It was the first time a woman had undertaken the Hajj, a holy journey that is regarded as one of Islam’s five pillars, in Mughal India.
Gulbadan Begum, 53, the daughter of Babur, the Mughal empire’s founder, and eleven other ladies belonging to the royal family departed from the harem in Fatehpur Sikri to embark on a six-year journey.
However, information on this incredible voyage is absent from the archives, maybe as a result of male court historians who were keen to
historians believe, maintain the “modesty and sanctity” of the women pilgrims and their journey.
As noted by author and historian Ruby Lal in her book Vagabond Princess: The Great Adventures of Gulbadan, which was just launched in India and will be released internationally later this month, Gulbadan’s trip to Mecca was characterized by acts of bravery and generosity as well as defiance.
Despite being recognized as the first and only female historian of the Mughal era, Gulbadan’s life experiences are recounted in the Humayun-nama, a book that oddly omits information on her travels. As a matter of fact, her book is lacking several pages.
