PATRIARCHAL THEMES:

Physical Beauty and Purity: As already explained, in the Premakhyans we observe that a
woman’s most notable characteristic was her immaculate physical appearance, reflecting
conventional standards of beauty in medieval times. We see that Padmavati’s beauty is often
compared to natural elements like lotus, moon, and light, emphasizing her purity and grace
and she is portrayed as exotic. Where is the Padminī, so like a lotus, around whom the bees
hover? (P 462.8), Padmavati was the most beautiful like a ray of light, with eyes like
antelopes, nose like a parrot, face like lotus, lips like rubies and teeth like diamond.
Similarly, in Chandayaan, Chanda's physical beauty is repeatedly emphasized and her radiant
appearance becomes a defining characteristic, symbolizing her purity and innocence. “Her
forehead shone like the moon on the second night of the month, or purest gold, tested and
refined. The drops of moisture on her forehead, were like stars shining on the moon.” [C
66]. Even in Mirigavati’s story Prince Raj Kunwar describes her in a similar manner.

Ownership and Control: Varghese highlights the patriarchal norms of ownership and
control, emphasizing women's lack of agency and that many of their decisions are controlled
by their fathers and husbands. We see that Padmavati has many suitors but her father
considered no one good enough for her. Despite her own willingness to marry she had a
hard time persuading her father. In the later part of the poem, Jayasi also wrote the way
her father controlled her smile and weeping and had continual surveillance over her. It
raises questions about identity, suggesting that Padmavati is confined within the constraints
of her gender. However, we see an exceptional instance of Padmavati protesting to her
father when he decides to kill the parrot Hiraman and protects the bird. Even in
Chandayaan, her first marriage with Baman is purely her father’s decision. Khilji’s lustful
desire to achieve Padmavati King or Rupchand's forceful demand for Chanda’s hand in
marriage showcases how women were treated as possessions, subject to the whims of
powerful males.

Restricted mobility: Jayasi also fails to imagine women traveling or exploring the world
beyond the four walls of their household on their own, signifying the restricted mobility of
women in this society. Madhu Trivedi points out the freedom of movement of unwedded
girls within their parental home. This is reflected in the instance where Padmavati visits
Mansarodaka Lake and once a temple before her marriage with her fellow Padminis. Even
after her marriage Padmavati never set her feet outside the Chittor palace, except once
when she went to the houses of the Rajput warlords Gora and Badal in order to convince
them to rescue her husband from Ala al-Din’s prison. Moreover, since palanquins were
carried by men therefore, it is hard to imagine that elite women could see the outside world
independently. In Chandayaan, Chanda's secret meetings with Lorik illustrate the
restrictions placed on her mobility.

Fallibility: Jayasi reinforces that women are intellectually inferior and so in his writings men
never listened to women’s advice. He emphasizes on Padmavati’s fallibility by explaining
many erroneous life choices that she made, which ultimately led to her doom. When
Ratansen decided to become a yogi to win Padmavati, his mother forbade him to abandon
the wealthy kingdom of Chittor but he disobeyed his mother. In the same way, queen
Naghmati requested to accompany Ratansen. However, the Raja discouraged her and said
that she as a woman was deficient in sense and men who listen to advice of women are
fools. Jayasi’s ideal men are infallible as the lords Gora and Badal who extensively plan the
war to avoid any mistake because a man cannot act on imprudent impulses like women.
However, Madhu Trivedi notes an exception that when Ratansen is captured by Khilji,
Padmavati emerges as a strong personality who, after convincing Gora and Badal, plans
out a strategy to rescue the king.

Symbol of Resistance and Honor: Jayasi underscores the notion that the honor of an
individual woman is tied to the honor of her family, her community, and her heritage, making
it a driving force behind the decisions made by the characters. S.S.Varghese notes that
Padmavati didn’t appear in front of strangers as viewing of women by outsider men was
considered as an act of impurity by the Rajput male dominated society. Moreover, the act of
jauhar, while tragic, is portrayed as an act of resistance against invaders like Ala al-Din
Khalji. Padmavati’s sacrifice through jauhar, preserving her honor by avoiding capture, is
seen as a noble act, symbolizing her commitment to her Rajput identity and honor. This is
reflected when Padmavati says “Today let us give up our lives dancing for joy; today the fire
for us is cool.” It can also be seen as a statement how women, even in the face of extreme
adversity, have the power to choose how they define their worth. It is noteworthy that men of
the jauhar women then perform saka, a ritual of entering the battlefield to fight till death. In
the story, Jayasi refers to cannons as a metaphor for Rajput women in terms of their body
and spirit. The bravery of Rajput women, their physical appearance, speech, and dress were
all reflecting their erotic and heroic qualities. Their breasts are the cannon balls, that stay in
pairs close to their hearts. Although they have no tongues, they keep their mouths open.
And when they speak, Laṅkā burns. The cannons’ names are “Foe-bane” and
“Fort-breaker.” [P 507.1–8]

