'Harem' refers to ______.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Domestic world of the Mughals.
Option (1) ‘Bazaars’ during Mughal era. — Incorrect. The harem was the emperor’s household, the people who lived with him, not a market place.
Option (2) ‘Sacred religious’ world of the Mughals. — Incorrect. The word comes from the Persian word haram, meaning a sacred place, but the term refers to the household of the Mughals, not to their religious life.
Option (3) Domestic world of the Mughals. — Correct. The term “harem” is used for the domestic world of the Mughals: the emperor’s wives and concubines, his near and distant relatives, and female servants and slaves.
Option (4) Political world ‘Court’ of the Mughals. — Incorrect. The court was the emperor’s public world, where nobles and envoys came before him; the harem was his private household.
Note: This question is taken from the chapter ‘Kings and Chronicles’ which was there in the pre-rationalised NCERT and has been deleted from subsequent editions of NCERT, including the NCERT book (2026-27).
NCERT (Pre-rationalised): “7. The Imperial Household … The term ‘harem’ is frequently used to refer to the domestic world of the Mughals. It originates in the Persian word haram, meaning a sacred place. The Mughal household consisted of the emperor’s wives and concubines, his near and distant relatives (mother, step- and foster-mothers, sisters, daughters, daughters-in-law, aunts, children, etc.), and female servants and slaves.…” |