A historian studies petitions that rural women in Mughal India sent to the village panchayat. Which of the following statements about these petitions are correct?
(A) Wives protested against the infidelity of their husbands.
(B) Wives protested against the neglect of the wife and children by the grihasthi, the male head of the household.
(C) The state and superior caste groups intervened to make sure the family was adequately provided for.
(D) In most cases, the woman petitioner was recorded under her own name.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → A, B and C only
(A) Wives protested against the infidelity of their husbands. — Correct. Wives did petition the panchayat against the infidelity of their husbands, though male infidelity was not always punished.
(B) Wives protested against the neglect of the wife and children by the grihasthi, the male head of the household. — Correct. Wives also protested against the neglect of the wife and children by the grihasthi, the male head of the household.
(C) The state and superior caste groups intervened to make sure the family was adequately provided for. — Correct. The state and the "superior" castes stepped in to see that the family was adequately provided for.
(D) In most cases, the woman petitioner was recorded under her own name. — Incorrect. Women's names were excluded from the record. The petitioner was called the mother, sister or wife of the male head.
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