Chastity and Loyalty: Jayasi’s poem reflects that an ideal woman is unwaveringly loyal to
her husband, even in his absence, and her chastity is of utmost importance. For instance while
Ratansen is captured by Alauddin Khilji, a rival king Devpal sends his wife with a
marriage proposal to Padmavati. Padmavati however, remains faithful to her husband and
is not swayed by the proposal. Interestingly, Madhu Trivedi and Aditya Behl both point out
an instance when Ratansen and Padmavati are going back to Chittor and meet with a
storm. At this time Goddess Lakshmi tries to test his sincerity and takes the form
Padmavati. Ratansen remains faithful to his wife and does not get trapped in this trick.
While this is a very explicit expression of a man’s loyalty to his love, Jayasi does not judge
men if they are unfaithful to their wives. Hence, loyalty was a must to be seen as an ideal
wife but not so much for an ideal husband. Again, Padmavati and other women’s jauhar
showcased their unwavering devotion to their husbands and community and the act gave
Padmavati a goddess-like stature among the Rajputs. However, this can be debatable as one
can also assert that the Jauhar was not out of preserving the purity of her love but was driven
by what society expected of her as an ideal woman/wife.
Women Sustaining Patriarchy: We see instances in the Premakhyans where women
themselves are sustaining patriarchy. Padmavati’s mother does not intervene in her father’s
dominance over her life decisions, reflecting subservience and voicelessness in the face of
male decisions. Padmavati’s nurse or “dhai”, as Madhu Trivedi notes, advises Padmavati to
remain chaste and control her desires, emphasizing the transient nature of youth and
passion. Thus, upholding the societal norms that dictate a woman's behavior and morality.
We see powerful women being the facilitators of patriarchy and status quo. For instance Raja
Devapala’s wife queen Kudmini herself conveys her husband’s marriage proposal to
Padmavati along with gifts and offerings. Similarly, women who conveyed the message of
Alauddin to Padmavati also served the status quo. In Madhumalti's story we see that the
princess herself invokes a misogynistic gender hierarchy. Woman, she says, is a house to sin
itself, and needs to be contained by the family in order to prevent her from disgracing herself
and her clan.“If a woman seeks to commit a sin, in vain she destroys herself completely.
Womankind is the abode of sin. But if a woman has a family, then they will keep her from
sinning. Otherwise, who can contain her? [MM 126.1–4]. In Chandayaan, Chanda’s
sister-in-law hears her complaining about Baman and reports the matter to her mother. Adiya
Behl notes this as the stereotypical saas bahu ka jhagra (the fight between the
mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law. The fight reflects a world in which mothers and
wives fight over the favors of men.

Competing for Male Attention: The status of women in the harem was linked to their image
in front of the Raja. Loss of a man’s attention meant loss of all privileges that came with him.
Naghmati, first wife of Ratansen, earned her distinction over other women in Chittor due
to her beauty. She represents the insecurity and competition among women in the harem.
This is reflected in her jealousy towards Padmavati, illustrating the power dynamics within
the household. Thus, women are portrayed as rivals, competing for the attention of the male
protagonist. This can also be encountered in Chandayaan’s story, between her and the 1st
wife of her husband Lorik. The way the authors use Ratansen’s and Lorik’s intervention to
manage rivalry between both wives reflects women being constructed as single dimensional
characters. Nonetheless, through this Jayasi drew a picture of a successful medieval husband.

Submission: The poems reflect the patriarchal norms of the time, where women were
expected to be submissive to the decisions of men. The story of Chanda can be seen as a
major exception among the four. Despite societal pressures, Chanda challenges the traditional
expectations of female submissiveness. This will be further elaborated by Anshika.