A Study of the Position and Role of Women in the Family during the Timurid Period (771-913 AH)

The family, as the oldest social institution, has been shaped by fundamentalhuman needs and has undergone numerous transformations throughouthistory. The Timurid period, with its unique socio-cultural characteristics,provides an important context for studying the evolution of family systemsand the status of women within them. This research combines historicalanalysis with the structuralism theory of Claude Lévi-Strauss to examine thestate of the family institution and the position of women in Timurid families,addressing the question of how transformations in the family system havealtered the status and roles of women as wives, mothers, and daughters. Theresearch employs a qualitative and historical-analytical methodology,gathering data through the study of historical written sources, documents,literary texts, travelogues, and ethical books. The data are analyzed within theframework of structuralist concepts, including opposing pairs (such asmale/female, power/submission). The findings indicate that the Timuridfamily system was primarily extended, patriarchal, and patrilineal, withpolygamous marriages being common among affluent classes. Despite thedominance of patriarchy, women played a significant role in many householdsas internal managers, actively participating in family affairs and maintainingsocial relationships. This study presents a structural analysis demonstratingthat transformations in the Timurid family system, while preserving traditionalframeworks, have created a noteworthy redefinition of women's statuses in theroles of wives, mothers, and daughters, leading to both new constraints andopportunities for women to fulfill their roles.