Gulbadan Begum: The epic voyage of a daring Mughal princess - BBC News

Gulbadan Begum's one-of-a-kind pilgrimage to the holy cities of Islam is shrouded in mystery. Here's why.

1 day agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Juggernaut BooksImage caption, Gulbadan Begum is the first and only woman historian of the Mughal EmpireBy Cherylann MollanBBC News, MumbaiOn an autumn day in 1576, a Mughal princess led a cohort of royal women on an unprecedented voyage to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

It was the first time in Mughal India that a woman had gone on the sacred pilgrimage called the Hajj that is considered to be one of the five pillars of Islam.

At the age of 53, Gulbadan Begum - daughter of Babur, founder of the Mughal empire - and 11 women from the royal household - left the confines of a harem in Fatehpur Sikri to set off on a journey that would stretch across six years.

But details of this remarkable journey are missing from the records, possibly due to acts of omission by male court historians eager to preserve the "modesty and sanctity" of the women travellers and their pilgrimage, say historians.

Gulbadan's pilgrimage to Mecca was marked by acts of bravery and kindness, but also rebellion, as author and historian Ruby Lal notes in her book, Vagabond Princess: The Great Adventures of Gulbadan, which recently released in India and is due for an international release later this month.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-68302765

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