Question

Which of the following Sultans ordered that Muslim women were not to come out of their houses or go to visit tombs outside the city of Delhi ?

Select the correct answer from the code given below:

(a) Balban

(b) Firuz Tughlaq

(c) Bahlol Lodi

(d) Sikandar Lodi

1. (a), (b) and (d)
2. (b) and (d)
3. (b), (c) and (d)
4. (a), (b), (c), (d)

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 2 : (b) and (d)

• The Sultan who forbade Muslim women to come out of houses and visit tombs outside Delhi was Sultan Firuz Shah Tughlaq and Sikander Lodi.
• Firoz Shah Tughlaq was a very efficient administrator; his policies not only helped the consolidation of his empire but also founded newer cities in different parts of his empire. He also made provisions for the construction of canals, dams, reservoirs, mosques and schools. He also restored and repaired several pre-existing monuments such as the Qutub Minar.
• Firuz Tughlaq was also a very devout Muslim and aligned his administrative and political policies according to the Shariat. He actively took the advice of the ulemas and imposed administration regulations as per Islamic law. It was in this spirit, that the law was passed that restricted Muslim women to come out of their houses or visit tombs outside Delhi.
• Lokesh Chandra Nand’s pioneering work on the life and conditions of Women in the Delhi Sultanate talks about the restrictions placed by the 2 Sultans on Muslim women, this work also talks about the status and condition of widows during the Sultanate period. The work also documents the life of ordinary women during this period and the rules they were supposed to follow.
• Hence the correct answer is Option 2