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ASSIGNMENT

TOPIC - WOMEN AND POWER: RAZIYYA AND RUDRAMADEVI

SUBMITTED BY: NIRANJAN BHUYAN

COURSE: B.A (H) HISTORY
PAPER NAME: GENDER IN INDIAN HISTORY UP TO 1500CE (DSE IV)
ROLL NO: HSH19008
SEMESTER: V
SUBMITTED TO: DR KAILASH RANI CHOUDHARY

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Introduction:
India is a male-dominated society. Religion, social norms, legal structures, cultural values and customs of
the region, in historical times, encouraged it to promote and stimulated patriarchy in many ways.
However, the patriarchal state has never been a monolithic or static center. It is one of the most
powerful programs in all world, flexible but persistent. However it does not change its basic principle of
accepting the superiority of men over women. Patriarchy’s dynamism also emerge from the fact that
women are as important in its preservation as men. The ideology of patriarchy stemming from religious
and social acceptance makes women a willing party in subverting the role of women members within a
society.

Background:
Awareness of gender inequality and transformation of women great to be the latest, the product of the
modern era. In earlier times the man their supremacy and dominion in all aspects of family life was
familyalmost undisputed. In this regard the medieval period was no different. Politics or governing
authority was considered exclusively male.The women were completely absent and was expelled from
politics. Wise and accomplished women try to influence political decisions from ‘behind the scenes’.
Intermediate period in India was different in earlier times. The introduction of Islam changed the way
the political structure of India in important ways. It is difficult to say here how Muslims change the
political participation of women in Indian society, but one indeed can see the opening in this. There is
controversy here. On the one hand Islam is forcing women to be covered while on the other hand
allowed for women's participation in political activities identified in the Raziya case Sultan and Nur
Jahan, Maham Anaga, etc. We do not see such participation as open or women with political influence
before the introduction of Islam in India.

Women in power and politics: Delhi Sultanate

The Mamluk dynasty under the so-called Delhi Sultanate was different from the power of the former
Indian empire in many ways. It was the first time the state will be established in India under Islamic
principles, although this is not what is practiced by Sharia. It was a monarchy and was ruled by slave
soldiers freed from previous emperors. Most importantly, and it was the only empire that raised a
woman a ruler on a throne, in a male-dominated political system. Ruler of the Delhi Sultanate in
northern India from 1236 to 1240, Raziya is an outstanding example of a woman who rose to power in
pre-Islamic Islamic society. It was Raziya's father's recognition and cultivation of her wisdom and power
of administration, designated her as clearly as his own successor, that paved the way for his entry into
the throne.

Raziya Sultan:
Among the best examples of Muslim daughters who follow their fathers in positions of power of power
is that of Raziya, the thirteenth century sultan of Delhi Sultanate in India. Although Raziya's reign lasted
less than four years, she left behind an important legacy ofwomen's empire in South Asia.

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The foundation of the Mamluk dynasty was laid by Qutb-ud-Aibak however reinforced by Iltutmush. He
ruled from 1210-1230. Iltutmush also had three sonsone daughter. The eldest son was Nasir-ud-din
Mahmud whom Iltutmush had appointed as his successor but who died suddenly while in charge of
Bengal. His other sons could not bear the responsibility of ruling the empire and Iltutmush knew this. So
he began to think of his daughter Raziah as a king. She was naturally talented and well-educated. Testing
her skills Iltutmush gave her the charge of running Delhi while continuing with his Gwalior campaign.
Raziya did her job well and received benefits from her father. Soon, Iltutmush declared her his heir with
coins bearing the names of Iltutmush and Raziya are busy remembering the event (Habib & Nizami).
However, despite the public proclamation of her as the successor by the king himself, her enthronement
was not easy. Soon after Iltutmush's death, one of his sons Ruknuddin Firuz was raised on the throne by
the powerful category of provincial officials. There is an argument about the king's last wish in the
matter of succession. Barani, believes that Ruknuddin and not Raziya was made heir by Iltutmush on his
death bed which properly followed by his officers most of whom were slaves brought up and raised by
Iltutmush himself (Habib & Nizami, 232). However, as we read Balani we must not forget the racism in
his account and his dislike of women general politics and Raziya as ruler in particular. Ruknud din
followed his father with the help of amirs and his mother. However, he was reckless and her mother put
great pressure on him to succeed throne. The mistreatment of one brother and other amirs led to the
resurrection of the rebels throughout the empire. This is the time when Raziya enjoys the support of the
army and the chiefs of Delhi who will remove his brother from the throne again has proclaimed herself
the governor of Delhi. Ruknud din was executed for nearly seven months after the death of his father
(Habib & Nizami, 236,). According to Mohammad Habib and Khaliq Nizami have had some striking
aspects of Raziya's rule:

1. The people take action to determine the ruler. Raziya was fully supported the people of Delhi.

2. Her rule was a type of agreement between the emperor and the people. If she did not protect or
justify her actions.

3. Theologians of the day seemed helpless and powerless since Raziya was raised on the throne despite
their opposition (Habib &Nizami, 237).

