Question

Mirabai defied her husband and did not submit to which traditional role?

• A. Wife
• B. Mother
• C. Both (a) and (b)
• D. None of the above

Hint:

Mirabai's rebellion was not just personal but social; by choosing the path of a sanyassin (ascetic), she challenged the patriarchal structures of 16th-century Rajput society.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Concept: Mirabai (c. 1498–c. 1546) was a Rajput princess and a legendary devotee of Lord Krishna. Her life is a significant example of the Bhakti movement's challenge to social and gender hierarchies. Key historical context:
• Defiance of Norms: Mirabai refused to perform the traditional duties expected of a royal wife and daughter-in-law.
• Spiritual Path: She considered Lord Krishna to be her true husband, leading her to renounce her worldly marriage and maternal expectations.

Step 1: Understanding the defiance of the role of 'Wife'.
Mirabai was married to Bhoj Raj, the crown prince of Mewar. However, she refused to acknowledge him as her husband in a spiritual sense, neglecting her royal duties and refusing to participate in the traditional rituals of the palace, such as the worship of the family deity.

Step 2: Understanding the defiance of the role of 'Mother'.
By abandoning the palace to become a wandering saint (bhakt), she rejected the conventional household path which centered on child-rearing and domesticity. She did not fulfill the traditional expectation of providing an heir to the throne, choosing instead a life of asceticism and devotion.