نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
عنوان مقاله English
نویسندگان English
Previous studies on Timurid women have largely focused on their political and cultural roles, while neglecting their structural function in reproducing patriarchal order and consolidating power. Drawing on functionalism and firsthand historical sources (771–911 AH), this article analyzes women's roles in three functional domains: reproductive, ritual, and economic. The central question is how women, within the Timurid family, contributed through these functions to (a) reproducing patriarchal order as the normative-value infrastructure, (b) perpetuating social order as the institutional matrix of relations, and (c) maintaining the socio-political power structure as the apex of domination. Employing a historical-analytical method with an interpretive approach, and drawing on primary sources—including dynastic chronicles (Zafarnamehs), biographical and ethical texts, travelogues, and chancery documents—this study analyzes data across three social levels (courtly, urban, and rural) within the three functional domains. Findings indicate that courtly women, through producing legitimate heirs, managing kinship networks, and performing courtly rituals, consolidated dynastic legitimacy and reduced succession conflicts. Meanwhile, urban and rural women, through economic participation, child socialization, and stabilization of the extended family, facilitated the reproduction of patriarchal order at the societal level. Thus, the Timurid family functioned as a mechanism for perpetuating power, wherein women's roles were foundational, informal, yet intrinsic to power reproduction. By distinguishing among the three social levels and analyzing latent functions, this research offers a structural understanding of family history in Timurid Iran.
کلیدواژهها English