Vagabond Princess: The Great Adventures of Gulbadan

Lal (South Asian history, Emory Univ.; Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan) presents a meticulously researched biography of Gulbadan Begum, a 16th-century Mughal princess whose wanderlust and indomitable will inspired her to undertake a pilgrimage to the holy cities of Arabia. Daughter of the first Mughal ruler, Babur, she was raised in her father’s harem among the honored matriarchs of his lineage. Following in the footsteps of women forebears, Gulbadan became a trusted advisor to her nephew, Emperor Akbar. This book shows how Akbar’s more strictly cloistered harem frustrated Gulbadan, whose youthful travels through the lands conquered by her father inspired a lifelong curiosity and love of scholarship, which led her to embark on the hajj with other royal Mughal women. Drawing from Gulbadan’s own writings, this book beautifully evokes the vibrant Mughal court life and the sacred Islamic sites she visited. A full portrait of her life is obscured by gaps in the historical record, but Lal succeeds in depicting the various avenues in which Mughal women excelled.