In this episode I'm joined by historian Ruby Lal. Ruby is Professor of South Asian history at Emory University and the author of several books, including her latest: "Vagabond Princess: The Great Adventures of Gulbadan." We discuss the Mughal Empire-the descendants of the great nomadic empires of Genghis Khan, the Mongols, and Tamerlane. We talk about the cultural, economic, and military of achievements of the Mughals, Gulbadan's life as a princess of the Mughal empire, her incredible and unprecedented journey to Mecca-and the political drama that caused between the Mughal and Ottoman empires, leadership and authority in general during this time period, the role of Islam on culture and economics, women in the Mughal empire, Harem politics, and the role of the Portuguese in disrupting the Indian Ocean trade status quo at the time. We also get into the nature of historiography a little bit and the purpose of history, what it means to tell a historical story, why some sources and stories get silenced slowly over time, how themes of oblivion and erasure run through Ruby's work as a historian, and much more. Ruby Lal is Professor of South Asian history at Emory University and the author of several books, including "Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan," a Los Angeles Book Prize finalist in 2018. -Consider Supporting the Podcast!- Leave a rating or review on apple podcasts or spotify ! Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/reflectinghistory Check out my podcast series on Piranesi, Arcane, The Dark Knight Trilogy, and Nazi Germany and the Battle for the Human Heart here: https://www.reflectinghistory.com/bonuscontent Try my podcast series "Nazi Germany and the Battle for the Human Heart"-- What led to the rise of Nazi Germany? The answer may surprise you…Why do 'good' people support evil leaders? What allure does fascism hold that enables it to garner popular support? To what extent are ordinary people responsible for the development of authoritarian evil? This 13 part audio-course explores these massive questions and more through the lens of Nazi Germany and the ordinary people who collaborated or resisted as the Third Reich expanded. You'll not only learn about the horrifying, surprising, and powerful ways in which the Nazis seized and maintained power, but also fundamental lessons about what fascism is-how to spot it and why it spreads. Through exploring the past, I hope to unlock lessons that everyone can apply to the present day. Check it out on my Patreon page at: https://www.patreon.com/reflectinghistory. Try my podcast series "Piranesi: Exploring the Infinite Halls of a Literary Masterpiece"-- This course is a deep analysis of Susanna Clark's literary masterpiece "Piranesi." Whether you are someone who is reading the novel for academic purposes, or you simply want to enjoy an incredible story for it's own sake, this audio course goes chapter by chapter into the plot, characters, and themes of the book..."The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; it's kindness infinite." Piranesi lives in an infinite house, with no long-term memory and only a loose sense of identity. As the secrets of the House deepen and the mystery of his life becomes more sinister, Piranesi must discover who he is and how this brings him closer to the "Great and Secret Knowledge" that the House contains. Touching on themes of memory, identity, mental health, knowledge, reason, experience, meaning, reflection, ideals, and more…Piranesi will be remembered as one of the great books of the 21st century. Hope you enjoy the course as much as I enjoyed making it. Check it out at https://www.patreon.com/reflectinghistory . Subscribe to my newsletter! A free, low stress, monthly-quarterly email offering historical perspective on modern day issues, behind the scenes content on my latest podcast episodes, and historical lessons/takeaways from the world of history, psychology, and philosophy: https://www.reflectinghistory.com/newsletter .
