the practice concubinage

1. EVOLUTION, HISTORY OF THE WORLD AND
PRESENT SCENARIO IN INDIA
BY:
AAYUSHI SHANKAR
LLM
1885021

2.  An interpersonal and sexual relationship in which the
couple are not or cannot be married.
 The inability to marry may be due to multiple factors
such as differences in social rank status, an existing
marriage, religious or professional prohibition , or a
lack of recognition by appropriate authorities.
 The female counterpart- CONCUBINE

3.  Originated from word ‘CONCUMBERE’ (Latin verb)
 Developed in Middle English in 13th Century.
 Hebrew word- PILEGESH (non-semitic loanword)
 A woman who with whom a man cohabits without being
married: such as one having a recognized social status in a
household below that of a wife. (Merriam Webster)
 Concubines often bore children to the rulers that they
served. In some cases, these children were treated as legal
offspring especially if the concubine or consort was an
official one that was recognized by a court.

4. Concubinage
 a woman who lives with a
man, but who is not a wife.
 Signifies a relationship
where the male is the
dominant partner, socially
and economically
 A woman kept by a man
who is high in hierarchical
society in addition to his
wives, e.g in the imperial
harem or within a
household.
 A person who performs
sexual activity for
payment, especially a
woman.
 No significant
relationship
 Form of a service
provided by a woman to
more than one male.
Prostitution

5.  In many ancient cultures, rulers not only had wives.
Depending on the culture that they belonged to, they
kept CONCUBINES as well.
 These women were commoners or even slaves.
 Voluntary entry- Provided a measure of economic security
 Involuntary entry or servile- Forced sexual slavery

7.  Early Israelite history during patriarchal times.
 Bible- Wives had dowries but concubines did not
 Concubines were not to be mistreated ( Exodus 21:7-101)
 Nor could they be violated by other males ( Gen 35:22) with
impunity ( Gen 49:3-4).
 They seem to have received higher status if they bore sons, or at
least they are remembered by name ( Gen
21:10 ; 22:24 ; 30:3 ; 36:12 )
 In Mesopotamia, where the king maintained a harem and where a
private citizen might have one or two concubines in addition to
his primary wife. Both types of concubinage are referred to in the
Bible.
 A concubine was often a slave or part of the booty of war (Judg
5:30)

8.  Famous keeper of concubines in the Bible- King Solomon
(1011 BCE to 931 BCE)
 Gideon had a concubine (Judg 8:31), as did an unnamed
man of Levi's tribe (Judg 19). (The Period of Biblical
Judges)
 Royal harems existed in many other cultures of that time,
including Egypt, Persia (Est 2:14), and Babylon (Dn 5:2-3,
23).

9. Biblical Times
Illustration from
the Morgan Bible of
the Benjamites taking
women of Shilohas as
concubines.

10.  Concubinage- Complex practice
 Production of an heir
 Symbol of status and wealth
 Live burials- Song Dynasty(960-1276 AD) abolished
 Ming Dynasty rulers- Torture & Abuse
 Only high ranking concubines lived in luxury, others
were just treated as sex slaves.

11.  Consort Wu- Famous Concubine
 Emperor Zuanzong (713-756 CE)- Highest rank
 After the Emperor’s wife died in 724 CE, Consort Wu
was treated like an Empress by all of the servants living
in the palace.

12. ChineseCulture
Portrait of a
Concubine during
Emperor
Yongzheng’s
reign.(1722-1735)

13.  Concubines- Bhogastrees.
 The Bhogastrees- de facto wives of the respective
kings, chiefs, noble men.
 Yajnavalkya (II. 290)
AVARUDDHA- One who kept in the house and
forbidden to have contact with any other male.
BHUJISHYA- One who is not kept in the house but is
specially meant for one person.
 If any other person had relations with them- Fine of
fifty panas.

14.  Some Examples-
 Erakama Mahadevi as Bhogam manishi of the chief
Sammangiraju who had a son by her called Sanikyaraju and
who held Pottapinadu region (East Godavari district) as his
Vritti. (Bhimavaram 1201 AD)
 Kasadi Suramadevi- Bhogastree of Kota Ketu.
 King Asoka- 500 Concubines
 The Smritis & Dharmasastras- Maintenance of concubines

15.  Concubinage- recognized institution
 Harem System (also known as Seraglio).
 In verse 23:6 in the Quran it is allowed to have sexual
intercourse with concubines.
 Women were abducted and captured to be kept as
concubines.
 Major focus of Islamic Slave Hunting.
 Prophet Muhammad himself had taken at least three
slave-girls as his concubines. (Bukhari 3:46:717)

16.  Quranic verses 23:5–6( mentioned concubinage)
 Hedayah- cohabitation and generation of children.
 Clearly sanctioned in the Quran, the Sunnah and the
Sharia
 Examples-
Abd al-Rahman III (d. 961) in Cordoba contained over
6,000 concubines.
 Africa to Europe, from the Middle East to India—
rulers and noblemen had accumulated concubines in
their thousands.

17. Islamic Culture
Depiction of
Concubines in
Harem of an Arabic
ruler.

18.  Shared lower status ( Sultanate and Mughal Period)
 No legal limitation - number of concubines
 Virtue of right of ownership
 Called 'chacha' and 'unchahar," sarari‘
 Harems were colossal and magnificient.
 Imperial concubines were well provided

19.  Jahangir called the concubines Khawas-i Khidmatgar
 Important concubine had her own set of apartments
where she maintained her own household.
 Akbar’s reign witnessed largest number of harems
(5000 women)
 The nawabs were themselves in possession of a huge
Harem full of dozens of concubines. (Prince of Oudh)
 Muta wives were considered Concubines.

20. Mughal Period
!7th Century painting
depicting a ruler
enjoying the
company of his
concubine.

21.  Concubinage is still in practice.
 Issue are often raised in issue of succession and
maintenance.
 Section 18(2) of the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act,
1956.
 Privy Council- ‘Avaruddhastree’ would be entitled to
maintenance.(Akku Prahlad vs. Ganesh Prahlad AIR 1945).
 Property gifted to concubine- has the right to property(S.
Shetty v. Konatham Lakshmma (2012))
 Section 14 (1) of Hindu Succession Act – Right to property
as a pre-existing right.
 Not liable for cruelty against the wife. [Sunita Jha v. State of
Jharkhand, 2010]

22.  The condition is degraded.
 Considered a mistress
 Social Stigma
 Illegitimacy

23. THANK YOU