Raziya's reign was marked by opposition from all quarters. Although she enjoyed support from Delhi
residents, the main opponents from the group were slaves raised by his father known as Turkan-
Chihalgani. This group was there led by Balban, an important and capable nobleman who later became
emperor Delhi. Both Barani and Minhaj-us-Siraj referred to the Hellenistic authorities. According to
Barani they were forty in number but he gives an index of only 25 details members and numbers of
Balban mainly in his account (Habib & Nizami,232). Minhaj, on the other hand, refers to more than forty
nobles (Habib & Nizami, 234). The nobles of chihalgani were widely sent to the provinces as the Iqtadars
also aspire to gain greater power in the post-Iltutmush period. However,under Raziya's strong rule they
had no power to advance their power. Moreover, Raziya began to strengthen herself as soon as she rose
to power. There left the traditional Purdah, the exclusion of women from society eye. Purdah, by nature,
interrupted her daily activities as a reunion people and ruled his kingdom. Instead she began to wear a
qaba (dress) and kulla (hat) similar to the male kings of the Sultanate. This was obvious the declaration
of Raziya's power that broke the controversy. On the other hand she began to magnify his officers by
removing the powers and obligations in formerly chihalgani nobles. This act was seen as a threat by the
slave owners as well as they began to conspire against her. Many provincial governors were established

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groups to overthrow her. She could easily have stopped the rebels and undergo administrative
restructuring. However, she failed to donate power and resources for his father's nobles which
eventually led to her downfall. Although there have been several collaborations with some of these
nobles, especially her marriage with emperor Altunia, Raziya was defeated. Both were killed in 1240
marking the end of the glorious performance of the only female king in the Delhi Sultanate.

According to Minaj,she was endowed with all the commendable qualities required for Kings. But her
sexuality was the greatest disgrace.However, modern scholars do not agree with this observation. In
accordance with Mohammad Habib and Khaliq Nizami, Raziya's failure lies in his own failed to form an
alliance with the powerful Chihalgans of the nobles. Satish Chandra also blames the Chihalgani family
and not hersex for her failure (Chandra, 50). Chihalgani heldchaos even after the Raziya period ended
under the iron hand of Balban. So far Raziya is concerned, her rule which was marked by rational politics
judgment, vitality and courage. She faced many revolts and made necessary alliance but mostly to the
detriment of the nobles of Chahilgani and not to share power with them to them. One of her
achievements was her refusal to join the Mongols, which saved her empire from being plundered. She
was aware of his limitations.

Women in power and politics: Deccan

The Deccan Peninsula had a history of women participating in politics before the time of middle age. The
Shatavahas saw women in politics in the early years of ancient times. Gautamiputra Shatakarni's mother
played a major role in state politics. In addition to advisory roles he also provided direct land grants
charity to religious organizations on behalf of the state. Therefore, the Deccan had-women's culture in
politics. In the medeival period we get it from time to time cases of women entering power, sometimes
dominating directly but mostly indirectly as important influential people. Another such exemplary
woman who successfully ruled the empire in the thirteenth century in India and fought valiantly two-
way war, the threat of foreign conquest and because of to be a woman, the opposition of the patriarchs
from within her empire was Queen Rudrama-devi, the fourth independent ruler of the Katatiya Dynasty
of Andhra.

Rudrama-devi:
One of the prominent rulers of the Kakatiya Empire, Rudrama-devi ruled empire for a long time, about
1262 to 1295 CE. The monarchy (c. 1150 to 1323 CE) spread throughout the modern-day Telangana
region, by Orugallu (later Warangal) as its capital. Historians generally agree that they were the
feudatories of the western Chalukya kings from around the eighth century, and it was King Rudradeva I
who declared independence from the Chalukyas in 1163 CE. King Ganapatideva, who assumed the reign
in 1199 CE, conquered some parts of coastal Andhra and played an important part in uniting the Telugu
speaking regions. Ganapatideva had no sons to succeed him to the throne and it is in the lack of a male
successor that he appointed his elder daughter Rudrama-devi as successor and heir to the Kakatiya
throne. The father-daughter duo ruled jointly for several years, till Ganapatideva’s death, when
Rudrama-devi finally assumed the throne as an independent ruler in 1269 CE.

