The Situation of Women in Iraq during the Mamluk Rule

Abstract

This article discusses the situation of women in Iraq during the Mamluk rule (1749-1831) and their role in Pashaliq’s life both in the economic and cultural-educational spheres. Certainly, the social life of Iraqi women differed depending on where they lived - in cities, in rural areas, or in deserts, and to what social level they belonged. In rural areas, women, along with men, were actively involved in all kinds of agricultural activities. These were mainly wheat harvesting and cleaning, production of dairy products, care of domestic animals, harvesting and processing of agricultural crops, such as grinding wheat, and maintenance and operation of water mills. In rural areas, women were also actively involved in animal husbandry, taking care of cattle and poultry. At the same time, they performed quite heavy and labor-intensive work, which was expressed by drawing water from wells and rivers and using it for amelioration purposes. Such hard work often evoked compassion and sometimes outcry of foreign travelers towards the plight of rural women in Iraq.