A captivating biography of one of the world’s greatest adventurers, the itinerant Mughal Princess Gulbadan, based on her long-forgotten memoir   Longlisted for the Cundill History Prize • Finalist, Georgia Author of the Year Award • Shortlisted for James Tait Black Prize in Biography   “Ruby Lal coaxes the remarkable Gulbadan out from the shadows of history.”—Sara Wheeler, Wall Street Journal   Situated in the early decades of the magnificent Mughal Empire, this first ever biography of Princess Gulbadan offers an enthralling portrait of a charismatic adventurer and unique pictures of the multicultural society in which she lived. Following a migratory childhood that spanned Kabul and north India, Gulbadan spent her middle years in a walled harem established by her nephew Akbar to showcase his authority as the Great Emperor. Gulbadan longed for the exuberant itinerant lifestyle she’d known. With Akbar’s blessing, she led an unprecedented sailing and overland voyage and guided harem women on an extended pilgrimage in Arabia. Amid increasing political tensions, the women’s “un-Islamic” behavior forced their return, lengthened by a dramatic shipwreck in the Red Sea.   Gulbadan wrote a book upon her return, the only extant work of prose by a woman of the age. A portion of it is missing, either lost to history or redacted by officials who did not want the princess to have her say.   Vagabond Princess contemplates the story of the missing pages and breathes new life into a daring historical figure. It offers a portal to a richly complex world, rife with movement and migration, where women’s conviviality, adventure, and autonomies shine through. “In Vagabond Princess , Ruby Lal coaxes the remarkable Gulbadan out from the shadows of history.”—Sara Wheeler, Wall Street Journal “A highly appetizing and exhaustively researched biography. . . . Lal does this with aplomb, marshalling the excerpts and ‘close reading’ the paintings for a triumph of historical reconstruction.”—John Keay, Times Literary Supplement “A historian of India reveals the lush world of a sixteenth-century Mughal princess and her extraordinary pilgrimage to Mecca. . . . The author’s impressive scholarship encompasses Gulbadan’s immense influences and distinctive style. . . . Finally, a serious consideration of Gulbadan’s achievement, long ‘sidelined by modern historians.’”— Kirkus Reviews “Lal’s research into previously hidden worlds is at the forefront of an exciting academic movement.”—Lucy Moore, Literary Review “[Gulbadan’s] voice humanises some of the great characters of the time and provides a rare first-hand picture of life during the dramatic rise of the Mughals.”—Anthony Sattin, The Spectator “Gulbadan, literate, observant, intelligent, a central observer to the establishment of the Mughal Empire, is a historical figure well worth discovering. Lal’s enthusiasm for her is infectious. . . . [Lal] is a fluent writer, with a good grasp of atmosphere and description [and who] knows how to tell a good story.”—Peter Gordon, Asian Review of Books “Like a meticulous and careful detective . . . Lal unearths clues [and] writes with authority and panache.”—Madhulika Liddle, Frontline (India) “At a time when the National Council for Educational Research and Training is reducing Mughal history content in school history textbooks in India, it is all the more important to continue bringing the lives of Mughal women to the attention of the world. Ruby Lal has succeeded in giving us a biography of an extraordinary life that women in the twenty-first century in India and the world can draw inspiration from.”— India Currents “Lal delivers an insightful biography of princess Gulbadan Begum (1523–1603), an adventurer and influential presence at court during the early years of the Mughal empire. . . . A comprehensive and vivid portrait of an exceptional historical figure.”— Publishers Weekly Named a “Most Anticipated Feminist Book of 2024” by Ms. “A meticulously researched biography. . . . Drawing from Gulbadan’s own writings, this book beautifully evokes the vibrant Mughal court life. . . . An important portrait of a sixteenth-century Muslim woman that stresses the active role royal women played in politics, religion, and the arts.”— Library Journal “A fascinating historical tale. . . . In drawing primarily on an archival source written by a woman, Lal paints a vivid and complex portrait, one marked by abundance and adventure but also sorrow and intrigue, thus challenging the academic and casual reader alike to rethink how we receive and perceive history.”—Girija Sankar, Khabar “Lal’s exploration of the interplay of Mughal and Ottoman power is deft and original and speaks to her strengths. Lal’s evocative prose, vivid accounts of space, and courageous exploration of the affective dimensions of historical research are groundbreaking and likely to inspire future scholars. This is in keeping with her earlier work, which