Your favorite Empire / Dynasty in History

[muqawwee123]

Re: Your favorite Empire / Dynasty in History

@calypsodc

I am not sure of the hindi word per se. In olden days they used to say ‘Antha-pura’ sanskrit for ‘inner apartments’ where the women of the royal household used to live. There was no harem like the muslim harems with eunuchs etc. In some places, there were women warriors guarding the inner apartments. Chandragupta Maurya had royal bodygaurds comprising of some of these women warriors. There was also no segregation of the house hold per se traditionally . This became rigid with Islamic invasion and muslim influences.

Polygamy was not disallowed in Hinduism but was discouraged. Monogamy or having one wife was considered the best option and encouraged. Hindu law books like the smiritis allowed for polygamy in certain special circumstances. Ex: Yagnavalkya Smriti states that if a man’s wife was alchoholic, barren, sick, quarrelsome, hated men had only daughters, then he could marry again. But the first wife should also be maintained and not discarded. At the end of the day the various smritis like manusmiritis were only law books like the constitution of various kingdoms and did not have divine sanction. I am not aware of Vedas promoting polygamy. Polygamy was usually practiced among the warrior and merchant class (rich people).
Polygamy was finally banned by the Indian Govt under the Hindu Marriage Act.
Sorry who is Raja Indra ?

Even Islam allow polgamy under special conditions on subject to certain conditions

Raja Indra was some handsome Raja in tale of Gul Bakawli