Gulbadan Begum: A Mughal Historian

Famously known for her personal account of her brother, Gulbadan Begum is highly renowned for providing thorough information on both Humayun and Babur’s life in the Humayun Namah. Her account gives intricate details on both Mughal courtly and private life simultaneously unlike other historians of that time who mostly focused on political history. This article tries to understand the significance of Gulbadan Begum’s memoir and what actually inspired her to do so.

Royals from Mughal Period. Image Credits: Hindustan Times

Historians interpret the Humayun Namah, authored by Gulbadan Banu Begum, as the lone surviving history penned by a woman during 16th-century Mughal India. Historian Ruby Lal writes that in the realm of Mughal history, historians often turn to the Akbarnama and Ain-i-Akbari as pivotal sources, as they shed light on administrative and institutional histories. These sources, according to her, are considered the most significant as they are official collections that deal with political and administrative issues. Thus, Gulbadan Begum’s account proved to be crucial one as it challenged the traditional ‘patriarchal’ way of writing history belonging to that period.

Babur and Dildar Begum had Gulbadan Banu Begum around 1523 in Afghanistan, and she arrived in Hindustan at the age of five. She was Humayun's sister and appears to have been a noblewoman who was educated, devout, and cultured. She was a keen observer who understood the intricacies of battle and the machinations of royal discussions from the way she described herself. The first part of her memoir is devoted to Humayun's leadership after her father's death and Humayun’s struggles after his defeat. Gulbadan Begum was convinced by her nephew Akbar to write about Babur and Humayun's rule, and he had commissioned the writing of an official history of the early stages of the Mughal Empire. The original title of Humayun Namah was Ahwal Humayun Padshah Jamah Kardom Gulbadan Begum Bint Babur Padshah Amma Akbar Padshah. The entire account was written in Persian, which was later translated into English by Annette S. Beveridge.

Historians who have examined her writings in detail conclude that Gulbadan Begum’s main focus was on the everyday life of the Royal family, which was vastly different from what other contemporary writers were documenting. She describes the concerns and tensions faced by the women in the royal family and even traces the emperor's journey through their perspectives. Most importantly, she mentioned the rare pilgrimage to Mecca made by women of the Mughal Harem. The beauty of Begum’s account lies in her portrayal of the private life of the Mughals happening inside the Harem. Her memoir draws attention to the radically different meanings associated with family, marriage, and domestic issues in this 16th-century environment.

One argument made by historians regarding her writings is the stark difference between Gulbadan Begum’s description of the Harem and the description provided by contemporary male historians. Historians like Ruby Lal claim that unlike Abul Fazal or other contemporary writers, Gulbadan Begum’s documentation focuses on far more modest incidents in Babur and Humayun's life. This approach allows readers to understand the nature of relationships, conflict, and solidarities that comprised various forms of society and community at that time. In one instance, she records the role of the Harem during the period when Humayun was challenged by the Afghan ruler Sher Shah. She describes the succession struggle among the brothers and how Humayun’s aunt Khanzada Begum, the chief lady of the Harem, travelled to Qandahar just to give advice to Humayun's two brothers Hindal and Kamran, to remain obedient to the Emperor. On the other hand, Gulbadan Begum also records Humayun’s desire to marry the young Hamida Banu, mother of Akbar, and the conversation Humayun had with Mirza Hindal regarding the marriage proposal. Gulbadan Begum’s account also details various events at the Mughal Harem, including the participation of men and women in the making of marriages, festivities, and other celebrations, such as customs and rituals at births and deaths, along with other everyday occasions.

However, her account is considered an incomplete version of her writings, which ends abruptly four years before Humayun’s death. Historians interpret that as it was asked by Akbar to write from her personal experience, it nearly did justice to that. It proved to be a crucial record of both the public and personal life of 16th-century Mughals from an insider's perspective.

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