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Narrated by Suzanne Toren
Ruby LalUnabridged — 8 hours, 58 minutes
Narrated by Suzanne Toren
Ruby LalUnabridged — 8 hours, 58 minutes
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Despite the spare record she has to work with, Lal paints richly detailed scenes from Nur's life…Lal has done a service to readers interested in the Mughal period and the many forgotten or poorly remembered women of Indian history. She has helped shine a little light on an enigmatic character many think they know but few actually understand.
04/16/2018
In this feminist biography of a strong and independent Muslim woman who, over the intervening centuries, has been reduced to a caricature of wifely devotion in the popular imagination, Lal makes clear her subject’s relevance. Lal, a history professor at Emory, goes far beyond the fables to demonstrate that Nur Jahan was a force to be reckoned with: she ruled jointly as co-sovereign of the Mughal Empire with her husband, the emperor Jahangir, from their marriage in 1611 and was recognized by foreign and domestic observers as the true power in the realm. The women of the royal household, including Jahangir’s 19 other wives, spent most of their lives sequestered, but “the harem offered women surprising opportunities—wide horizons behind high walls.” Jahangir was an aesthete who concerned himself primarily with “the grand ritual acts of ideal Mughal kingship,” such as “offering his subjects glimpses of his semi-divine person from the imperial balcony.” Meanwhile, it was Nur Jahan who commissioned palaces and gardens, issued royal edicts and minted currency, and even defended the realm from usurpers, “sitting atop a war elephant and armed with a musket.” Closely researched and vividly written, this telling finds that the truth is as fantastic and fascinating as myth. (July)
"Nur Jahan emerges from this biography as a spirited, brilliant, and gifted leader. Nur’s story weaves into Lal’s gorgeous, nuanced portrait of the glittering splendour of the Mughal Empire and how its political, military, and cultural destinies were shaped by this remarkable refugee-turned-empress"
"A luminous biography…It is a captivating account, its depth of detail recreating a world whose constraints of lineage would seem to preclude the advance of an unknown, self-made, widowed queen…Lal’s book is an act of feminist historiography."
"Lal… paints rich multisensory tapestries… providing context and evidence to show that due to Nur’s surroundings, history, and contemporaries, she was probably a progressive, worldly, multitalented, forward-thinking woman warrior from the outset.… Lal releases Nur from the condescending ways in which previous commentators have trivialized, belittled, and diminished her accomplishments."
"Ruby Lal, professor of South Asian studies at Emory University, challenges the well-worn fictions of Nur Jahan’s life and legacy.… A cross between Princess Diana, Mother Teresa and Annie Oakley, her Empress is scarcely human."
"What an extraordinary and detailed account of a remarkable woman—amazing! A very impressive, thorough, poetic, humane work."
"Lal shows that [Nur’s] reign had a lasting effect on female empowerment, enabling royal wives to issue an array of orders beyond the harem."
"An absorbing portrait of a remarkable woman, but also offers a stylish reconstruction of a fascinating slice of Mughal life."
"Intriguing, inspiring, and relevant to us today in twenty-first-century America."
"An enchanting evocation of the brilliant Mughal Empire and a tender tribute to India’s first female leader. Lush and sensuous, a jewel box of a book."
"This is an outstanding book, not only incredibly important but also a fabulous piece of writing. Here, India’s greatest empress is reborn in all her fascinating glory in a luminescent account of her life and times. Ruby Lal has written a classic—one of the best biographies to come out this year and certainly the best ever of Nur Jahan."
"In filling in the details of Nur Jahan’s life, Ms. Lal has not only written a revisionist feminist biography; she has also provided a vivid picture of the Mughal court, with its luxuries, beauties, intrigues and horrors."
"There's much more to the story [of Nur Jahan], as historian Ruby Lal reveals in her fascinating new book "
"Lal’s intriguing biography, with its chronology of her relatively swift rise to power and even swifter descent, restores Nur Jahan to her full splendour."
"Despite the spare record she has to work with, Lal paints richly detailed scenes from Nur’s life.… Lal ably guides the reader through the rich drama and intrigue of Nur’s later life with Jahangir, whom she married after Quli was killed.… Lal has done a service to readers interested in the Mughal period and the many forgotten or poorly remembered women of Indian history. She has helped shine a little light on an enigmatic character many think they know but few actually understand."
"Ms. Lal has not only written a revisionist feminist biography; she has also provided a vivid picture of the Mughal court, with its luxuries, beauties, intrigues and horrors. Moreover, at a time when India’s Hindu-nationalist government chooses to emphasise one strain in the country’s history, she offers a reminder of the diversity of Indian tradition. "
Historian Ruby Lal extracts the real life of seventeenth-century Mughal (Mongul) Empress Nur Jahan from legend, romanticized tales, and political erasure in this engaging audiobook. Suzanne Toren ably narrates Lal’s well-researched account of the Indian cosovereign’s life—from her birth to aristocratic Persian parents to her short-lived first marriage and life as the twentieth wife of Emperor Jahangir. Toren’s sure tone reflects Nur Jahan’s roles as a leader, woman, and first-generation immigrant. As Nur Jahan’s story unfolds, Lal contextualizes her impressive achievements within the cultural norms and political environment of the period. Toren differentiates quoted passages from the author’s insights with vocal modulation and light characterization. Nur Jahan was once relegated to a romantic heroine. Here, Lal’s scholarship and Toren’s narration illuminate the full expanse and lasting impact of the Empress’s brief reign. J.R.T. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
★ 2018-04-16
Lal (South Asian History/Emory Univ.; Coming of Age in Nineteenth-Century India: The Girl-Child and the Art of Playfulness, 2013, etc.) shines a light on Nur Jahan (1577-1645), who ruled as co-sovereign in the Mughal court, taking her husband's place without actually usurping him.Before she ascended, her husband, Jahangir, had fallen victim to overindulgence in drink and opium, and she slowly assumed duties with his full support. Jahangir was mercurial, ill-tempered, but he loved the signs of royal power. His traveling procession consisted of hundreds of tents draped in velvet and brocade, an audience hall of more than 70 rooms with 1,000 carpets, a harem, and stables. He inherited none of his father's empire-building drive, but he was a patron of the arts, hunter, naturalist, mystic, and book lover. He loved statistics and traveled mainly to make measurements of flora and fauna and catalog the characteristics of his country. He saw his wife as highly intelligent, talented, and politically savvy, which was due in large part to an aristocratic upbringing in her Persian parents' household. Rather than serving as a quiet counselor and smoothing relations between the emperor and his sons, Nur took direct action. She was an accomplished adviser, hunter, diplomat, and aesthete. She designed her parents' tomb in Agra, anticipating the Taj Mahal, which was built by her stepson, Shah Jahan. Agra was also home to her designs for her and Jahangir's tombs and her famous Light Scattering Garden. The author's descriptions of Agra are superb, and her detailed explanations of Nur's upbringing reflect her long study, deep understanding, and modern take on a little-explored subject. When the emperor was kidnapped by his son's ally, it was Nur who led an army to attempt his rescue. She must be held as one of history's great independent, powerful women.A page-turning, eye-opening biography that shatters our impressions of India as established by the British Raj.
| BN ID: | 2940170213887 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | HighBridge Company |
| Publication date: | 08/28/2018 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
