Muslim Slave System in Medieval India c16.24

c16.24

There were some marriages which were not forced, but the wedded women were not accorded due regard even by their own people. In the homes of Muslim ruling classes such women were treated no better than slave girls or concubines. The cases of Rani Ladi and Deval Rani are appropriate examples. Muhammad bin Qasim had captured Rani Ladi, consort of Raja Dahir, during his invasion of Sind. Later on he married her. Thinking that she could wield some influence with her people, he sent her to persuade the people of Alor fort to cooperate with the powerful invader. But the men standing on the top of the ramparts jeered at her saying: You have mixed with the *chandals* and defiled yourself. You prefer their rule to ours. They then began to abuse her.³⁴ Deval Devi was the daughter of Raja Karan Baghela of Gujarat and his queen Kamala Devi. Kamala Devi was captured in the sack of Gujarat (1299), and married by Alauddin Khalji. According to the Islamic law, kafir women could be married to Muslims even while their husbands were alive,³⁵ for marriage is annulled by captivity.³⁶ Later on her daughter Deval Devi was also captured in another campaign (1308) and brought to Delhi.³⁷ There she was married to Alauddins son Khizr Khan who had fallen in love with her.³⁸ After the assassination of Khizr Khan in the politics of succession, she was married by Qutbuddin Mubarak Khalji (1316-20) against her Will.³⁹ With the murder of Qutbuddin at the hands of Khusrau Khan she was taken into the latters harem. In short, this princess was treated as nothing more than a chattel or transferable property in the Khalji ruling house.⁴⁰ Although such wives were treated more or less as slave girls or concubines, they sometimes brought with them scores of *bandis* for service in the harem. The best example for the Sultanate period is to be found in Malik Muhammad Jaisis *Padmavat*. The story of Padmini may be allegorical, but the important fact is that Padmini and her companions and *bandis* are said to have been carried in 1,600 litters (actually Rajput warriors who rescued Ratan Singh) to the palace of Alauddin Khalji.⁴¹ For the Mughals, it has already been said that Akbar had 5,000 women in his harem who in turn had their own entourage of *bandis*. To the conquering and ruling Mughals there was no dearth of such women.