Introduction

• The bhakti movement is known for bringing about social transformation in medieval Indian history.
• Many poets of the period, whose writings continue to influence social and political thought in India, include Kabir, Namdev, Tulsidas, Surdas, Andal, Meerabai, Lal Ded, Akka Mahadevi, Ammaiyar, and others.
• This chapter focuses on the contributions of Meerabai to womanhood through her bhakti, popular support, and freedom in Indic culture.
• It examines Meerabai’s writings and their influence on society through a historical account of her life.
• The goal is to understand how Meerabai expanded the periphery of women’s freedom within the social norms of the time through her devotional poetry.

History, Womanhood and Culture

• Meerabai’s birth and parentage have numerous historical accounts, with the most agreed-upon year of her birth being 1498 AD.
• Her father, Ratan Singh Rathore, was from the Medtiya Rathore clan, making her a Rajput princess.
• The Rajputs controlled Rajputana States from the 7th century and were known for their courage, chivalry, and excellence in warfare.
• The Rajputs had a continuous history of warfare with Turks, Mughals, and Marathas.
• Women in Rajput culture were also obligated to inculcate virtues like fortitude, bravery, discipline, and sacrifice.
• Women played a vital role as wives and mothers of warriors, sustaining the chivalric ethos of Rajput polity.
• The 15th century saw the emergence of the word ‘Rajput’, signifying a ruling military aristocracy with its own ethos of martial valour, prestige, and patriarchal practices.
• Insecurity and warfare led to a benevolent paternalistic position within Rajput society, where men were responsible for protecting women, who became repositories of community honour.
• A strict code of behaviour emerged, where men were shamed for cowardice, and women for stepping outside conventional norms.
• Marriage was a key indicator of a woman’s life, where honour, purity, sexuality, courage, and sacrifice were central.
• Women were expected to support their husbands and motivate them to lay down their lives for the protection of the nation.
• Marriage in Rajput culture was politically motivated for consolidating power and protecting boundaries.
• Women’s freedom and choices were limited, but their sacrifices for the state’s greater good were glorified.
• The family became part of the political domain, particularly in ruling clans, due to political alliances.
• The Mewar kingdom, ruled by the Sisodiya clan, had pervasive cultural traditions, surrounded by Muslim-ruled kingdoms, necessitating a protective stance towards women.
• The concept of honour in Rajputana states and particularly in Mewar influenced women’s upbringing, marriage, education, and daily life, deviating from normative patterns.
• Women’s roles combined the private and political domains, symbolized by marital symbols such as swords, jewellery, and bangles.
• Women’s courage and bravery were tied to their commitment to the domestic realm and the nation.
• Men’s views on women were not of passive beings, but their mobility and sexuality were regulated by medieval norms.
• Meerabai, born and raised in this cultural setting, expanded the boundaries of her natal and marital family norms, becoming a significant transgressor of her time.
• Meerabai’s celebration as a saint and devotee in the very community she defied continues to inspire and surprise.