Despite being one of the longest-serving rulers in Kakatiya's rule, Rudrama-devi has boldly ignored many
historians and writers of early Indian history. People knew very little about her, until historian Cynthia

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Talbot actually saved “another daughter chosen to succeed his father in historical corruption, " as she
put it in the famous way it. In the writings of her time, Rudrama-devi is often referred to as‘Male.’
Talbot’s literature study shows that a total of 62, 52 transcripts (that is 84 percent important) calls him
mahārāja (King), using a male type 'Rudra-deva' as his name. Fourteenth-century manuscript named at
the time the reign of his successor to Pratāparudra, means that his father Ganapatideva took the
decision to represent Rudrama-devi as a man and thus call him Rudra. Others follow the roots of this
complex arrangement in the putrikā ceremony, where in the absence of sons, a man may place his
daughter as a ‘male heir.’ In the midst of difficulties opposing the authorities, Ganapatideva used this
ancient observance. It was widely believed that to maintain her appearance she actually wore masculine
clothes in society and received training in military and military skills from childhood. Modern history ji
do not say how you reacted to this arrangement eitherhow the concealment of the ‘real’ identity has
affected him emotionally, the famous Telugu movie (Rani Rudrama Devi, 2015) based on his life trying to
capture emotions. The chaos he must have experienced. At a very young age in her life she had to face
the bitter reality of patriarchal society when her self-awareness as a woman was considered to be a
great obstacle to her quest for power. However, her long reign is proof of that she was not moved by all
the opposers and dissatisfaction all around, but instead testified to her mettle as a successful hero and
boss.

Apart from the popular belief that he was introduced as a ‘man’, the evidence comes from sources other
than textual records show that there was actually no real attempt to deceive the public. Many visible
sources found in the Kakatiya area reveal her as a woman and most importantly, Rudrama-devi chose to
present herself in the feminine state in the columns of the temple pillars she built. Two consecutive
photographs recently obtained from Bollikunta village in Telangana district in Warangal show that
Rudrama-Devi died in a fierce battle with Kayastha chief Ambadeva. Interestingly, the sculptures retain
the personality of Rudrama-devi and the monarchy with a characteristic suggestion of an aggressive
hero. ’According to Superintending Archaeologist, D. Kanna Babu, ‘the pictures also reflect her feminine
personality qualities such as 'round face, soft cheeks, wide eyes, thin nose and soft lips.'

Rudrama-devi's accession to the Katatiya throne was further marred by controversy protests. Neighbors
fighting like Yadavas of Devagiri, Gangas of Kalinga, as well Pandyas of the Tamil region, to name a few,
saw her as a weak ruler whose so-called succession was an opportunity for them to conquer and unite
the Kakatiya region. She chased the attacking the Yadava army back to Devagiri, defeating the Yadava
king Mahadeva. Onthis important victory adopted the title rāya-gaja-kesarī, meaning 'who is the lion
reigns over the elephants ’kings, and erected a monument at Swayambhu. The Warangal Temple, which
chooses to present itself as a lioness on a lioness,with his sword and shield in hand, evokes the image of
the fierce goddess Durga. The Yadava records, however, bring a different story, according to their
master Mahadeva 'saved' Rudrama-devi and 'allowed' her to win because she is a woman. What
compared to other sources of the time, this seems to belong only to King Mahadeva facial salvage
tactics, as defeat in a woman's hands was considered the worst in those times. And what better way to
shine than to create a false narrative of ‘respect’ and ‘respect’ around you. The Yadava were not just his
opponents as in the year 1262 CE, King Ganga of Kalinga Narasimha I marched and settled Vengi District.
It took Rudrama-devi a total of 15 years to reclaim her territory, with the help of his managers Poti
Nayak and Proli Nayak. Moreover, the most difficult challenge to his authority and rule came from the
Pandyas.

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People from the Katatiya region also rebelled against her. Opposition officials strongly opposed the rule
of the woman. One of his rebel forces, Ambadeva, aspiring to be an independent ruler, met Kakatiya's
enemies like the Pandyas and the Yadavas. Like myths and recently discovered evidence, Rudrama-devi
died fighting his army as a true hero. Not just Ambadeva, she had to face the rebellion of some of his
nobles as well, including the famous Hariharadeva Murarideva.

But despite his constant fear of political and territorial defeat, Rudrama-devi proved himself to be a
capable manager. She started many new projects,as with the completion of the Warangal Warrior, its
construction was started by her father. Rudrama-devi is also calledthe construction of many temples
and buildings, with monolithic pillars as well gateways (toranas) enclose an attractive object. Her
beginnings and her giving of much Social programs are now increasingly accepted. It is believed that she
dug tanks aimed at bringing in more hectares of arable land, thus improving agricultural production in
the region. Text found in Chandupatla in 1994 by Rudrama Devi's army officer Puvvula Mummadi,
talking about the village tank, Rasamudram, built during the Katatiya Samudram period. Even before he
sat down on the throne, made a point of getting acquainted with the people and places, visiting
regularly several parts of his kingdom and places of pilgrimage. Personal Communication Rudrama-Devi
wanted to establish with the people he ruled to express his good political ideas and government skills.

