Rani Bhawani of Rajshahi
Also called: Rajshahi zamindari · Topic: Mughal Agrarian Society and Economy · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 4 "Peasants, Zamindars and the State"
Meaning
Rajshahi in Bengal was one of the largest zamindaris of the 18th century. A zamindari was a landed estate whose holder collected revenue. A woman, Rani Bhawani, was at its head. Her case shows that women in Mughal India could inherit and run zamindaris. Both Hindu and Muslim women inherited zamindaris and were free to sell or mortgage them.
Example
In 18th-century Bengal, Rani Bhawani ran the great Rajshahi zamindari. Few women held power on this scale in rural society.
Don't confuse with
- Ordinary peasant and artisan women: they did heavy work in fields and crafts but had little independent property. When they sent petitions to panchayats, their names were left out, and they were recorded only as the wife, mother or sister of the male head of the household. Women from landed families, like Rani Bhawani, were the exception.