Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c20.s2: Section 2. Women in Historical Times

Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c20.s2

Language: English

Section 2. Women in Historical Times

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Whether the clause relating to the participation of women "in the functions of the males" need necessarily be interpreted to mean agriculture and industry, as Prof. B. K. Sarkar seems to think, is indeed questionable, especially in view of the fact that Śukrāchārya himself, as we have said, has inflicted on women an infinite variety of household duties which, while no doubt assigning to them the premier position in the province of domestic economy, lower them in the world of activity related to the general well-being of the State. Śukrāchārya does not seem to have out-grown, as regards this question, the conservative attitude of the classical canonists. Nevertheless one may be permitted to repeat that, both according to law and custom, the lot of women, was not one of fundamental servitude. Manu's injunction that the king should employ women for royal service dispels the idea of an unqualified serfdom for women. When we examine, in a most cursory manner, no doubt, the status which women occupied in historical times, we may be better able to understand how practice had transgressed precept as regards the position of women in Hindu society.

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The earliest historical evidence seems to confirm the dictates of Manu. In the times of Megasthenes, the care of the king's person was entrusted to women.¹ The tradition of entertaining women in royal service continued in the days of Harshavardhana. Bāṇa gives us a detailed description of women who served as porters, royal attendants, lute-players and shampooing attendants in the royal palace.² He also tells us how women served in military camps. "Loving pairs", says Bāṇa, "were roused from sleep by the tramp of the women of the watch".³ But in the matter of performing household duties, the Queen herself set an example. In the course of his description Bāṇa speaks of Queen Yaśōvati, who is pregnant, thus: "Her household duties she had scarce strength to command, not to speak of performing them".⁴ The princesses who were thus versed in the art of domestic economy were also trained in singing, dancing, and other accomplishments. Rājyaśrī grew up amidst such an atmosphere of enlightenment.¹

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¹ M'Crindle, *Ancient India as described by Megasthenes and Arrian*, p. 71, (1877.); *Ancient India as described in Classical Literature*, p. 58, (1901). Cf. H. H. Wilson, *The Theatre of the Hindus*, II, p. 304.

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² Bāṇa, *Harshacharita*, pp. 61-3, 85, 125. Cf. Lakshmīśa, *Jaimini-Bhārata*, Sandhi, 6, v. 29, p. 120 (Sanderson), where Krishna silently orders a female attendant to stop Bhima from entering the dining hall.

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³ Bāṇa, ibid., p. 199.

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⁴ Ibid., p. 107.

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¹ Bāṇa, *Harshacharita*, p. 121, For other notices of women, see pp. 68, 77, 82-3, 104.

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The functions of women in southern India seem to have been more varied than those of their sisters of the north. In addition to their duties around the person of the king, they were entrusted, in a limited degree, with the work of administration in religious and political matters. We are told that women were entertained in a royal palace in the south in A.D. 1310.²

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² Wassāf relates thus the history of "*Kales Dewar*, the ruler of Ma'bar": "This fortunate and happy sovereign had two sons, the elder named Sundar Pandi, who was legitimate, his mother being joined to the Dewar by lawful marriage, and the younger named Tira Pandi, was illegitimate, his mother being one of the mistresses who continually attended the King in his banquet of pleasure; for it was customary with the rulers of that country, that, when the daily affairs of the administration were over, and the crowds that attended the court had gone to their respective homes, a thousand beautiful courtezans used to attend the king in his pleasure. They used to perform the several duties prescribed to each of them; some were appointed as chamberlains, some as interpreters, some as cup-bearers,....". Elliot, *Hist. of India*, III., pp 52-3.

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A notable example of a woman who conducted admirably the work of government is given in a stone inscription dated A.D. 918. In the reign of the Rāṣṭrakūṭa king Kannara Dēva Akālavarsha, "on Sattarasa Nāgārjjuna, who was holding the office of *nāḷ-gāvuṇḍa* of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Seventy, dying under the orders of Kaliviṭṭarasa, the king having given to his wife the grade of *nāḷ-gāvuṇḍa*, and Jakkiyabbe was holding the office of *nāḷ-gāvuṇḍa*,—and Nanduvara Kaliga was holding the office of *perraḍe*—and? the survivor of the Sundiga tribe was holding the office of *perrgaḍe* to Koḍangeyūr,—the Seventy and the Three Hundred granted Avatavūr to Jakkiyabbe as promised."

