Decoding the Rhetoric of Morality in 18th Century India: The Interventionist Nature of the Jaipur State

Abstract

This article focuses on the nature of 18th century Jaipur society through the lens of gender relations. In Jaipur, the Kachchwaha state protected women against domestic abuse, sexual harassment and caste infractions. I argue that the state maintained control by articulating an interventionist role in the day-to-day lives of their subjects, without mediation of caste councils or the Brahmanical authorities. Through the rhetoric of upholding moral order in society, the Jaipur state was successful in legitimising its rule with expediency and minimal aggression. The state closely monitored the social interactions of their subjects and routinely resolved issues arising out of family disputes, domestic abuse, marital problems and inter-caste marriages. Individuals faced fines, ostracism as well as imprisonment as penalties. Men and women were punished according to their crimes, irrespective of their caste status in the Jaipur state.