Summary: The Zenana was a custom practiced in British India where infant girls were killed as they were seen as a burden due to the immense expense of marrying them off, leading to a significant disparity between the number of girls and boys. Efforts to eradicate the custom were met with difficulties as there was no practical method to enforce change until fines were imposed on chiefs and restrictions put on wedding expenses. Lord Bentinck's tenure also saw progress in land ownership laws and the education system, with the introduction of English as the official language and a focus on Western education over classical oriental learning. The narrative also touches upon the rise of the Sikh Khalsa under Ranjit Singh consolidating power in the Panjab region and the tumultuous political landscape in Afghanistan dominated by the Barakzai brothers and Shah Shuja's attempts to reclaim his throne.