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What this woman *nāḷ-gāvuṇḍa* did with her dues is also told in the same interesting inscription. "And Jakkiyabbe, in giving away the dues of the *nāḷ-gāvuṇḍa* in Avatavūr on account of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Seventy, granted four *mattal* of rice land in Jakkili for the temple ". As regards the administrative work of Jakkiyabbe, the same inscription continues: "Skilled in ability for good government, faithful to the Jinēndra śāsana, rejoicing in her beauty, Jakkiyabbe, when having received the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Seventy, she was protecting it well, though a woman, in the pride of her own heroic bravery", she "performed the vow", and died in the orthodox Jaina fashion.¹ Queen Sōvala Dēvi is spoken of as a mantri in a record dated A.D. 1166.² A more famous example of a woman administrator is that of Queen Rudrāmbā who, under the name of Mahāmaṇḍalēśvara Rudradēva Mahārāya, ruled from A.D. 1260. It was because she took the name of a man that Vikrama Pāṇḍya of the south was advised not to go to the north where women under the guise of men ruled.³

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¹ E. C., VII, Sk. 219, pp. 130-1, text, p. 298.

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² E. C., XI, Dg. 5, p. 25.

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³ 365 of 1913; Ep. Report for 1914, p. 93; Ep. Report for 1916, p. 135. For an example of women encouraging men in a battle by making garlands of flowers for heroes, see E. C., VIII, Sa. 63, dated A.D. 1283 p. 104.

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Women in southern India could equally well carry on the administrative work of religious institutions. We gather this from a stone inscription dated A.D. 1255 which deals with the activities of a great merchant named Kuñje Seṭṭi and his family, in the times of the Hoysala king Sōmēśvara Dēva. One of the relations of Kuñje Seṭṭi was Kaṇḍanambi Seṭṭi, who made over all the lands which he had received as a gift from all the Brahmans of the Dāmōdara agrahāra, also called Nāgarahaḷḷi, to the temple of the god Kuñjēśvara, evidently of the same agrahāra. "And his daughter the Gaṇa-Kumāri⁴ Chandavve he made the proprietress (oḍeyalu) of the temple, for carrying out the ceremonies, and granted her hombaḷi land, with pouring of water in the presence of the god Kuñjēśvara, and in the presence of Rudraśakti, the rāja-guru of Dōrasamudra the capital of Tribhuvana, and in the presence of the Kampaṇāchārya of the 120 temple priests (sthānikaru), and of numberless mātra-gaṇagaḷu and in the presence of all the subjects, farmers and priests of the two Muttana-Hosavūr". That this appointment had to receive the confirmation of the prominent people of the agrahāra is clear from the following lines of the same inscription. "And that rāja-guru Rudra-śakti-dēva, the 120 temple priests, and Māda-Jiya of Arasiyakere, the Kaṃpaṇāchāri (capital) (rājadhāni), with other Jiyas (named), and numberless mahā-gaṇagaḷu uniting bound upon that Chandvve the vibhūti-paṭṭa, or crown of authority, and giving her the rank or place of a Gaṇa-kumāri," granted to her some specified dues in perpetuity.¹

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⁴ "Gaṇa-Kumāri, the daughter or princess of the gaṇas and the hosts of followers of Śiva, the Jangamas". E. C., V, P. I, p. 158, n. (1).

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¹ E. C., P. I., V., Ak. 108, pp. 158-9.

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Chandavve held the post of proprietress till A.D. 1258 when it is said a number of Gauḍas (named), along with others including Kaṇḍanambi Seṭṭi, granted lands to the same temple. The inscription relates that "the ceremonies, whatever they may be, for which these lands were given, Chandavve will herself cause to be carried out".²

Linked texts (4)

Jaimini Bhārata (Kannada) — Lakṣmīśa 1500, Kannada
Harṣacarita — Bāṇabhaṭṭa, Sanskrit
Epigraphia Carnatica
South Indian Inscriptions