Medieval Indian society is often remembered as an era when patriarchal norms tightened and women's public roles shrank – yet this oversimplifies a rich and complex reality. Across the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughal Empire, the Deccan sultanates, and Rajput kingdoms, numerous women exercised substantial political power, both formally as sovereigns and regents and informally as royal consorts, queen mothers, and courtly influencers. This paper examines the lives and careers of Razia Sultan, Queen Didda of Kashmir, Nur Jahan, Chand Bibi, Rani Durgavati, Rani Chennamma of Kittur, Ahilyabai Holkar, the Begums of Bhopal, Tarabai Bhosale, and Jahanara Begum, alongside lesser‑known figures from South Indian inscriptions and Maratha records. It argues that women's power was not merely exceptional but structural – embedded in dynastic politics, succession crises, and the necessity of maintaining state legitimacy. At the same time, it acknowledges the ideological constraints such as purdah, sati, and patriarchal legal codes that framed these women's actions. The paper concludes that a balanced historiography must avoid both hagiography and victimhood, instead focusing on the strategic agency exercised within given social structures.

Dr. Dilip Maity,"Women and Power in Medieval Indian Society" International Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Research and Educational Development, V2(4): Page(595-599) July - August 2026. ISSN: 3107-6513. www.ijamred.com. Published by Scientific and Academic Research Publishing.