New Delhi: You must have heard many stories about the harem of the Mughals that thousands of women lived in the harem and their job was to serve the king. Every woman living in the harem wanted to reach the king's bed. But this did not happen. Abul Fazal had written that more than five thousand women lived in Akbar's harem, but only a hundred of them reached the emperor's bed. The interesting thing is that among the thousands of begums and thousands of women of the king, there was only one woman who got this opportunity. How was it decided who would be on the king's bed?
Harems are just not what you thought
The Mughal harem was not just what you thought it was. Harem was the resting place of the Mughal emperor. The special thing about the harem is that only the king could enter it. The king used to go to the harem whenever he felt like it. He used to go there and sit on a seat. Begums used to sit around the king. Besides this, there were girls all around him. Historians say that the emperor used to get himself massaged in the harem itself. So that he can feel refreshed. Music, dancing and singing used to be an important part of the harem.
How was it decided who would be in bed?
The king used to go to the harem to drink alcohol. After which the process of drinking and drinking continued amidst dancing, singing and musical tunes. After all this, unless the king wishes to go to bed. After which it was decided who would be on the king's bed? Dutch businessman Francisco came to India during the Jahangir period. Referring to this, he writes that it was solely the king who decided who would be his bedmate. No one could enter the harem against the king's wishes, whether it was a queen or a minor concubine of the king's heart.
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