Empress, Ruby Lal
Empress, Ruby Lal
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Empress
The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan

Author: Ruby Lal

Narrator: Suzanne Toren

Unabridged: 8 hr 58 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/28/2018

Synopsis

In 1611, thirty-four-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.

About Ruby Lal

Ruby Lal is an acclaimed historian of India, a professor at Emory University, and the author of three books and numerous essays, op-eds, and literary pieces. Her book Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan won the Georgia Author of the Year Award in biography and was a finalist in history for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship

I was not impressed with this biography. The author insists that as a feminist historian she’s able to make use of traditionally overlooked sources in writing this biography of Nur Jahan, who despite being the 20th wife of Mughal emperor Jahangir and the fact that the couple had no children together......more

Goodreads review by Bob

Boosting a Queen Born to refugee parents from Persia during their trip across Afghanistan to Mughal-ruled India, a girl named Mihr would not have seemed to have a glorious future. Her father sought a position in the Mughal court where Persian was the language of government and numerous Persians alrea......more

Goodreads review by Jayasree

Empress by Ruby Lal is a wonderfully researched and well-written book on Nur Jahan. It is perhaps not for all to read. There are those biographies that are more empathetic, but not Empress. Lal has managed to give us a clean and clear picture of the times Nur Jahan lived. Nur's life and her impact o......more

Goodreads review by Phrodrick slowed his growing backlog

Bottom line first. This may be all that we can know about a demonstratively exceptional and unlikely Empress. But not a. exceptionally well told biography. I came into Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan by Ruby Lal wide-eyed and ready to be wowed. An ancient Moghul/Muslin empress who held ex......more

Goodreads review by Anissa

I took my time with this book but it is a great read and honestly one of the most comprehensive biographies of my favorite historical figures. Ruby Lal is also open about how much we don't know about Nur Jahan (I've read a lot of purported history books where assumptions/theories are presented as de......more

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