives will be updated in future.

Harem was a place where so many people stayed. Not all the people staying inside were "for Akbar". Akbar had many things to be done, he had many reforms to be brought about, other than being busy in his harem as his image is projected normally by giving this "5000" number. Polygamy was the norm of the age. Akbar was no exception, today we have monogamy, those days it was polygamy.

Harem was the female residential place. His mother, foster mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, relatives, etc. too stayed there. The digital media, normally presents a very "derogatory" image of this word, which is not the actual case as you have seen above.!!


This article has been posted under the Mughals(Akbar) section of history_geek's BLOG.