Gul-Badan Begum was born in 1523 to Emperor Babur, who was the first Mughal ruler of India. She lived most of her life in Kabul, Afghanistan, having lost her father when she was eight. She was brought up by her brother Humayun. When she was 17, Gul-Badan was married to her cousin Khizr Khwaja Khan, a Chagatai noble.
When she was invited by her nephew Emperor Akbar to live in Agra with his family, she obliged and grew to be loved and respected in India. Her storytelling prowess was well-known, and so her nephew approached her to write what she remembered of her brother Humayun. The book was completed after Humayun’s death in 1556.
“Humayun Nama” is the story of the three kings that dominated Gul-Badan’s life – emperors Babur, Humayun and Akbar. It offers an intimate look into their households and lives, making it a much more detailed account of Mughal history than many others.
Gul-Badan also wrote about the nomadic nature of the Mughal women of that time. The book has a rare account of the women’s pilgrimage to Mecca and their lives from the sidelines. She was also a fluent Turkish and Persian poet but none of her poems has survived.
She passed away when she was 80 and Emperor Akbar is said to have constantly lamented about how much he missed his favourite aunt until his death in 1605.
When she was asked by Akbar to write the manuscript, Gul-Badan Begum began: There had been an order issued, ‘Write down whatever you know of the doings of Firdous-makani (Babur) and Jannat-ashyani (Humayun)’. At that time when his Majesty Firdaus-Makani passed from this perishable world to the everlasting home, I, this lovely one, was eight years old, so it may well be that I do not remember much. However, in obedience to the royal command, I set down whatever there is that I have heard and remember.
In her book, Gul-Badan Begum describes her pilgrimage to Mecca – a distance of 3000 miles – along with Hamida Banu Begum, Humayun’s wife. The women were hardy and faced many hardships. Gul-Badan stayed in Mecca for four years and on her way back to Agra, was delayed by a shipwreck. Eventually, she reached Agra seven years after she left on her journey.
Picture Credit : Google