Kinship Structures and Foster Relations in Islamic Society: Milk Kinship Allegiance in the Mughal World

The book presents a detailed analysis of milk kinship in the Mughal era to bring out the socio-political and cultural significance of wet nursing. Pointing out that Islamic tradition gives attention to creation of milk kinship through wet nursing, it describes how a child nursed by a woman becomes a milk sibling to others who share her breast. Dealing with breastfeeding beliefs and practices of the time and selection of wet nurses, it explains how ‘non-maternal’ nursing helped in enlarging the family, taking care of those orphaned and helpless, and multiplying ties of loyalty and filial duty. It also shows that milk relatives and relationships affected State formation in Mughal times, as the kinsfolk of those nurses who had nursed the king were accorded importance by the ruler.