Rudrama-devi introduced radical changes to the administrative structure as well, for example, her new
policy of employing people from non-noble families in the military as officers, it was a great
development at those times, she was strongly opposed again. In the face of opposition from his empire,
this particular strategy is believed to have been aimed at gaining the trust of the common people and
won new loyalists. Martial arts were essential to the establishment and success of the Kakatiya dynasty
from the beginning. To take this tradition forward in Rudrama-devi introduced the nayankara system of
military planning, which became extremely powerful popular during the reign of Vijayanagar Under this
system, the holders of nayankaras or Nayakas were granted a block of territory consisting several
villages, in lieu of which they were expected to provide troops for the central Kakatiya administration, as
and when needed. This program seems to work well in most statistics: it is validated the division of the
Katatiya army; led to the building of a reliable police base as well at the same time it diminished the
power of the local dignitaries, who ruled over this time.

Rudrama-devi was married to the Challan prince Virabhadra, a member of the Vengi Chalukyas, after the
conquest of Ganapatideva in Vengi in 1240 CE. Virabhadra does not exist felt as if to exclude any
important political or administrative role. They had three daughters, Mummadamma, Ruyamma and
Rudrama, but no one followed him throne. Instead Rudrama-devi appointed his eldest daughter
Prataparudra's son as heir.

Therefore, ruling for about forty years, Rudrama-devi held fast, and now known as the great hero,
emperor and ruler of India in the 13th century.The Venetian pilgrim Marco Polo highly regarded him for
her good conduct and rule, describing her as “an understanding woman who always sought justice and
equality.

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Conclusion:
We see that ancient India had a variety of male rulers regions and times. Women however do not stay as
far away from politics as needed by the public in those days but was able to leave their mark in various
ways.Fulfilling the role of counselor was a common and well-respected political process women's work.
There were also regents who could fight wars and rule kingdoms but never ruled directly as kings or
queens. In the medeival psyche political power was granted only to men. Women were like that not
tolerated. At least their struggle for survival was stronger than that of a man parts of the opposition.
Raziya is an example here. Rulers like Raziya and Rudrama Devi embrace the attitudes of men and their
dress in order to assert their right to govern. Rudrama Devi is represented as the male ruler in the texts
addressed to him as Rudra and Maharaja. We can therefore say that society found it difficult to accept
women rulers. They were more receptive to indirect roles. Therefore, we can say that in the past women
could have played an indirect role in politics but in their own words they were important and effective.

References:

 Gabbay, Alyssa. (2011). “In Reality a Man: Sultan Iltutmish, His Daughter, Raziya, and Gender
Ambiguity in Thirteenth Century Northern India”. Journal of Persianate Studies.
 Nezāmi K. A., Delhi, 1988. Hasht behesht (Persian), ed. Eftekhār J., Moscow, 1982.
 Anson J., “ The Female Transvestite in Early Monasticism: The Origin and Development of a
Motif,” Viator 5 ( 1974), pp. 1-32.
 Balabanlilar L., “ The Begims of the Mystic Feast: Turco-Mongol Tradition in the Mughal Harem,”
Journal of Asian Studies 69.1 ( 2010), pp. 123-147.
 Bilefsky D., “ Albanian Custom Fades: Woman as Family Man,” The New York Times, June25,
2008.
 Esmāʾil Bokhāri Mohammad b., Sahih al-Bokhāri (Arabic), Cairo, 1966.
 Bullough V. L. and Bullough B., Cross Dressing, Sex, and Gender, Philadelphia, 1993.
 Butler J., Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity, New York, 1990.
 Talbot, Cynthia., “Rudrama-devi, the Female King: Gender and Political Authority in Medieval
India”, in David Shulman ed. Syllables of the Sky: Studies in South Asia in Honour of Velcheru
Narayana Rao. Oxford University Press: 1995. p.394.
 We find a mention of the institution of putrikā in the Manusmrti, during the discussion of
property and inheritance rights. Scholars believe that the putrikā enjoyed all the rights and
privileges of a son. Olivelle, Patrick., “Rhetoric and Reality: Women’s Agency in the
Dharmaśāstras” in Languages, Texts, and Society: Explorations in Ancient Indian Culture and
Religion. Anthem Press: 2011. p.252.
 https://www.thehindu.com/news/two-sculptures-of-rani-rudrama-devi-shed-light-on-her-
death/article21268201.ece.
 Garodia, Archana., The Women Who Ruled India: Leaders, Warriors, Icons. Hachette Book
Publishing: 2019.
 https://feminisminindia.com/tag/rudrama-devi/.
 https://www.livehistoryindia.com/herstory/2017/07/05/rudramadevi-a-king-like-no-other .

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 https://swarajyamag.com/magazine/a-queen-with-a-mission.

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