043: Ruby Lal

Literary Atlanta

Alison talks to Emory professor and historian Ruby Lal about her book "Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan."

About the Author

Ruby Lal is Professor of South Asian Studies at Emory University. She holds a doctorate in Modern History from the University of Oxford and degrees in History from the University of Delhi, India. Before coming to Emory about 13 years ago, she taught history and anthropology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, where she also served as Associate Director of the Program for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality. Her fields of study include feminist history and theory, and the question of archive as it relates to writing about Islamic societies in the precolonial and colonial world.

About the Book

Four centuries ago, a Muslim woman ruled an empire. Her legend still lives, but her story was lost?until now.

In 1611, 34-year-old Nur Jahan, daughter of a Persian noble and widow of a subversive official, became the twentieth and favorite wife of the Emperor Jahangir, who ruled the vast Mughal Empire. An astute politician as well as a devoted partner, she issued imperial orders; coins of the realm bore her name. When Jahangir was imprisoned by a rebellious nobleman, the Empress led troops into battle and ultimately rescued him.

The only woman to acquire the stature of empress in her male-dominated world, Nur was also a talented dress designer and innovative architect whose work inspired her stepson’s Taj Mahal. Nur’s confident assertion of talent and power is revelatory; it far exceeded the authority of her female contemporaries in Renaissance Europe, including Elizabeth I. Here, she finally receives her due in a deeply researched and evocative biography that awakens us to a fascinating history.

Links to Sites, Articles and Events Mentioned in This Episode

Ruby Lal Author Website

August 2nd - Ruby Lal at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library

August 2nd - Colleen Hoover at First Christian Church Decatur

August 7th - George Yancy at Decatur Library Auditorium

August 8th - Susanna Kearsley at FoxTale Book Shoppe

Books Mentioned in This Episode

Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan by Ruby Lal